The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-03-27
For the Republican.
The schools In Michigan. ..

| I-lt
knowledge is power" Ignorance
is weakness, because knowledge can
use ignorance to advance its own pur.
poses. At the south, the masses are in
comparative ignorance; and the few
who possess the knowledge great
portion of them-puffed up with pride
and ambition, have moulded the masses
to their will, till they are ready, against
all their own true interests, to engage
in war to please their demagogue
leaders, who, unable longer to rule this
nation, determine 10 be the rulers of q
new nation of white serfs and slaves of
all colors. It is said that of sixty rebel
soldiers taken prisonerson one occasion,
but fourteen could write their names.
This is sample of southern education.
Had they at the South been blessed
with school house for every III of
the entire population, as is the case in
Michigan, Floyd, Davis & Co., could
never have persuaded the millions to
engage in a war for the benefit of a
few thousand slave holding dema-
gogues. But knowledge and rule is
for the few-ignorance and serfhood
for the many. In South Carolina
especially. the non-slave owning whites
are in every respect, politically of less
Importance than are black men in
several northern States. -. -'....
Fortunately here we are uncursed
with the tyranny of slavery, which for
bids practically the education Of all
but the aristocracy, and we can aim
for universal education. We look at
what we have done with just pride, and
yet much remains to be done. Every
year thousands of new minds come
upon the stage, and tie work of educa-
tion can thus be never suspended.
Each generation must fit the generation
to follow, for its duties, or an enlightened
land may soon degenerate to darkness
and slavery. Nods;ng therefore, should
for a single year, indace us to relax our
exertions to give our schools the high
est possible efficiency, and bring under
their influence all of our youth. Not
even war should be allowed to interfere
with full terms and full rooms in our
schools. ..r.
Hoping in some measure to awaken
a new interest in the subject with the
readers of the Republican, give below
some of the statistics of the schools for
the past year in the State and in Cass
County, as compiled from over four
thousand Directors reports in the Office
of Public Instruction. z 3'''i
| THE STATE.
Number of children betwee and 20 yearsn
of age, 252, ,533
Number previous year. between and Is pg
wears. -. !, -. 81. 80 .,t, 24s, ,6S4
Number attending school, 2O2.5O4
Increase for the year. 1857
This increase of attendance is proba-
bly, not more than the actual increase
of children; the number between and
20 years evidently being not quite as
great as that between and 18.
A prroh.r oF months schooJ III
Number Of teachers, i. f"i ~ go 'I"" 1911
| Volumes reported in libraries, fl4EL 6l,72s
Including the districts failing to re-
port under this head, there are doubt.
less 200, 900 volumes.
Value of school houses, sl71O,Ss4 80
Voted for libraries at spring election, 3,O5S 01
/ .Hlitt REVENUES. ii) p -"
Primary school fund, fo nsm}r $1o3, ,457 81
i Tuition Of nonresident scholars ~ IL, 1861 Z;
District taxes to pay teachers, SS,9S9 A:
Other district taxes, s'' 240. .474 81
Two mill tax, .fl Te.t,ea nni'g, E * a7S, $50 6s
Ratebills, So ,469 2!
Library funds from fines, &C., 7.593 81
Township funds paid Inspectors, fi1 s,452 5;
Total, -. - : - ~ s7s5,l4s 8
| s9rrst g EXPENDITURES. Half yurg.
Paid 1926 male teachers, $24s,7s7 IL xa .lo7ii
/ 5,4S5 female 251, 1,256 55 -,,.,.
/ yIr r.LEiHtJ z EJLItfFI 80
Paid building and REPAIRS 122,7I5 5:
| .- past indebtedness, @ l@3aHifG 81, ASS Z.
i -" Inspectors services .,1Iqf.ao9 ri S,452 8,
| books for libraries, 1861 q
:" contingent expenses, &C., " s1,7s7 l;
i. .aoiIai sdt 7evo sas3f9 i,is s7s,5l4s 8.
This is not quite four dollars for eacf
child in school, or about sixty-four cents
per month. Who win complain Of thi'
small expense, in, so great a work a.
that of preparing our children fol