Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-08-26
Education and Revenue.


suggestions in the statistics which ex-
hibit the educational condition of the
country aud in those which gives details
US to its revenue The imposition of
the Internal Revenue Tax, which has
been generally regarded as unjust and
altogether odious. in one ofits features
at least, promises to prove national
/ blessing. We refer to the information
which is furnished through its agency
as to the material condition of tie peo.
! pie, of which. examined in connection
with other lnfo nation touching the
standard OF popular education, furnishes
Il basis for momcntous calculations. We
have no space, nor is il the province of
our paper, to enter upon an elaborate
consideration of these questions but
We have thought that it would interest
our readers TO see some figures as to the
state of education among the people of
the United States, aud some conclusions
leeitimately drawn therefrom, which
have an important bearing upon the
national wealth and revenue of the
country.
According to the census returns of
1850 there were in the State of Ala
hama 2I4,006 white children, between
the ages Of five aud twenty OF these
! 98, 900 attended school l15,9l6 did
not. OF white adults over 20 in the
State, 81 Cos were unable to read and
write In Massachusetts, of $50 ,TOS
children, PIT .67S attended school aud
in population of % ,O66 there were
46,92l adults who could not read or
write. In New York, Of | ,255 600
children $50 8J6 attended school, and
40 ,270 did not OF the total population
If 3,SSG,735, 121 .S7S adults could not
read or write In New jersey. of 224,
05G children. 1l6,4 ,475 attended school,
9S $40 did not In Connecticut of 1876,
59S children, SS. .558 attended school ;
45.l97 did not In Virginia Of $685.
100 white children, 154,S22 attended
school, while 23S ,lSl did not
Reviewing these figures, aud others
referring 10 other States which we have
not space, to give we findthat in 1860 in
the free States. 10 children in each
hundred attended school In Alabama
the proportion Of attendants to non at
tendants Was 9 to II, In Virginia as
l. to 25 In Maine the proportion Of
iilitara.e to iiterate adults was : to $50;
IN Virginia, excluding the negroes, the
proportion was as I to IL, or about one
SIKH.
] Without coIu- into calculations as To
the comparative contributions Of these
States thrau- h the Internal Revenue
Bureau, 10 the wealth e the country
We may dwell Ariety on the receipts Of
the Post Office Department. as affected
hy tho prevalent education in different
sections If the country II education
was rs general q Ill The States as it is in
New England the annual deficit of
about So 600 600 in the Post 0fhcc &C.
counts wonld give place to surplus Of
ST 000 Geo. This fuct-~for il is a iact
needs no comment; but its effect may
be more striking to some minds it we
say that this difference OF Sl2 600 600
would enable the Department to ppy It's
expenses and reduce the rates Of postage
! onc~third. It now costs 10 run the Post
Office Department per head If the totat
population IL 1860 81 ~ SG51 Soc
: But of the total amount SIS 44o, ,504,~
|94, New England pays far more
than her share She pays to the Depart
, ment in postage size per head Of her
population the Middle States 1Sc; the
Northwestern States Zoe On the other
} hand the Southern Coast States pay
only 2Gc; tie Central 2Ic, and Texas
29c. Common schools ATE responsible
+ for this difference.
We com amend these facts to The at
teution Of our readers, and especially t"
the careful study Of Journal SIS. who
} have it in their power to turn them to
: profitable account, Wenccd not tell them
how great an influence for good or evil
, is their privilege to WELD. We only re-
9 mind them that one of their gravest
] and most pressing duties is TO encour-
age by all possible means the establish.
D ment and support of common schools !,
Y and through them universal education.
: In so doing they are promoting not on :
" the national welfare. but their indi-
vidual profit also Newspapers can
l not live in an illitcrate community aS
. the rumbcr of readers increases, their
D list of Subscribers grow. They are
j helping on another most desirable con>
j snmmation--the cheapening of postage.
c As intelligence spreads, the necessities
h of the community require more frequent
d intercommnnication, and that this will
: follow is sufficiently shown by the fig
e ures we have given above. The re-
duction of one cent in the postage o
n letter would amount in the city oil
= Boston alone to $400 per day-enougf
!, to pay the salaries Of one hundred
h teachers of common schools. Record
n As an illustration of the confusion