, 1870-02-23

The National Department of Ednca.
tt6Ds

Inc NAtlQNAl department U1 EuAEA-
t.oD. |
Ii .A< Es,,or AZ Tht chieaao Tribune:
MzpJ friends Of popular edacation sre surptised |
At the opinion expressed, editona1ly, IN your col
pnns, that the Nstional Department Of Educauou |
ehoald be abolished.
YoQ 1row that, notwithstanding the clap.trsp
talk OF soHe Of oar POLITICIANS about the general
i1crea4e aid diffusion Of knowledge. she percent
ase of ocE pofu hEon thA, caouot read and write
IA steadily lncreasius. In 1s+e, one In thirteen
pesaors oYef 70 years old coaid not sead; IN 1850
The number had ncreased to one In nine; In 1891,
to one In seven. II fs fashionable to charge the
u!ttelate 10 oar immigrants. fes o0e who gave a.
teptIon to the subject fo1Id Tint In the late war
Only four regiments Of our almT sent multet rolls
to Wa4h!lRton with every EAme s'gne1 By is
owcer, and thosa we're German reSlments- Tae
nsut Chinese immigrant who cannot read md
write has set TO be found On our shores. "The
General Gortrnuent hka 60 business 70 NEEDLE
with educational Affairs, " ZONE say. tst ~ s.e.
1thss gwen ni the public dom alu 75ase,s0' acres
to the EsI!opa Safes for educational p11potes.
People are cot entirely ignorant thst tae proce.d4
OF large portion OF theae lands have been per-
ve1ied to oiber uaes and sQuandered. In ths ab-
serce ct snJ check or supervision By EoEtsntneat
No besens 10 eGlcAaon haa sc.rptL AtkaoAas u
bright example. One tnlrty-sx'a Of her whole
area Was dop2ted for the p1rpuae Of free schools,
to start with. AfterHard seVtntJ-.ght tquare
pIcs OF the bes: lznd In tae State were given her
to establish "SenainarJ OF Learning" Doabt-
len other grants were also made. Tnis uuotacent
endowment nas been largely waited. In thirty
Jea,znos atree school Has edta 3lhed 10 the S:ate
nd the ''seriuass Of Learning" Ia myth.
A,fsusas IL but one Of MANI S.stea i1at hare
been permitted 10 waste the generous aud w1se
bourty OF the government b. !ts oEn indifference,
In tho Tcn,os1eA the interests al education are
lsrs utahtrg through lack OF energetic, hearty
superyislou. FuLy thousand white children are
entirely dea.!tuie Of school privileges Usan pro-
yidea schools for but half her cnl1drnr, and ttcle
but 4eyen mensts ID the Jen. Sae has go hitter.
! ste females to 20 n1ales- Such ls the growing
| and acult population B,'snsu Toung proposes
| 10 add 10 biz young force. New Mexico,
IN our peel e.siou the last twenty-five Jears, with
Village population Of over 10 coe, acquired with
the Territory. fss no free lcnoo.s worth The name.
uer 1oa,h are zroring up IN vicious ignorance,
srd speak / foreign laugrsee
The history Of ali the Territories Presents .
statement Of uniform dsetacsfol neglect Of ea1.
catlop. Amopg the Indian tribes educaIonal
e1ot,s naa been generally under tie l1emelenl
aupe,rt1:on Of cfncers who regarded II With
trdinerecee ~ : dhagreeable incident to otnei
dutles--a1d Who have utuAlly treated with Light
neea OF sverston NJ missionary work. Within TIT
Last t,:J 1eats The government has spent oyel
SEC. tl1, 600 lighting lcdIaos. Ooc-tea:h Of thai
sun }1dic:ously Eptot IN missionary and edncs
sonal eu,eyprtses would have made waz uaneces
zz1J.
The Gtneral Gove1nnent.a II IN duty bound I;
aid Ard protect sdccattonsl work amouz IN,
frredpeu Of t4e Soath for some rCe to coue,
In The District Ct co.unoiA there Ire acot
houseletz caildrer-eo Tar n school houses an
coueerped. Tae system IN vogue there L lnel
nc,ent, aad d!iRTsce 70 tie Eaton.
Aucn taa been said and written II e1logy o
tho private individual who Eare his millions 70 bell
educate the youth Of tto South. Nobody A1gaes
that Tie s1f. to cnusc or un1ece1s4.J, or 10 ii
ford 9 place and ks.ary tor Dr.. Scar, the asen
for IN dtsu1ouuop. Indeed, II il highly com
nerced-
Suppose ve we1e TO de1y ourselves soma q
tho charming !ceberS1 apl Desirable earthquake
thai zra IN the natteL a:d rsa tenth PIT q
whss they voold cost IN es:asianinz and raatnsatr
| ing . department Of education - respectable IN
e1sc1est u ttose OF the "tfets despo.lkrs {
Europe" c.
, | ryyrbEo Fan JE-o