Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-17
Sources OF True Growth.

General Eaton, United States Commits
sioner of Education, has recently issued his
annual report, from which are gathered some
interesting statistics touching the vital sab
ject of popular education throughout the
country.
A few years since this same commissioner
called the attention of the country TO an i'm
portant fact as follows "Three hundred
thousand votes are large majority in any
election for President. The determination
of the election therefore is practically in the
control of less than three hundred thousand
voters, or less than one-sirM Of The practical
aHterate voting population Of the country In
the Commissioners last report table is
given showing the population of the country
and the number enrolled in the public
schools, from which it appears that one-ffth
of the population, or two million twenty
eight thousand two hundred and five chill
dren, receive no instruction. From such
margins of untutored children, the Commits
sioner remarks, "come the illiterate laborer,
artisan and the agriculturist of unproductive
industry hence come the illiterate voters to
invite the tricks of demagogues TO imperil
our liberties hence illiterate jurors and
witnesses to corrupt the administration of
Justice while too often in our cities they
furnish the inhabitants of the novels where
tester diseases, physical and moral, that en-
danger all surrounding life"
A table giving the wages paid teachers
show that male teachers receive per month
on an average in California, SS5; Massachu
setts SSi.7S; Rhode Island, SSl.49; Con
necticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Colorado and
Ohio, from $50 to S67 Utah, S54 Michigan
Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Wisconsin, New
Hampshire and Maryland, from 81 to SIS
Pennsylvania, Vermont Maine, Virginia
Minnesota, Kansas, Louisiana, South Caro-
lima and Missouri, from $50 to $40 and il
Alabama, 500. Next to Arizona, Nevada
pays its female teachers the highest average
monthly salary, SS5; the District of Col
umbia, $50; California, S6S.l5 Rhode
Island, Indiana, Colorado, and Maryland
s41.40 to S4S; Connecticut, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Pennsyl
vania, Nebraska, Virginia, West Virginia
Tennessee and Louisiana, $50 to 1897.
The increase in the number of institu
tions for the superior instruction of womel
indicates that the men will soon lose thei
monopoly of the professions and literally re
warded vocations. In 1870 there were onl
thirty-three of those institutions, with an al
tendance of $751; Now there are two hun
bred and twenty-five institutions with 23
$50 students an 2,404 instructors. Obi
has thirteen of this sort of institutions, In
diana thirty. four, Michigan but two.
The amount of money invested in college
and universities in the thirty-nine state
and territories is S33,95472i, in grounds
buildings and apparatus, and S33,9ll,675 il
productive funds.
The commissioner comments briefly upo
the condition of education in the sever,
states. To those inclined TO take familie
to Texas, thoughtless of school privilege
they are now enjoying in their Eastern c
Western homes, the following outlook wi
be of special interest From Texas thel
is no statistical report of public school a
fairs, because of complete change in I'll
school system under the new constitution {
1875 and the law passed in 1875, whic
dropped the state SUPPLEMENTARY, count
SUPPLEMENTARY, and county boards of d
rectors, and put all public school matters u
der the control of state board of educ
ton, and of voluntary school communitie
to be organized throughout the state.
provision being made for the payment
teachers engaged under the old system, tn,
generally ceased to teach in the early pa
of 1876, and from that time until the a
tumn there were no public schools and |
county school officers. No state norm
school is yet in existence, and no report
high schools under the state system com
to hand"
Copies of the valuable report from viii
, we have drawn the above items can be Q
:. tanned by addressing Senator'S or Represe
tatives.