Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-04-12
The Educational sM
Nashville American.


ten years next after the passage OF
this act there shall be annually APP
propriated, out of any Of the money
in the Treasury otherwise appr0-
priated, the first year, ten million
dollars; the second year, nine mill
ion dollars the third year, eight
million dollars the fourth year,
seven million dollars aud so on,
diminishing the amount each year
by the sum of one million dollars,
until the tenth year, inclusive,
when the amount shall be one
million dollars, and at which time
appropriations under this act shall
cease. Said sums thus appropria-
ted shall be known as the common
school fund, and shall be used to aid
in the support of the free common
schools"
The second section provides "that
the Secretary of the Treasury shall
annually apportion among the sew
eral States the money herein appro-
priated, according to the number OF
their respective populations OF ten
years and upward, as shown by the
last proceeding published United
States census, who cannot read and
write and the sums thus app0r-
toned he shall, on or before the
first day of August Of the year
eighteen hundred and eighty-iour,
and OF each succeeding year, upon
the requisition OF the Governor or
Chief Executive of such State, pay
over to the Treasurer thereof, or TO
such officer as shall hereafter be
authorized to receive the same,
which said sumns shall be credited
to the school fund of such State F; IL
being the intention OF this act TO
leave to each State the full control
and disbursement OF said fund ac-
cording to its own educational sys-
tenn and under its own laws, subject
only to the conditions and provls-
ions of this act. But no State, after
the first appropriation under this
act shall receive under its provisions
a greater sum than such State shall
have expended during the previous
year for like purposes of public In
struction from moneys raised or APP
propriated in said year by the State
and local authority"
The conditions are that each State
shall have first itself provided Tor
the free education of all children OF
school age without distinction oil
color, and make annual reports OF
the condition of its schools TO the
Commissioner of Education and
that per cent. of the sum appor-
toned TO each State may be used
for the education of teachers.
The last census has brought into
conspicuous publicity the nature and
magnitude OF tire educational prob
lem involved in the proposed legis-
lation, and has emphathized its ne
cessity. In the report of the Senate
Committee on Education, which
accompanies the bill, ii Is shown
that OF the fifty odd millions of peo-
pie in the United States there are
6, ,239, 1853 over ten years OF age
nearly one eight'of our entire popu-
lation who cannot sign their own
names. More than one-fourth OF
| the sixteen Southern States is litter
ate, largely confined TO the colored
people. There are over two ana
half million children who receive
no schooling at all, and l,354,SI4
males II years old and upwards VINO
are illiterate.
The committee declare that the
| Government has income enough TO
meet the appropriation and that
public sentiment is in its favor. lt
then sets forth the reasons why the
South is unable, without external
aid. to educate her host of filliterates.
When the highest efforts OF her
people in 1880 she contributed out
of her resources $12, 2,036,477 for that
purpose, but the extent OF the edu.
1 cation afforded was imperfect ana
inadeuuate. As the result OF the
| civil war, the South lost over four
billions OF dollars, followed by an
enormous shrinkage OF values.
Thus, while the taxable capacity OF
| the Southern States has enormously
decreased, the number Of those
needing their help has been cores
pondingIy decreased. Yet in the
face of these difficulties the South
has done what she could TO meet
the emergency. Each State has a
free school system for both races,
and normal schools are growing IN
favor. Indeed, leading Northern
educator has said that many South
ern cities "impose a tax for educa-
ton that would not be tolerated in
many of our wealthy old towns In
New England" Says the distln-
puished DIR. Mayo, of Massachusetts
"No similar class of people in the
old or new world has accomplished
so much in a time so short, against
obsticles 80 formidable. The statis-
tics show the steady increase OF sem
timent and activity in the Southern
States in favor of educating colored
children, and this the colored people
in these States know, and they VIII
watch the vote of representatives OF
Northern States on the bill under
consideration and compare their
, manifestations of sympathy with
coIored education with the substan-
, tial aid to that cause furnished py
Southern Taxpayers through sell
imposed taxation for that purpose,
supplemented by individual con-
tributions from Northern communi-
, ties. 1t is the opinion Of the Senate
committee that the whole burden o.
educating this helpless and Ignorant
class cannot and should not be borne
: wholly by the people OF the South.
The committee makes the further
strong argument in support OF thii
, opinion, that "the Federal Govern
ment should aid in reducing Hitter
acy, not only because II enlranchis
, ed the race among which illiierac,
! is most prevalent, and imposed thu
| burden uf their education upoI
States wasted by war, but also be
; cause the iiliterate condition OF ~
J citizens seriously impaires its wei
! fare. The union of the Site@ is closil
! and intimate so that injury or al
! versity cannot visit one withOu
r effecling others, An illiterate STAT
: cannot be IN harmony with an edu
Gated State, and il cannot have IN
Y same opinions on nhtiOnal affair
J. and interest. The laws of our coun
i rry, binding upon all sections. alike
are not the product Of the lhrges
e jntelIects and best hearts alone hu
!, of every type of mind ana moral
J. aggregated. Ignorance a5 wei .
: intelligence enters into thor colnpoo
sition and helps to determine thei
9 value and justice. Ignorance less
: ems prosperity, checks industry, In
e creases crime, and disturbs social or
= der. Illiteracy threatens not onis
8 the social and business interests .