The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-15
THE PROBLEM OF ILLIrERACy.

THE PROBLEM OF ILLITERACY.
No one question can come before this Con-
gress and all succeeding Congresses for
Quarter of a century at least, and probably
for century, of half the practical import
ance as the question of free schools for the
millions. Heretofore, naturally enough, the
Question of education was left with the sew
eral States as purely local In the North
as wealth increased free schools multiplied
and became better, until there are very few
children who have not the opportunity of
obtaining a passable education. The few
who do not avail themselves Of these oppor-
tunities will, before long, be compelled to do
so by some compulsion not yet fully agreed
upon. But what of the millions of the South
that have neither the opportunity nor the
desire to obtain even the most common edu-
cation? The extent of this illiteracy is ap-
palling, and it is all the more
alarming because so few stop to think
of its magnitude or its mischievousness.
This illiteracy does not find its worst phase
in the colored population. They are litter
ate, it is true but they are enthusiastic in
their attempts to improve the poor oppor-
+nni+ias afforded them and tn MAKO +hosn
whites that the most alarming features are
to be found. Only those who have travelled
through the regions where this class abounds
can form even remote idea of its extent or
its blighting influences. Along the lines of
travel and at the homes of the wealthy, men
and women read and write; but there are
whole counties where those who can read or
write are very few, and they are white
and voters. There is a school district in
Polk county, Tennessee, in which there is
not a single negro. It has 100 voters, so of
whom cannot read, and 81 cannot write.
OF its 1O6 women, only fifteen can read.
Even Kentucky, border State, con-
tains 100000 white adult illiterates;
North Carolina $4,000; Tennessee, $4,000;
Alabama, 10000; Georgia, $4,000. These
are white adults. To them must be added
almost the entire negro population. There
are p 900 white women in Tennessee who
cannot write their names, and these women
are bearing children faster than the school
master is educating them, so that the litter
acy is positively increasing
This question appeals to our humanity,
but it appeals to our craftsmanship no less.
The aggregate llliteracy of sixteen States rep
resents three-fourths of a majority of our
electoral college, and more than two. thirds of
a majority OF the present House of Repre-
sentatives, and eight-ninths of majority of
the Senate. In some of these States the il
literate voters outnumber the literate. 1t
is thus in South Carolina In
the late presidential election the
illiterate voters in eleven States
outn1m6ered the votes cast for either candi- |
date for the presidency. Should these be
united, as in fact they practically are they
can control the election of twenty-five sena-
tors, even if the literate should be solid |
against them. But when this mass of litter
acy shall be manipulated by designing dema-
gogues, as they may be, then the illiteracy of |
these sixteen Southern States needs to COM
bine with only very few Northern States
TO put this government into the hands of |
those who can neither read nor write.
But what can Congress do? 1t need not |
bestow governmental favors upon the States
I hat are able to look well after the education |
of the children, and are as willing as able. |
But the same principle that establishes
schools for the poor in the poorer districts /
of Inoiana by general educa-
tional fund must not stagger at
State lines but march over them.
Not the ravages of war alone make these
regions poor. The ravages of slavery before
the war were hundred fold more calanitous
than the war itself. They be our brethren
For hundred years they have been poor,
and for hundred more they must become
poorer, unless the leaven OF education lifts
Shenn out OF their poverty. The sun does not
Shine upon richer lands than portions of the
South that are cursed by this llliteracy. They
have coal and iron and timber and even
gold, but they do not know how to utilize