Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-17
fSournal a1ro Courier.
Wednesday Morning, Nov. I7, 1880.
IGNORANCE IN n11ss1ssTPP1.


 IGNORANCE IN MISSISSIPPI. The deplorable effect of Democratic rule upon the public schools of Mississippi, and
 the inefficiency and inadequacy of those
 schools, are interestingly set forth by ssH. C.''
 in the New York Times. In 1870, when the
 Republicans were fully in power, one of their
 first cares was to make proper provision for
 toe education of the youth of the State They
 worked so diligently and succeeded so well
 that in a very short time they had erected
 numerous school houses in every county in
 Mississippi. In these schools free education
 was given to all who asked for it during
 seven months in each year. All the expenses
 of these schools were promptly met, and a
 sufficient number of teachers employed at an average salary of $45 month. The teach CTS, it is true, were not all first class, but they were at least competent to impart the rudiments of an English education, and not withstanding the defects of the schools the children of both colors were greatly benefit ed by them and made encouraging progress in their studies
 When the Democrats of Mississippi forced their way into power by violence and fraud they did not set to work and improve the system of schools established by the Republi- cans On the contrary, they have so legis- lated to curtail the educational opportuni- ties of the negroes and cripple the public schools. There are in Mississippi 3sO,O0O school children, white and black. Of this number the average daily attendance is only 122, 900, and for every class of SS active schol- ars only one teacher is provided. The aver age number of days in the year upon which schools outside of the cities are kept open is only ". The teachers now employed are quite as incompetent, in some cases even more destitute of necessary knowledge than were those who served under Republican rule The average pay given the teachers by the present administration is only $50 a month. From these figures it will be seen that the Republicans paid teachers 50 per cent. more than the Democrats do, and that ''the corrupt nigger government" prior to 1875, provided for the support of the schools many more days in each year than does the present government. Nor is this all An examination of the rec ords shows that the whole number of so- called free public schools-many of them are unworthy the name-which are now supposed to be in:operation in Mississippi, is only 1000. There are only 2,35O school buildings which belong to the State-the number has de- creased since the Democrats came into pow CT. The other buildings in which schools are held are rented, in nearly every instance, from favorites and paid for at extravagant rates. Indeed, the Tent paid for such buildings quite considerable portion of the entire school fund, and that fund the money devoted to public education by the great State of Mississippi, amounts to the beggarly sum of $54o,o00 year.
 There are in Mississippi no, 900 col ored children and 90, GOO white children who never see the inside of schoolhouse. And HI. o." reports that these facts seem to give little or no trouble to the white men of the State, while the colored people of the more intelligent sort are much disturbed by them. The following account of the remarks of leading colored Republican of vicksburg up on the subject is given:
 He said that of the 9O,O00 white children who did not attend school, at least 5O, ,OOO be- onged to parents who could not either read or write, and who had no desire that their children should be better informed than they were themselves This class of people, &C., cording to the well-informed gentleman in question, lived for the most part in remote and comparatively inaccessible districts and, having few means of communication with the outside world, scores of years be- hind the times, and even at this late date were fully impressed with the peculiar Southern notion that the possession of white skin was all that necessary to make 8 man Superior" in Mississippi. On the other hand, he believed that the colored peo- pie, the freedmen, were now more than ever alive to the fact that the only road by which their children could hope to permanently better their condition was through the public schools. Knowing this, he was assured that they would lose no opportunity for sending them to any free educational establishment which might be provided for them. That so many of them never went to school was in his opinion due entirely to the fact that there were no schools for them to go to.
 General inquiry among the colored people was similarly answered. All those who were spoken to upon the subject joined in the statement that they were most anxious to send their children to school; that they re- garded education as the only possible means of making for them better position as citi- zens of this country, and that they very much the fact that in many cases no school facilities were afforded them.
 During the next four years, and as long thereafter as it continues in power, the Re- publican party can do no better work for the country than to labor for the improvement of the public school system of Mississippi and that of other southern States nearly, if not quite, as much in need of help.