Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-29
TIE SlrTMs lLLlTERAIE VOTE.

I'LL SJtIHS ILLiIERAIE VOTE.
Within the decade from 1870 to 1880 the
illiterale voc Of the South increased nearly
one-fourtb. 1t il probable that fully one.
Third Of the voters in Georgia, South Carroll.
ma and Alabama can not read the names on
the ballots which they cast. The uneducat-
cd proportion OF the colored and white
youth in these States is fast exceeding the
educated. What do these facts signify TO
the country at large They mean that
growing proportion Of our national Office
holders is to be represented by a c)nstituon-
cy whose chief characteristics arc ignorance
and crime. They mean that the elections,
not only State and municipal but national of
this country are TO be iuilucnccd--perhaps
largely determincd-by men who do not
Understand the first principles of Demo
cratic government and have never heard
the first line of the Constitution Of the
United States.
This matter which concerns every cii-
zen Of the lard. The privileges of our COM
mon franchise SO bind us together that
whatever cndangers any portion of political
welfare, endaDgers tue whole. d" We are so
essentially one people," says writer. THAT
disease in Georgia is felt in New York. II
were as foolish for us to disregard the evil
OF an illitcra,c vote because it is confined
mainly 10 the Southern States, as il were 10
disregard case OF blood poisoning or of
gaugrcnc, because its immediate effects
may at first be confined to the foot
only. lliilcracy at the South concerns
the most cultured portions of the North and
West, because n legal vote cast there is Of
as much weight in determining our national
government and policy as vote cast any
where. 1t is Of the highest Importance that
every legal voter in the land should BE- a
man of, ut least, average intelligence man
who has enjoyed common school education,
can read and write, and understands little
something Of Quilted States history and the
constitution OF the United States. Now,
whose business Is ii to bring this state OF af
fairs about Are the people of the
South to be held responsible for thoil
condition, aud under sole obligation
to remedy il? That is equivalent to say inG
! that mans foot is to blame for getting cut
and ii gangreuc sets IN, why it is the foot
business to cure itself. The South is not al
together responsible for its condition; ant
!, if it was, 1t is not within its power, unaided
to remedy this condition. The South BE-
longs to the whole country, as the foot be
longs to the whole mani and it is the dut.
OF the higher parts, in both cases, 10 SC
5 that the subordinate members are properl!
cared for. The duty of elcyatiug the people q
! the South, intellectually morally and socially
deyovc5 upon the people Of the Mort
! and West. From these portions Of the cour
: try alone eau come the resources and Unfit
euces which are needed. The South coul
not reform itself from within, il it tried, bt
cause it has not the necessary means au
q agencies. Its he'll must come rom oulsii,
!, This perpetual prodding of the South, on I'll
par; OF The press and platform of the Nortl
will never amount 10 anything. Just 50 Ion
as the people of these States are left to thu
9 own resources, will the illi,erate vote an
+ the causes of crime go on increasing.
:, These are dislgreeablc facts, to be sur
but they arc facts nevertheless, and facts
f which we cannot close our eyes. The grc'
n black specre-shape Of ignorance is out {
t the jar, ard rising to more appalling propo
Il tons every momcnt-thc question is, no
= are We TO get him back again. Execute
q will not do it, neither will imprecatior
G Something be done.
e Some are craven enough to turn their bacl
G to these ugly fact5, and say--"Let them be-
We can't helpt.n Others are selfish and ma
minded enough not to care. 1T
/ country is safe so long as we are likely
n live, anyway they say "let the futul
I, take care of ITSELF We are not so sure tn
u the country is safe" for the presen
f What would be the result if this huge ma
S of ignorance were organized by unscrupu
= Gus demag gucs? There is always anOrch
in ignorance.
: What is the government doing' is IL
question of the citizen. We'll, the govern
4 ment Is doing just about what the people
E general aye doing nothing All that is b,
Il Ing done is done by religious and phiau
i thropic associations and private individual
I 1t Is high time the question became natior
i al one, ald that some active, efficient mea
V urcS were taken to remedy a condition
: affairs which can not fail TO result In IL
greatest evil to our land.