Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-23
"Progress, on False Premises.

From tho Washington Post
Tho progressive element" in the pol
itics of the South is rather an uncertain
quantity, 1t il more demonstrative
than demonstrable, and in one way or
another, especially through correspon.
dents detailed for the purpose, it con
trives to get large amount of ostenta.
tious advertising.
We have heard, and are still hearing,
a good deal about it in Virginia, where
Malone is marshalng his cohorts for
another onslaught upon the State treas.
ury and the public credit. More re.
Gently, also, it has cropped out in Geor-
gia, where movement is in contem-
plation.
To Judge by the arguments employed
in furtherance of this project, an unso.
phisticated reader would infer that in
neither of these States is there free
ballot or free school, excepting as
these blessings have been wrenched by
force from under the heel of the Demo.
cratic party. The progressive element
depends for its sustenance, in fact, on
the specious plea that the Southern
Democracy are mt deadly war with edu.
cation and liberty.
A correspondent OF the New York
Times, for instance, writing from Rome,
Ga, says, Ignorance is the stronghold
of the Bourbons," meaning the Demo.
crats of that State "education is their
toe'-and there are, no doubt, thous.
ands of persons in the Republican
party who put full faith. in such trash,
and whose sympathies with Mahonism
and all that the name implies, are en-.
listed on the strength OF this glitter.
ing generality" of ialsehood.
On the same day, however, in which
the Rome letter appears in the Times,
we find the following consolatory para.
graph in the Tribune
The Southern States are now providing
through taxation over n million dollars
annually for the support Of negro schools
The position and influence of Northern
teachers in the South are improving every
year.
In another Republican paper is the
following reference to the report of DR..
Mayo, one OF the editors of the journal
Of Education, who for several months
past has been making an examination
of the schools of the South:
As he expresses It, the educational limo
has advanced from the North fully 800
miles within a few years, and, while tho
south has not yet the good schools TO be
found here, the public school idea has got
such a popular hold that only time is needed
to produce the best results DR.. Mayo
opinion on educational matters is entitled 20
great weight, and hi. belief that the South
0, In this matter rapidly working out its
own salvation is most significant
All these statements are more than
substantiated by statistics from the
Census Office, which may be consider.
ed an authoritative and conclusive trib.
ute to the wholesome condition of pub.
lie sentiment in the South, on the sub.
feet nj universal education. Yet in the
face andbeyes OF such irrefragable facts,
we are sti!i confronted with the stereo.
typed and stupid cry that Ignorance il
the stronghold OF the party which
holds polrticatrontrol in the Southern
States.
Such n chargais simply suggestive Of
a den=er degrea of ignorancs on the
part of those wDo, at the North and
elsewhere, are dcGIdcd into She forma.
ton OF opinions on, such atfslse and
frivolous basis