Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-10
National Education,

National Education.
In the house of representatives, on Tuesday,
Mr. Hoar spoke as follows, in support of his
bill to establish a system of national educa-
ton:
desire, Mr.. Speaker, at the outset of this de-
bate, to reiterate my most emphatic conviction
that it would be both inexpedient and impracti-
cable to take from the states the functions OF
providing for public education where they are
now administered. The best education is that
which an individual derives for himself. Next
TO that comes the education in the family. Next
comes that administered or controlled by the
| districts or towns. Beyond that comes the ne
cessity and importance OF interfering with this
| question by the state. The state cannot permit
the towns, the towns cannot permit the family,
| and the family cannot permit the child to refuse
to discharge its functions, for of all things edu-
| cation is necessary to free people.
| So, Mr.. Speaker, all we claim is that, regu-
| lated and controlled by the district or town
where these fail, begin the necessity of interior
| ence by the state. But the state cannot permit
| the town, the town cannot permit the family,
| the family cannot permit the child to refuse to
| discharge his duty duty not only owed to the
children, but essential to the welfare of citizen,
| town, and state. So, while we claim and aYow
| that it is our purpose not to interfere with any
| state which will discharge this great function,
we also avow and acknowledge that it is our
| purpose not to permit any state not to do it.
| desire in the few minutes shall occupy TO
| pres 3nt to this house the overwhelming present
! necessity of an instant interference by the ma
| tional power with the subject of education in
large portion OF our states, and the constitution
| al power and the constitutional duty that con-
| gressIshall undertake this interference.
| The superintendent of the census just now
completed thinks the whole population of this
country will not fall much short of 3S, SOC, 900
| nrIf YNtr 70, +bn 8
| half Of the population was over twenty years of
| age. Assuming the same ratio for the present
| census, we may say that there are 19,400, 900
adults in our country to-day. Every year adds
| about 100000 persons to the adult population of
| the country. In 1860 there were 2S72,111 adult
| persons unable to read or write, or twenty in
| every one hundred of the adult population. If
| the percentage had remained the same-aad the
superintendent Of the census thinks it has large
ly increaSed-there are now 1850, 900 adult per-
| sons in this country unable to read and write.
| In the year 1872 Horace Mann demonstrated
| that at least thirty per cent should be added to
this estimate of illiteracy in the census from the
| tendency of people to Overestimate the number
| able TO read and write and from that portion of
the population who read and write so imperfect
ly as to be practically illiterate. This, out of
the total population of SO, SOC, 900, would make
4,7S4 900 Of what Mr.. Mann would call practi-
cally illiterate, now unable to read and write.
In round numbers, therefore, there are to-
day, out of twenty million of the adult popula-
ton of this country, five million persons in a
state of utter ignorance, unable to read the con-
stitution under which they live unable to read
a newspaper, and unable to derive any knoWl.
edge of history, of politics, of science, or of the
social condition Of their own or other countries
by the avenue Of education or instruction. Now,
sir, where are these persons found? In what
states of the Union are they2 In the sixteen
southern states, counting West Virginia and
Virginia separately, there were, according to the
census of 1869, 1887 ,94S persons of school age
returned as attending school against 3,23S, 5S6
receiving no kind of instruction whatever. Now,
it is the opinion of all the best authorities to
which am able to apply that this proportion of
illiteracy has been largely increased in the
southern states in consequence of the events Of
the war. have obtained from the census office
a table making comparisons, in this respect of
the census of 1860 and that of 1870 in seven of
the states, Florida Georgia, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Vir-
ginia.
By that table it appears that the total number
of pupils in all the schools in these seven states
in 1860 was 49,, 604 between the ages of six and
sixteen years, against 369, 635 in 1870; so that,
Supposing this proportion to hold good in the
other southern states there has been loss of
about five per cent. as compared with the educa-
tional statistics of 1860. Many of those returned
as attending school receive but a very slight and
imperfect teaching. These statistics include eve
ming and Sunday schools. 1t is not too much,
therefore, to say that in sixteen states of this
union which will be required to elect during the
next decade thirty-two senators and ninety rep
resentativeS, or whereabouts, only one-fourth of
the persons who are growing up to assume the
functions of citizens will be able to read or
write.
Now, l ask the statesmen of the American
republic to look this thing in the face. | desire
to make no partisan or political imputationS
There are two states III this union, one of them
under the control of the party TO which be
long, one of them not under the control of that
party, in both of which the popular elections
are determined argely not by the vote of the
citizens, but by corruption and fraud. Now, is
it not true that you have to deal with this fact
in the immediate future and look it in the face,
that this country is to be ruled in the next years.
in the next generation, by its ignorance and its
corruptonP
The senators of sixteen states and ninety rep
reSentatYeS are to be sent here by the choice, if
| choice it can be called, of men who are unable
to comprehend the constitution under which
| they live, unable to read newspapers, unable to
read an argument, unable TO receive into their
minds any of the enlightened knowledge which
| comes from the capacity to read.
Now, sir, have obtained from the bureau of
| education statement of what the states to
which have alluded are undertaking to do to
remedy this evil, and propose to ask the house
| to believe with me that instead Of any prospect
| Of improvement in this matter these states hold
out the promise to do worse. This is the con-
| dition of public education at the south:
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
Il. Delaware: No state supervision, no state
| normal school, no adequate public school law
| no provision for the education Of the colored
children.
"I. Maryland: No public schools for colored
children except in Baltimore. Only nominal
state supervision.
GIL. Virginia: Free-school law recently
| passed, but It's workings impeded by want of
funds, school houses, and qualified teachers
| only about one hundred schools in operation at
| date; no money yet collected, and school tax
not available for months.
Nv. West Virginia. Contemplating destruc-
ton OF the already successful school system.
"V. Kentucky: Recent attempt made by legis.
lature TO cripple system already in operation by
reducing the salary Of the superintendent, paw
ing no attention to his judicous recommends
tions; at present law is substantially the same
as before the emancipation, and no colored pub
lie schools established Even the school tax
collected from the colored people is used for the
support Of coored paupers.
"Vl. Tennessee: Successfully established
school system overthrow, and provisions of the
old 'pauper school law re-establshed. No nor.
NAL school.
"VIl. North Carolina: School system strug.
Cling under hostility Of sentiment, inadequacy
OF means, so that permanence thereof is doubt
full.
VIII South Carolina: School system moder.
ately successful; bitter hostility manifested; sue
cess possible only through continued adherence
OF the coored population.
tx Georgia: School laws till recently same
as before the war; new act recently passed and
state superintendent appointed successful pro
Rress hampered on account OF want of funds.
x Alabama: School system imperfect in
many ma respects, yet had secured an enrolment Of
, | full.
Al Florida: System partly organized; sue.
cess heretofore limited by inadequate means
: XII. Mississippi. School laug yaoantI,, ar,