Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-11-17
SOUTHERN SCHOOLS AND NATIONAL AID.

In short editorial last week we ex-
pressed our appreciation of the scheme
10 give National aid to public schools.
This appreciation was founded on a
casual consideration of the subject.
The idea is so plausible and the bene-
fits that are to accrue to the South
from such measure are so evident
that it required no deep thought or
careful investigation to convince us
that it should receive the earnest sup
port of all Southern journals.
We have just received the report of
the Commissioner of Education which
contains great deal of important in
formation bearing on the subject OF
public schools throughout the United
States with carefully tabulated state
ments of the percentage of illiteracy
in the various states, and the amounts
paid in each for school purposes The
striking disparagement of the South
TO the North as portrayed in these
tables is very humiliating to the
latter section. 1t would not be so If
Southern illiteracy was confined to
the negroes, but it is a lamentable
fact that there is an alarming amount
of Ignorance among our white people.
Tennessee occupies the degraded po-
sition of having next to the most illit-
crate white population of any state in
the Onion, North Carolina, alone, be-
ing beyond her in that unenviable at
titude. The figures show, too, that
among the children and young people
growing up, the condition is no way
improved. In Tennessee the white
males between the ages OF ten and
fourteen who are unable to write are
45.9 per cent of the whole population
OF that age, while in Massachusetts, the
same per cent is only l.2. In Indiana,
the most illiterate Northwestern state,
it is 90. The average per cent in the
South is 31.9, and in the North 40.
Row it is evident enough that the
superiority of the North to the South
in this matter is owing to better reg
ulated system of public schools in the
former section and the superiority of
the schools comes from the TACT that
the Northern states spend more money
for such purposes than we do in the
South. In Massachusetts, for instance,
the expenditure per capita of the
school population is $16.06, while in
Tennessee it is only $1.l7. Tennessee
must, by some means, wipe out the
disgrace of illiteracy that is now set
down against her, but can she stand a
tax which will make her expenditure
per capita for school purposes equal to
that of Massachusetts? Certainly not;
the burden would be greater than her
people could bear and no paper or
person would have the hardihood to
propose such thing. The white peo-
pie of Tennessee pay nearly all the
taxes and it would impoverish them
to raise $16O6 per capita for the eduoa-
ton OF every negro child in the State
as we'll as for that of their own chill
dren. 1t was the United States gov
eminent that made the negroes citi-
zens and it is the duty of that govern
ment to do all in its power to make
them intelligent citizens.
the Report of the Commissioner on
Education contains the following,
which we commend to the careful
perusal of those who oppose National
aid to public schools:
The total public school expenditure
in the Southern States is about one
sixth of the total expenditure for all
States and Territories, while the school
population of the former is very nearly |
one-fourth of the total school popula- |
ton. Moreover, from an examination |
OF the valuation of real estate and per-
sOnal property in the several States |
and Territories and the rates and |
products of school taxes, it does not |
appear that the Southern States are /
able to bear the entire burden of the |
education of the freedmen in their |
midst
The Commissioner says: "RealiZing /
the inadequacy of the means at COM
mand to overcome the ignorance and
degradation of the masses of the freed
men as rapidly as the interests of soci.
ETY. and good government require, the
representatives of these various phi
lanthropic agencies unite in the appeal
for national aid to education. 1t is
worthy of note that the Senate of the
United States has recorded itself III
favor of the measure"
The provision for distributing the
income of fund during the first ten
years on the basis of illiteracy would
secure to the Southern States tempe
rarily the special assistance which they
need.
w@yara a Ettla too Yoraviona last |