The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-13
WASHINGTON, d. C..
OHIO.


State on the sd instant, is strictly confined to
Si''ie policy, bat nevertheless contains many
passages Of general interest, from the thorough
Information they furnish as to the educational
and industrial progress of that great State
The following extracts will serve to show that
Ohio Is still on the high road of improvement
and progress
POPULATION.
Accprdlngito the estimates of the Commits
sloner ofStatistics the marriages in Ohio during
1858 were 1000; the deaths, As, 900; the births
$4,000; the naturalizations, 5000; the new
Structures 10000. The increase by births, ac
cording to this estimate, is 81, 900 annually, and
the yearly Immigration from foreign countries
and other States is estimated to exceed the
yearly emigration by 10000; giving an aggre
gate increase Of 81, 900 annually, or 10000 in
eight years. The new structures allowing six
persons for each, indicate nearly the same rate
OF progress The population of Ohio in 1850
was l,gsO,329 and is now, if the estimate just
referred TO be correct :, APO, 1923.
EDUCATION.
a brief COMPARISON between the condition of
our common schools the year before this enact
ment, and at the present time, will Illustrate in
some degree. Its happy effects.
The number of common schools in 1853 was
1854 in lS5s, 1880; the number of youths
over five years of age and under twenty-one
enumerated in 1898 was S06,7S in 1853,
s43,S40. The youth enrolled as attending school
I'm 1853 were 3jS. Az; in 1858, 9,343 The
average number in daily attendance in 1853
was 27l, 1876 in 1858, 355,S63. The number
of teaehers employed in 1853 was 1864; in
1858, 1873. The amount paid teachers in
1853 was SsOO,lfj in 1858, sl,975,S32.
The number of schoOl-houses in 1853 was
G.850 IN ISIS. l0,497. The value Of school
houses in 1913 was estimated at s., 000, 900 in
1855. al S3,5IG.420.
These 6gures exhibit gratifying progress
but they By no means furnish complete view
Of our educational condition.
There mas been "A constant aad rapid prog
ress, which figures cannot measure. The char
acter and condition of our schOOl-houseS and
school rooms has been greatly bettered the
standard Of qualification for teachers advanced;
the methods of teaching improved the range
and scope OF instruction enlarged and the re-
suits, in acquisition and capacity, largely aug
mented.
A great educational work is prosecuted Also
outside Of the common schools. The colleges
and female seIninarics in the State send FORTH
yearly, numerous young men and women, to
take up and carry forward, in its various de-
partments, the work Of moral, social, and polit-
lcal improvement. During the past year, at
tended the commenccments of n many of the
colleges was practicable. and was gratifed
to observe the marked ability and proficiency
displayed By the graduates.
IL will q capc your observation, that, while
the actual progress and condition of our COM
mon schools may well CRAFTY and encourage
the friends of popular education, there vet re-
mains a wori. To be accomplished which i'm
poses grave responsibilities and must needs
excite earnest solicitude The whole number
Of youth OF the school age, as has been already
stated is $500, while the number enrolled is
CO9,3i3, making the number not enrolled
234,497. The disparity between the whole
number and the number, 355, 863 in daily at
tendance, Is more striking. The difference is
4ej,917 Making every allowance for the num-
Der taught in private denominational schools,
there must still remain considerable number
who attend no school nj all, while Of those who
do not absent themselves altogether, very
large proportion attend so irrcgularly or for
such briei periods that they derive little benefit
from it.
The Governor saws that " we must not be
satisfied while one person capable of instruction
remains untaught or ill-taught.' A noble
sentiment, in which every patriot and philan-
thropist Will heartily join.
THE INSANE AND IDIOTIc
The benevOlence of the State has already
provided three aSyums for the insane, which
have cost for grounds and construction about
S414,O0O, and are sustained at an annual ex-
pense of $4,000, excluding charges properly
belonging to the account of construction and
interest The cost of the Northern and Cen
tral Asylums has been about $4,000 each
that of the Southern about $l6S,0OO. The
actual value of the Central Asylum is now
probably more than double that Of either Of the
others.
In these asylums there were at the begin
ming of the last year SOS inmates, and there
were received during the year Ala. making the
whole number of participants in their benefits
$50 there were discharged 4l2 there died
43 and there remained at the commencement
of the current year, $40. OF those discharged
$40 had been restored to sanity, and 30 decided
ly improved. The average expense of each
inmate was about Sl58.
The Central Asylum will accommodate $50
inmates, the Northern $50, and the Southern
loo. Each has been filed to the extent of its
capacity. Another ASYLUM is in progress of
construction in Hamilton county, for the recep-
ton of the insane of that county only. After
its completion and opening. that county will
constitute the Southwestern ASYLUM district
1t is not, indeed, 10 be expected that the
idiouc can be elevated TO any high degree of
capacity; but very many of them can be quail
fed To earn their own Subsistence and nearly
ali can be trained to habits of neatness and
proprietv The whole number of idiots in the
State is reasonably estimated at about 1000
OF these, 500 are of a proper age to receive
instruction la the ASYLUM recently opened
for their reception, there were at the commence
ment Of the present year sixteen there were
received during the year twenty-five; there were
discharged six there are absent six the num-
Der under instruction at the commencement Of
the present year was twenty-six; the average
number maintained at the States expense TWEEN
". The expense of the year, excluding the
cost OF permanent Improvements, has been
$3,S45.6I. The average annual expense of
each pupil was Sl92.jO. When the institution
is full, the average expense of each pupil will
of course he less and willinot exceed the aver
age cost of each Inmate OF the other asylums
The question of the permanent establishment
and location Of the institution should be prompt
Is decided. If decided aAirnatively provision
should be made for the purchase either of the
property IN which it Is temporarily established.
or OF some other site. After careful considera-
ton of all circumstances, think it nv duty to
recommend the first of these alternatives as
most iudicious and most Economical
Deaf mutes constitute another class for whose
education public provision must necessarily be
made. To State belongs the honor of first
recognising this principle :; and nearly thirty
years have now elapsed since her asylum was
first opened to these unfortunates The number
now IN the State is estimated at 200 OF
these, more than one-third have received in.
struction IN the asylum, and probably another
third are of suitable age for admission OF
this latter number, lj0 are in actual enjoyment
of Its benefits, while 80 are necessarily exclu-