The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-23

Educational Statistics.
Tho census shows that West Virginia
spent sos, 1856 for common school educa'
ton in 1880, viz; $2l2,763 raised by State
taxation, and siOO,439 by local taxation
The census shows that she has o pOpula'
ton, aged ten years and upward, Of 59pO4l
who cannot read, and that this number
constitutes s.4l per cent OF the whole popuS
lation. Itfurther shows that she has pop
ulation Of $3.50, ten years old and up
yard, who cannot write, and that this num-
Der constitutes 1880 per cent Of the whole
population. Further, that Of those who
cannot write 1927 are whites and lOl3o
Colored, and that the per centage OF the
former to the whole white population Is
1870, and OF tho latter to the whole colored
population S0l9,
Our Ohio and Pennsylvania neighbors
make better showing inthis matter oil
popular education, US is OF course to be ex'
pOcted. The former, out Of o total popula'
ton Of s,l9s,O62, has only s8,75l, ten years
old and upward, who canHot read, or III
per cent, and only 1851 who cannot
write, or 4.l2 per cent, The per centAge Of
her whites who cannot write is only $40,
while that OF her colored population is 2O.4l,
In Pennsylvania out Of total popula-
ton Of 4,2s2, SOL there are, ten years old
and upward, 14G, 1888 who cannot read, or
Sal per cent. And there are 22s,Oli or
$50 per cent who cannot write. Tho total
per centage OF whites who cannot write Is
500 land Colored 2l.OO. g
The total statistics Of illiteracy in the
United States show ont OF population oil
50 l557sS, that there arc 4,O9S,45l Of ten
years Of age and upward, who cannot read,
or 0s2 per cent OF tho whole, and $685.
o5s who cannot write, or 1914 per cent,
Out Of total white population Of 4S,4O9,'
go there are 3OlO0SO who cannot write,
or 600 per cent, and out Of total popula'
ton Of colored OF G,759,sl3 there arc $780,
slS who cannot write, or 47.7O per cent
In view Of these statistics from tho States
We have quoted, and all tho other States,
4 Senator Blair, OF New Hampshire, gave
notice on Tuesday last Of his intention to
offer bill appropriating yearly, for ten
years to come, tho following sums from the
United States Treasury to assist tho cause
OF common school education in each Of the
States, in tho ratio OF their iliteracy-yiz;
first year, sl5,OOO,OOOi second year, $4,000
OOOj third year, sl3,OOO,OOO, and thereafter
sum diminished 100000 yearly from
the sum Last appropriated, until ten annual
appropriations shall have been made, when
nil appropriations under this net shall cease,
which several sums shall DO expended TO
secure tho benefits Of common school edu'
cation to all the children living in the
United States"
These appropriations arc to be expcnd-
ed somewhat after tho manner OF the dis
Stributlons from the Peabody fund. They
arc Intended simply to help and not
slpersedc seli.help in the different States.
After the first year each school district in
the United States Is required 10 expend an
amount Of money equal TO that received
from tho Government, except in such i'm
possible cases rs shall be madc apparent
to the Secretary Of the Interior, and tho
ruling in all cases is TO DO strict. During
the flrst year they arc to oxpend Of their
own raising at least one.Lhird Of tho
amount received from the Government.
This sort Of help will enable every school
district in West Virginia during tho next
ten years to support a school for at least
eight months in the year. OF course the
distribution in our State will be proper
toned TO illiteracy in each county, and in
each county in the same ratio to each
school district, which will not be apt to give
Ohio county very material help, rs We al
ready support schools Of ourselves lin the
city district for ten months in the year.
Still We will get several thousand dollars
no doubt.
Wenued not say that this movement re.
ceiyes the hcartiest support from the In.
TEttIaEScER IL Is what we advocated at
Che last session Of Congress. We hail It as
the dawn Of better day for the republic.
We have never forgotten that memorable
sentence in ono Of the school books that
were in use many years ago: "WO must
educate. we must educate, OF short will be
our career from the cradle to tho grave"
Ignorance is the first great danger that the
republic must needs overcome. We must
have no man or woman in all this great
country who cannot read and write. Once
they can tead and write they are on the
highway to general intelligence, and gen.
eral intelligence Is one Of the primary con.
dltions Of our safety as republic.
InaiIGnArION.