Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1880-12-17
National Aid To Education.

National Aid To Education.
One wholesome result of the grand
Republican majority is seen IN the
changed tone Of the southern press.
The leaders now understand as never
before that intelligence and integrity
sway the great North and West.
That the nation has not reached such
a degree of political corruption that
fraud can pass unrebuked, and cleo
tions be carried BY money and force.
This being the state ofthe case, 1t is
apparent that the illiterate masses in
the south, nc longer of service in
controlling national politics, are USE
less political factor. And it is more cas-
ily seen what an incubus on the mate
rial, social, and moral development of
each commonwealth Is this ignorance
and resultant prejudice. What a hu-
initiation to these proud advocates of
the doctrine of state rights to ask con-
gress to give them help in
educating their illiterate thousands! !!
This the Georgia Legislature
did recently, pledging the honor OF the
state that any fund so received should
be used impartially for the benefit OF
blacks and whites. We hail with Joy
this dawn Of better day in the south.
Let well guarded plan of national aid
to education be devised for the nation.
Let the fund be apportioned to the
states on the basis Of illiteracy. Let
the public lands Of the United States,
and of each state be set apart as the
foundation OF fund in perpetuity, the
interest of which shall be annually dis
tributed pro rata to the entire illiterate
population. The income from the
sale of public lands might be used to
buy United States bonds for this fund,
and so turn our financial burders into
a national blessing. This plan, while
general in its bearing would be prac-
tically a measure for the relief of the
south.
For ofthe s,7e7,3sS, who according
to the census of 1870 could not read,
more than 2,Soo,ooo were in the SIN
teen southern states, including Missou-
ri. MARYLAND and Delaware Five per
cent. Of the southern portion would
come to Missouri. 1t is an alarming
condition for a state to be in when one
third of its voting population cannot
read. And no grander work can be
accomplished than to break the bon
dage Of this ignorance.
The Sullivan Standard in reply to
IN article in the GRAPHIC, in which
reference was made to the number of
licensed saloons in Milan. squares it.
self, and it'll clinched fists spits out,
"you are another"
We think this is hardly dignifed or
proper IN the Standard. That the
statements regarding the morals of the
town were correct, the calling Of mass
meetings Of the citizens of Milan to
look to the adoption Of measures to
correct those evils and render the NOR
al atmosphere more pure, is sufficient
proof And even if we were equally
rs BAD, that's no excuse for Milan or
the Standard. People do get drunk
here sometimes and we are sorry for it,
but the people Of Kirksville have done
what they could tc prevent it. They
have refused to license saloons, there.
by refusing to legalize public evil for
the sake of pecuniary gain, thus show
ing her advancement in that particular.
That the law is violated and whisky
sold, is only too true, but those law
breakers are arrested and punished
whenever sufficient proof can be OBJ
tanned, and for this violation the peo-
pie are not responsible, but for the
crimes originating from the sale of in
toxicating drinks in community
where such traffic is legalized the peo-
pie are responsible. In the one in
stance it is the men who violate law
and order who are individually respon-
Sible, in the other it is the community
which legalize the evil.
And the Standard finally winds up
by referring to an article in the Demo-
crat, of this town, demanding licensed
saloons. Now if the Standard knew
the Democrat as we and the people
here know it, We do not believe he
would have made this quotation, for
that sheet nesther represents public
opinion, common sense or decencv.
The Standard says that the state
has built us fine Normal school
building but it is not honest enough to
refer to the $4,000 the people Of
j,ir r,oupt,, o,va fo eAc,re that IN