Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-01
VOL. 3.--NO. Z


Southern States that excludes the white labor
ing man.
Compare The statistics of free State with
those of slave State. Take the census of
1850, Fable } and compare New York with
/ Nirginia-cold New York, with her upper
bouudry at 45-sunny Virginia with her lower
| boundry at 36-winter sslingering' long ssin
| the lap of spring. at the Northern line of
New York winter scarcely existing at the
| southern line of Virginia. find that they
were admitted into the Union together in
| 1889. They are of the old States. New York
has IA 900 square miles of territory, and VIZ
ginia 6l.352. Mark the difference in size
The population of Virginia is as % to square
mile, while that of New York is &c to a
square mile. In 1890 the population of New
York SAG, l20; that of Virginia was 49,
30o-more than twice, largely more than
twice that of New York. How do they stand
now3 The free white population of Virginia
is now S9i 500; the free white population of
New FORK is 8 3,0i4,325. Just think of it
Little New 1ork-ior little she is in compari-
son with Virginia, has 3 0iS, ,325 white inhabi-
tants, while the old mother of commonwealth
and statesmen has but S9i 800. s s=EeH
| But, working men, do you value the priv
ieges OF free schools and institutions of learn
| ing While you are at labor in the work.
shop, do yo not feel that though you have to
toll hard for beggarly subsistence, your
children, by the aid of our public schools and
public libraries, shall stand the peers of tho
proudest in the land, and may rise, like the
.sNaticE cobbler,'' TO be the great man of the
| UnitedStates Senate /? Enthusiastic applause}
Yes, such feelings are in all your hearts. Let
us take glimpse at Virginia and New York,
as compared in that respect. In New York
the native free population, over twenty years
age, that, in 1850, could not read write,
was one in every 19; while in Virginia it was
as one in every 10. Why should they teach
s.the poor white trash'' TO read They do
not want to use them. The slaves do tho
work, and rich men only are worthy Of con-
sideratiou. Why should they keep public
schools, to put fanciful notions into the heads
of people that do not own property in slaves,
| and are of no use in the community, but only
an ncumbrance! - -..s
\ ow, let me compare briefly Kentucky and
| Ohio. kentucky was admitted into the Union
| in 1892 Ohio was admitted ten years there
| after, in 1902; she is the younger sister of
| Kentucky. Ten years difference in the age
| of States is really difference worthy of con-
| sideration. Ohio contains about twenty-five
millions of acres and Kentucky twenty-four
| millions. The difference between them is
| about million of acres, or about two thou
sand square miles. Ohio is rather the largest.
At this time the population TO the square
mile is twenty six in Kentucky and forty-nine
and half in her younger sister, ONO. In
! 1900 Ohio had forty five Thousand inhabitants,
and Kentucky two hundred and twenty thous-
| and In 1850 the free white population of
]
had 1, ,955, ,050, exceeding that of Kentucky by
about ,2G0, 600. Let US again examine the
question as to who could read and write. In
1850 the native free population over twenty
years OF age unable to read and write, was in
Ohio in 81, in Kentucky in ll-nearly as
bad as in Virginia.
Between Michigan and Arkansas the same
relations prevail. Michigan WAS admitted in
/ to the Union in 1887. Arkansas in 1886 Mi
chigan has about 56, ,343 square miles of terri
I ALL
| had 1928 inhabitants, Michigan {, ,S96. In
| 1850 the free population of Michigan was 1885,
| OIL that of Arkansas, her elder sister, was
| l62, lS9. In Michigan for those over 20 years
| of age, l in 65 cannot read or write in Ar
kansas l in 9-worse than Virginia; sspocr
white traSh," again. Laughter
Now let come TO the States of Brooks and
Sumner-South Carolina and Massachusetts,.
They came into the Cnion at the same time
We see Massachusetts, a mere speck, lying be-
tween New Hampshire and Vermont on the
north and Connecticut on the south we see
South Carolina a large body of land, nearly
-four times as large as Massachusetts, Massa-
chusetts has $50 square miles; South Caro-
lima has % 900 square miles. They came into
the Union together. Their population in 1890
was 3IS,11I in Massachusetts, and 2i9,O3I in
South Carolina. OF free white population
Massachusetts has now 9S5, ,450-100, 900 moro
than Virginia. While Massachusetts has now
| 9S5. .450 South Carolina has ga ,563-about one
quarter as many. And that Is the State that
| is going to thrash the Union, Tlaughterl and
on the 4th March, At quarter to Twelve, or a
| quarter after, (I forget which L hope may
| get right in regard to it when the time comes,)
| they are to take possession of the archives and
| Treasury of the Union, and the north is to be
no where-That's the programme. IGreat
! laughter.1 There are 273 900 white inhabi-
tants to take care of 384 600 ssniggers" as she
| calls them; and l think that while they are
away taking care of the Treasury an the
chives, the ssniggers" upon the principle when
the cats away the mice will play" tuiH hare
some fun. IShouts of laughter-
| Now look at these two States to reading
and writing. In Massachusetts,, of those over
20 years of age there are but SCI who cannot
read and write, or one in every 446, Tgreat APP
plauSe, while in South Carolina there is oDa
in seventeen And do you wonder that in
| State where one in every seventeen cannot
read or write they lavish silver pitchers and
gold-headed canes upon a man who tells them
1 himself what he has been doingj they don't
hear of it in any other way than ne chooses To
let them know. And Arkansas-what an idea
to indict man for sending incendiary docu-
ments,' into that State, when, one in every
nine is not able TO readi-And l suppose
those who can read, do it very much after the
| fashion of the boys that we have here N tho
House of Refuge. You say to one of them
can you read and wrte2 eyes sir can read,'
is the reply. .sYou give the fellow some
| simple book and he begins, ga cat scat,'
saw-no, was, swas;' Tloud laughter and so
he gets along with words of one syllable by
| spelling the longer ones. Where one in ev-
cry nine cannot read at all, we may take It
| for granted that the majority read after the
fashion of our House of Refuge boys, and not
much better. [Laughter-] -F
I DO not mean 10 say that that is true as 10
| all, for the Southern STAKEHOLDER and planter
I leaS Sn srSl lr sSe Rta - - n n