Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-29


The last census bulletin upon illiteracy
in this country presents some curious and
interesting features that are specially
worthy of consideration in view of the
present effort to get an appropriation
from the government Of $4,000. 900 annu-
ally for a series of years for educational
purposes.
1t appears that the whole number of
people in the United States ten years of
age and upwards in 1880 was SO, 761 .6O7.
OF this number 4,92S, Ash were returned as
unable to read and 6,239,95s as unable TO
write. 1t is to be assumed that the latter
include the former. This illiteracv is
about equally divided between the whites
and the colored people as to numbers. but
as the whites are B. 160, 400 against 4,60l,-
201 cOiOred persons, the ratio of il
literacy among the former is about
one in ten, while among the latter it is
about seven in ten. The total of each
class for the Southern States, including
Maryland and Missouri is: whites, 1885,
407; colored, 2,s3s, $40, there being about
two illiterate cOlOTed persons to one illit-
crate white person. The percentages Of
illiteracy in these States are heavy in both
cases, ranging for the colored people from
60 to 81 per cent, and for the whites from
l. TO b per cent. Nearly one-half of the
illiterate whites are in the States men
toned. The ratio of illiteracy in
the remaining States is about s
per cent. of those enumerated. In Mis-
souri,, Tennessee and West Virginia there
are more illiterate whites than cOlored
people. OF course, in Missouri and West
Virginia the colOred population is COM
paratively small, but in Tennessee the
figures of illiteracy are remarkable and
stand: 214,991 whites and 1874, 495 colOred
people. 1t is a striking fact that of the
3,Ol9,0SO illiterate whites, 2.255, 400 are
natives of the United States and only
I63,62O are foreign born persons, yet the
percentage Of illiteracy among the for
eign born is - per cent, against near 9
per cent. among native born.
Under a government like ours, however,
the most important consideration is not
so much the percentage of ignorance in
classes, nor Of all classes in the whole
country, but the percentage of all classes
in each State. 1t is this element in the
problem OF local government that is of
most concern to legislation, and the mat
ter should be dealt with by the States
themselves to the extent of their resources,
which, if not sufficient, should be supple
mented by those of the Federal Treasury.
Taking the percentage of all classes in
the Republic, it appears that, as CON-
pared with other countries, we stand
about as follows: The percentage of illite-
racy is stated to be, for Scotland, 10 per
cent; for Germany, - per cent; for Eng
land, D per cent; for France, 30 per
cent; for Ireland, "a per cent; for Italy,
% per cent.-the whole averaging 80 per
cent. to adult population; while in the
United States the whole average is II per
cent.
Again, it is estimated that in Germany
l shilling per inhabitant is spent for edu-
catiOnal purposes; in Great Britain. 3
shillings; in the United States, 8shillings.
Our rate of intelligence appears, there
fore, to be about the same with that of
Germany, while it costs us about eight
times as much per inhabitant. Surely, in
habitant with the amounts now expended
| in that direction.
1t is confessed that at the North the re-
suits obtained from the efforts of the
States to promote the spread of intelli-
gence are not as satisfactory as might
have been expected. The efforts of the
| South to this end have become more and
more energetic in recent years, and have
| been seconded by individual benevOlence
to considerable extent. Reform in
methods is needed North and South, and
more efficient management. Moreover,
since the whole country is affected by the
prepOnderance of illiteracy in any given
section, and those particular sections are
unable to cope Immediately with the diff
culties of the problem Of diminishing
/ illiteracy, it becomes the duty of the whole
people to contribute to the cost Of the
work. The disposition of the aid granted
by the Federal Government, however,
should be left at the discretion of the
/ States assisted, subject to proper guaran-
tees Of its proper employment.