The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-03
Native and Foreign Ignorance.

According to the census bulletin giving tho
statistics Of illiteracy in the United States In
1880, out Of total population Of 25,7s5. 789
native white persons Of ten years and over.
2,255, 400, or 81 per cent were unable to write.
In the Southern States, exclusive Of the bor-
der or semi-Nor thern States OF Delaware,
Maryland, and Missouri, were G,270,737, or
about. o quarter OF all the native whites at
and above that age, but Of those unable to
write considerably more than half, or l,42l,-
$780, were at the South, where the proportion
of illiteracy was 226 per cent.
In New Mexico, which Is the darkest region
in the Union so far as education goes, out Of
p q total OF 72,219 native whites, 1880, or GA
per cent, could not write.
In the rest of the Union besides the dis
tinctively Southern States and New Mexico
there were 1912 s33 native whites Of ten and
over, and OF these all except 7s7, 1862, or about
4per cent. could write.
We see, therefore, that our native white
population at tho North contributed very lit
tie in proportion to the sum Of illiteracy In
the Union. Tho percentage Of those unable
to write was smaller than that in any other
country; much smaller even than in the Ger
man States, where popular education Is gen.
eral At the South, however. more than fifth
of the native whites even were illiterate; and
because Of that lamentable rcsultof defec-
tive public school system, tho proportion Of
illiteracy among native whites for the whole
country was pushed up to 81 per cent.
The foreign-born population OF the Union
OF ten years and over was 1914, GIL, OF whom
1920, or IL per cent, We're unable to write.
The distinctively Southern States contained
1928, 404 OF these foreigners, and the illitcrate
among them aggregated 45,s35, or about IA
per cent. The number in the rest OF the
Union was therefore 6O51,2O7, of whom
717,7S5, or 11.8 per cent, were illiterate.
These comparative figures show, first, very
forcibly, how little is the inclination OF immi-
grants for the South and secondly, that those
who do go there are either somewhat less
instructed when they arrive than those who
settle Mt the North, or, more likely, when
they get there have fewer opportunities to
obtain free schooling. The difference as to
illiteracy, however, is SO slight as not to be
significant in any respect worth much con-
sideration. Tho marked preference Of the
immigrants for the North is the important
thing. Out OF all the foreign born in the
South, nearly third were in Texas alone.
The two States OF Kentucky and Louisiana
contained about n third more. In the rest OF
the South, the border States omitted as be-
fore, there was total foreign population Of
only 1O5, l61, or very few more than the single
Northern and new State of Kansas contained,
and more than twenty thousand less than
were found in Connecticut.
II Is surprising to discover that the largest
amount Of illitcracy among the foreign-born
whites was in New England, Texas and Ari-
IONA alone excepted. The percentage OF
those unable to write was 1877 in Maine, 260
in New Hampshire, 26.6 in Vermont, 1916 in
Massachusetts, 273 in Rhode Island, md 1873
In Connecticut. In Texas it was 2i.7, and in
Arizona 26s. Yet in New York. where nearly
| u fifth OF tho whole number in the country
were, only 1915 per cent. of the foreigners were
| unable to write, and in Illinois, where there
were 5Gs24 Of them, tho illitcrato were
merely ~ per cent
What conclusions must be drawn from this
mucn greater proportion of illiteracy in New
| England2 Does that region draw poorer
class ofimmigrants, or does it neglect to bring
them into its schools more than we do in New
York; Whatever may be the answers to these
| questions, the fact remains that while In Now
England the proportion OF illtcracy among
] the native whites averages less than else