, 1874-01-11
lLLlTERACY BEFORE CONGRESS.

Taxh,noton Dispatsn to the .yesc York Times.
The Times. III recent edltoI1al article, las
shown that the chief need OF the South is edu-
cation. prominent citizen of South Carolina
declared at late convention in that State, 'that
probably three-fourths Of the children are grow-
ing up in mental darkness, and many are learn
ing nothing but how to do evil" The Times also
showed that from the statistics OF the last CEN
sus. it appears that in 1870 there wcro in the
Uuited States ,433, ,20G persons Of the age of 10
yearn and upward who were not able to read.
This llitcracy is mainly confined to the follow
ing sixteen States: Alabama. Arkansas, Della
ware, Florida, Georgia. Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texns, Virginia,
aud West Virginia. In these States alone,
$3.50, ,424 oft lie whole number of illiteEate
persons were found A bill has already
been reported to the Houae Of Rep1e-
sentativcs which il designed, in some measure, to
remedy this evil It is the bill introduced By Hon.
George F. Hoar, Of Massachusetts, ''to establish
system Of national education, and to apply
the proceeds OF the sales Of tho public lands to
the educution of the people," This bill has been
unanimously reported from tho Committee on
Education and Labor, and the Committee. by
right, hold the floor il the House for its disc1s-
sion in tho first morning hour after the holidays.
The bill is substantially the same that passed
the House last session, but which failed OF pas
sage in the Senate, owing to the opposition OF
the friends Of the Agricultural College bill. The
President, in his message, calls attention to the
objects which it is the purpose of this bill to
accomplish. 1t is ono Of the purposes Of this
bill to place the influence OF the National Gov
ernment on the side of education. The friends
OF the bill, taking council Of an eminent
French statesman, have agreed that sit is
cheaper to build school-house5 than to build
PRISONS" The bill is based upon the idea that
suffrage is dangerous, il not intelligent. It pro-
poses remedy for tho very great increase OF
ignorant suffrage incident to our liberal natural
ization laws, and to the extension OF home suf-
frage. The bill, it is claimed, ''seeks in con-
stitutional and practicable way, to establish
schools by national authority where the States
that % would do It for itself" Tie constitutional
right 10 pass such a law, it is maintained, is to
be found in the simple proposition that "the
sources ct power being in the people, free
to good governments and the perpetuation Of free
institutions" and that schools are as necessary
to Republican government as courts. Since
the United States. as charged with the duty
OF guaranteeing Republican government in
courts where the administration Of
The General Government might interfere for the
establishment of schools where State refused,
or is unable. to provide means Tor educa atlon.
The mechanism Of the bill Is very simple. The
bill "forevar consecrates and sets apart the pro-
ceels of the public lands to the education OF the
people, as follows: One-half the receipts Of
ands nfter dedactng = to be
dlELTiOuleQ Ai1ouS t0c 1ka-Cat A04Aikot4oes
and District Of Columbia; the other half
is to be invested, and to create @ fund
whose income is in Like manner. to be dis
t1ibuted." Tho distribution Of the first ten
years is to be on the basis Of illteracy. This
would give the greater portion Of the fund for
the first ten years to the Southern States. It is
c1nimed for the bill tha. it would put an end to
the waste Of public lands. 1t IS expressly |
provided, however, that the provisions in the
bill shall in no wise interfere with the opera
tions Of the Homestead Inv, or with the laws |
granting bountles to soldiers OF the late rebel
lion. Il is estimated that the future net pro
ceeds OF the public lands will amount to $2000,-
600 annually Mr.. George T. Hoar. the fra1ner
the distribution OF Il 900. 600 to the different |
Etates what would come to each pro rata. The |
basis Of illiteracy Of persons ten years old and |
inward. unable to wlite, is asccTtained from the
la,t census. The following is the table:
Delaware . H,O5I.77 Mississippi .$55. .361. .88
Maryland 23,14.6II 1lIssour1 5939oo!
5{st Of Columbia 5014 Is Arkansas q, 90
rs, % LousianA.. s,737.l1 /
Test virginia. IA 80. .oS Texas. s., ,174.91
Kentucky o. 6!5 ~ i1inos .'---.'-' @aua.s
North Carolina. .sf tdaho- o2aot
Tenues d, ,4I9t A3ssaenHsets.--- As,eto1