The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-24

q large scale, uefQOIStrateu I'd the AHlcrl-
can people that a large percentage OF lg-
norant voters ina State is radically de-
structlve of good government and pros
perity, both public and private: Hence
the persistent and just demand Of the
Southern States to- control their, own
affairs; and their efforts, however despot-
ic. cruel and unjust to the freedmen, to
destroy or neutralize the illiterate colored
vote.
There are two remedies for the evil
Which Expresses them. The one, partial
and unjust, is to take away the suf-
frage from all the i~lliterates both white
and colored. But this is impracticable,
and it would change the government to
an o%bligarchy; besides, it would leave
the root of the difficulty, illiteracy, like a
cancer in their vitals, ..corrupting and con-
Stunning the life-blood Of the States.
The other, permanent and humane, is to
establish and support throughout their
borders the free common school within
reach of every child, and require him to
attend it, or to get an equivalent educa-
ton elsewhere; and after n certain date,
say ton years after the school Is provided,
admit no illiterate, either white or color
ed, to the right of suffrage.
This will cost money, but it Will In n
Re1GTfIlDu cIdttlC2ttC GiIC v ~ a6iNA
ant suffrage, insure the perpetuity Of the
republic, and put the Southern States on
q basis Of enduring and solid prosperity
that can be attained in no other way.
Till this Is done a republic there, in the
sense in which Jefferson understood 1t, is
impossible. Like Rome under the Con-
suls, or like Venice under the Council OF
Ten. they may retain the name of free
government, but not the substance.
Ignorant men in large bodies can only
be ruled by intelligent force and states
men in ali countries know it. TO edu-
cate the people is the plain duty of the
State, and one that is fast being recognize
ed and fulfilled by all enlightened coun-
tries. The property within q State Is I'M
der obligation to educate the children,
however poor, of every inhabitant. This
is a law of modern civilization. 1t is
greatly to the advantage OF the property
holders to recognize and carry into effect
this law.
Republican Switzerland, imperial Ger
many, and monarchial England arc obey
ing this law, greatly to their domestic
ty one of its greatest dangers, namely,
preiudiced laborers. 1t adds from fifty
to one hundred per cent. to the product
i've power of a people in time Of peace,
and doubles its objective force in time Of
war. Pennsylvania has suffered more
damage in one year from her 81, 900 Hitter
ate adult laborers than it. would have cost
her to have secured in the last ten years
the education Of every II Of them.
She will continue to DO punished periodi-
cally by such outbreaks till, by compul-
sorry education, she changes her ignorant
and brutal coal and iron miners to intelli-
gent and reasonable beings. 81. ..
The valuation of the Southern States
for taxation is about the same US that of
the State of New Y0rk-in round num-
hers, 81, 600, OO8, 900. They pay annually
for free public education, in. round num-
bers 81, 00O, 900, while the State of New
York pays Sl2, 000, 900. In other words,
they tax themselves for. free public edu-
cation only seven twelfths as much az we
Of the Republic with us, possess equal
rights and privileges, and 1t is not unrea-
sonable in us to ask them to tax them
selves as heavily for free schools as We
do. This will enable them to increase
their free educational facilities fifty per
cent: and when they have provided the
schools they should be asked to make
laws, as we have, requiring the children
to attend them regularly for some deti-
mite and reasonable proportion of the
year. " 49,.
When this is accomplished they will
still be giving their children only about
third the advantages Of education.
that we give ours, for their school pOpu-
lation is 5000, 900, while that Of the State
of New York Is only a lite more than
], 500, 900. They are now spendidg on the
average only about n dollar and fifty
cents per year OH each child for free pub
lie instruction, while we expend eightdol-
lars and when they raise their annual
expenditure to Sl2, 000, 900, it will be only
about two dollars and a half to each child
of the school age.
While they are doing this, what, as
of the same government, neigh
bors, and well-wishers, is Il duty to
A large portion of their popula-
ton is llliterate, and their assessed prop
erty chiefly real estate; hence they can
not collect money by taxation with the
that We can. From the invention
of the cotton gin to the year 1860 they
out wealth from the face OF the
ignorant colored man ; and we, as manu-
and merchants transacting their
business, took q share of 1t. - ar ...
Suppose, now, in some form we return
to them a part of that wealth to enable
them to educate these same colored men
or their children. Their school funds
we're dissipated during the Rebellion.
But all the States north and west of the
Ohio have received a princely school
fund from the. general Government /:
the proceeds of one section of
land in each township, and since 1S4S the
proceeds Of tive sections. A large part Of
This land east Of the Mississippi came as
free gift to the National Government in
1850 from the State Of Virginia, and, hap
PLY with a clause inserted in the gift by.a
Of Congress from Massachu-
sets requiring the devotion of a part OF
it to q school fund for the States to be. ere
ated out Of 1t. Let us from all parts Of
The Union urge Il members of Con-
,ress and Senators to perfect, preserve,
ind perpetuate our free institutions and
capacity for self-govcrnment, by en-
acting such laws. organic and statute, as
shall secure for all future time to all chill
lren within the borders Of each State the
aG least of q good elementary ed
The new States were never ut any time
IN so great need of educational help as
he South needs now !; for they from their
irst settlement had an intelligent popula-
ion, while it will require generations of
rec schools and millions Of money to
bring the Southern illiterates up to the
.evel of the Western pioneers.
The National Government receives
rom the sale of public lands from one to
,hree millions q year. Let us apprOpri-
tie this money for free common schools,
md say for ten years distribute it to the re-
spective States according to their popula-
ion of illiterates, and require them to
lse it, under the supervision Of the Ma
ional Commissioner. of Education, for
rec common schools, and to train teach
RS for these schools, both white anu COL
,red, according to the ratio of the two
of illiterates. This would be put
ing the money emphatically where 1t
would do the most good, and would be
back to the colored people some
small part of the money that VIC, both
North and South, have ground out ofthem.
t would do more to restore the South to
,nduring peace and prosperity than hun
lreds of millions spent there in leveesand
.aHroads, and other mere material i'm
oruyements, and more to protect and Sc
cure the rights Of all classes of the citi-
.ens there hal the presence Of the whole
regular army of the United States. The
Southern States contain 817,2 8l illiterate
white adults, and S2O,022 illiterate color
I'D adults-a dead weight that threatens
to sink both free government and pros
perity there /; and what sinks the South
us, for we are n national body,
and no single member can be injured or
benefited without in like manner affect
the whole body.
The Northern States would receive a