The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-01-22
FREE SCHOOLS.

/ FREE SCHOOLS. t.%
7; 7 transmit herewith the annual re
Eport Of the State Superintendent o
Education. This report exhibits Tho
fact that the scholastic population O
the year 1871 exceeds that of 1865
by IL, 1877, as shown by the following
tables. The scholastic population
includes only that portion of the in
habitants Of tho State between the
a. ges of six and sixteen years ofage
(both lnclusiveD g..
Scholastic population for the year
1869, as. shown. blythe State census Of
1869; Malcs-whites, 40,956; colored
],5S,776; total, 99,732. Females :
whites, 41,240 colored, 56,207; total
l94447. Totals whites, S2,l96; col
Iored, 1898; grand total, 1877, ,179.
! Scholastic population for the year
1881, as given by the revised returns
of County School Commissioners
Males white, 43, ,344; colorcd, G2,955
total, LOG, ,269.. Females white, 49,,
$50: colored, 62,247; total 103.107
Totals-white, 81 2Q colored, 1885,,
|172; grand total, 2O9,376.
The scholastic population, it will
thus be sen, amounts, for the year
1871, to nearly thirty per cent. of the
Total population of the State. The
annexed statement conveys the graf
flying information that the school
Attendance of 1872. exceeds that ot
1871 by 1926.
School attendance for the year
1871: Malcs-white, 16,36S; colored
,701; total, 33.C74. Femalcs-white
1894; colorcd. 17,125; total, 32,9S2
Totals-white, 80 2,222; colored, 33, ,934
grand total, 69,O56. Il q ~.
School attendance for the yea,
1872: Males white, 1916; colored
19,42S; total, 1854. Females
white, 37,6s7 colored, 3S,635; grand
total 76 322. Increase in school at
Tendance 10, ,266.
+ These figures show that not t--morc
than thirty.six per cent. Of the schol
astic population of the State are ir
attendance on the public schools
Leaving siNy-four percent. of the
children of scholastic age. who arc
either taught in private ,ihstitutions
or are beingleft entirely destitute O.
mental instruction.
Those who attend private schools
are almost exclusively white, or a
least there arevery'few Of the coloret
children who receive their primary
education i'm any other than the free
common schools, their parents, il
most instances, being too poor It
afford them any peculiar advantages
Assuming that fifty per cent. of tn
white children Of scholastic age, swht
are non-attendants at the publi
schools, are. being educatedin~ privat
establishments, we have 23,o59 whit
children whose minds are uncultiva
ted, while, five suppose that tel
per cent. Of the colored non-attendant
at the free schools are receiving in
struction in pay institutions, welhay
the startling number Of ,77,8 1893 colore.
children not under any form Of edu
cational trainings making an iaggre
gate Of 1O1, 141 children in this Stat
who are, growing up in mental dark
hess. This is an immense volume c
Ignorance in q free State, and if NO
) checked, it !presages disaster to .ou
free institutions, Tho masses eonst
tute the great political element 10 ou
!. republic, which justly rests upon th
principle that, its government is b
the people and for the people. A
J. the -people are to govern it follow
that the youth, who are to be, th
future rulers Of the commonwealth
) either personally or through thei
votes as Independent electors, shoul
receive, the necessary mental culture
/, that they may:rule intelligently,, ant
, being educated in the knowledge {
their sacred rights and duties as cit
zens, may know how to maintain th
i one and to perform the other.
The ignorance Of the. masses ma
be Of, little consequence in o monarel
lcal State, Aor under an aristocrati
form Of goyernment; indeed, it ma
/ be largely conducive to the welfare!
| such rulers and the stability Of I'll