Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-18
THE PEABODY FUND.
Report of the General Agent
Interesting Statistics.

NEW YORK, July 17.-The annual re-
port of the General Agens of the Peabody
Fund, DIR. Barnes Seares, gives an encour-
aging review Of the general condition OF
public schools in the Southern States, an3
says the encouraging circumstances vastly
predom;nate over discouragiDg. There is
oue class of men, says the report whose
interest is to be dreaded, who do not pro-
fess to be unfriendly to common schools,
but reluctantly consent to let the expert
ment be tried, provided it be done cheap.y
not considering, probably not caring, that
such condition is fatal. The effect would
be in more than one State to create wide
:pread dissatisfaction among people who,
having paid their school tax, find that pri-
vate schools have been broken up or re-
duced to weakness or indifference.
by the removal of 50 many pupils, and that
for want Of sufficient funds no respectable
public schools have taken their place. So
far as the education of the children of
State is concerned, the two systems CO.
existing ere chiefly efficient in weakening
each other. Ether to be prosperous re-
quires all the money that is paid for both.
Men will not be satisfied TO be reduced TO
the necessity Of setting up schools Of their
own, or of sending their children from homo
after having contributed their share to the
public school fund. Such are the results OF
what people are pleased 10 eall economy IN
expe lditures for ptaibiic schools.
The report goes on to refer to scheming
legislators, and shows how the voice of the
people has frequently been raised against
them, aud insists that superintendents
should not be frequently changed, and says
he must wait time for the results of a
change from private to a public system.
Past p,eiudices are coming to be regarded
as amiable weaknesses, and there are men
enough in the Southern States who pro-
nounce for abandoning tile ailtiquated 5ys-
TEN OF pTiYa schools.
The following statistics are taken from
the report: Virgiuia-Public schools in the
State for the year endi-g August l, 1872, is
3,G95, and school population 41l,02l per-
sons, of whom 247 ,002 are white. The
amount appropriated was 32,e00 dollars.
Moth Carolna-The condition of public
| schools and education generally is far from
satisfactory Alarming indifference on the
| subject among the common pc pie, and q
want of union and hearty cooperation
/ among public men; amount appropriated
| $12,4I0.
South Csroiina-Few schools reported
throughout the Y. ar. An application was
made for Charl, sson as follows: The Leg
islsture at its last session appropriated over
100000 for educational purposes. Not
| one dollar of this amount has cen received
| from the Treasury, and the result has been
that nearly all public schools in the Stale
have been closed. Amount paid 15,OV(
doll RS.
Gsorgia-EfIorts thus fsr to establish 9
public school system resulted in compara-
tive feilure; fund contributed $1,000 10 l.
schools.
Florida -three-fourihs of the youth o
the State are yet unreached by the educa
tionsl system, but the ratio is rapidly
changing; the fuEd contributed 5000 dollar
in aid of Il schools.
Alabama-Of population of one million
$4,000 can neither read nor write
of the voting population there are 9l,G0l
blacks, and 10000 whites who cannot reaC
and write; the State funds paid 6O,6l7 dollar
during the year and the Peabody fund I,
900 dollars TO Ave schools.
Missisippi-There are 4,650 Dubli
schoOls;aVersge attendance Ia, 900, and 4Ot
private schools with 14s, $50 pupils enrolled
! expense Of common schools /, ,196,9SS dol
lars and the Peabody fund lcontiibutt 81,
450 TO aid 6 schools.
Louisiana-S7, $50 was contributed to ali
| schools.
Texas-In tie unsettled state of schoo
matters, the Trustees did not feel JUSTIFIED
in making donations.
! Arkansas-Number Of children of schoo
age 1914 344; uumber Of persons sttendiD
school 81, ,S63; teachers 2,035; amount pai'
teachers $355, ,6Zj, and amount contribute
from Peabody fund $1,000.
Teunes ee-Number Of children Of schoC
age about 100000; school fund S2,5l2,5OO
amount available for schools S65O,OOO; an
the Peabody fund contributed in aid OF .
schools S25, 900.
West Vi:giaia-Ttere are 5000 school
in operation, Tuu at An expense of three
fourlhs Of a million annually, and $1,000
in the graded and high schools, Peabod
fund contributes Sl5,950.
Total contributed to all the States Sl3'
$40