Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-01-25
NEW REASONS FOR MORE SCHOOLS.

The statistics given yesterday in refer
ence TO the lumber of illiterates in the
United States are worthy Of most serious
attention. The total number of persons
unable to read and write reaches the fright
full proportion of 5,660,074, or one out of
every screen, in our population. This pro-
portion in a government "of the people,
bv the people for the people, is out of
all question and one of the most appalling
dangers that over shadow us. We have
wickedness and vice socially, and cOrrup-
ton and incompetency politically, to over
come and we can do 1t only
through the intelligence and moral
worth of the people These evils are
making frightful inroads upon us, they
grow i'm spite of religious, moral and edu-
cational influences, and unless the repell-
ing power grows stronger we have reason
to trembIe for the result. We are not go
ing now into an argument as to the neces-
sity for increased efforts for education, for
if these figures do not prove them neces-
sary we can not hope to do so. The only
question left to discuss, is what are the
best means to secure more general e'tuca-
tionaI privileges. The bill now before
Congress proposed by Mr.. Hoar, of
Massachusetts, has caused serious de-
bate everywhere and many persons not
mt all favorable to charging the powers of
the General Government feel that in this
matter the necessity warrants the meas
are. fhese statistics will not lessen the
force of such views. When more detailed
information is received we can see what
proportion of these illiterates are found in
Tennessee.
The figures show one thing conclusive
w, and that is that the North maintains
its decided lead in general intelligence, par
ticularly among the native Americans. The
foreign emigration tends to bear down the
excess, but even with this annual and
large accession Of illiteTates, it keeps its
vantage ground. No one can doubt but
that this more general diffusion of educa-
tional advantages is to large extent the
secret of its more rapid progress in gener-
alprosperity and this fact presents sharply
the alternative of increasing our efforts to
educate the masses in the South, or fall
f still further behind in the great strug-
gle for wealth and power. 1t is the
one great question we have to consider.
We can not dodge it, we can not confess
and avoid. Immigration will not help Us
out. for without educational advantages
we can not secure immigration. We may
offer strangers good land, genial climate,
and every other natural advantage, but
without the inducements schools and edu-
cational facil ilities afford, our attractions
are imperfect. We can not hope to build
up our industrial enterprises, for capital
and skilled labor will go first where
natural advantages are coupled with educa-
tionaI privileges. They will cOmehere only
rs a second choice. These are almost AK
IONS. Experience and reason teach us
that they are true and we must so accept
them The question therefore forced upon
us by the unpleasant statistics we have
considered, is, will we longer drag in the
rear in the old worn ruts or will we i'm
prove by the lesson and put ourselves on
our feet and with a new energy and zeal
press forward in the path certain to lead
us to the prosperity we covet? In East
Tennessee, we have done nobly for be-
Ginning in this work. Very many coun-
ties have inaugurated schools, but the work
is but lust begun, and we should seein the
lesson before us only new reasons for more
general and more vigorous efforts.
GARRULoUs Davis has been pressing his
resolution to investigate the "bar-room"