The Portland daily press., 1884-11-27
New PUBLICATIONS..

Judge Albion Tourgee, the author of "The
Fools Errand," has written new book, entit-
led san Appeal to Cesar" The Casar ap-
pealed to is the sovereign American people,
and the matter about which he appeals is the
imperative necessity of giving national aid TO
the establishment oIschool systems in the South
which will by educating them, elevate and
make safe the great body of ignorant voters in
the Southern.Ststes upon whom devolyes the
duties and responsibilities of citizens. Regard
ing this subject Judge Tourgee is very earnest
deeming education the present important CON.
cernsof the country and the nation to be bound
to do all that il can do to overcome the great
peril of prevalent illiterary with its corlpan-
ion evils OF political and moral corraption. He
has marshaled in this volume great array Of
valuable statistics, and cogent arguments, all
pervaded by she noble motive and earnest
spirit OF prophet. 1t is useful book and
deeply interesting. although all may not agree
with the plan Of extending aid which he pro-
poses On this point we fad In the journal of
Education some comments which we suspect
were written by the Rev. A. ID. Mayo, one OF
its editors, who for several years has been ao-
lively engaged in promoting educational pro.
gress at the S7uth. These comments are SO
suggestive that we quote them here.
Mr.. Albion Tourgee has printed new VOL
ums crsmmed with statistics and powerful ar
guments for national aid to education. Unfor-
tunately for the cause he advocates, Judge
Tourgee is still under the possession of thee
ry OF southern affairs, and welded to a method
OF national aid, neither of which will be in
dorsed by Congress. The theory is, that the
leading class of Southern people remains nm.
changed bY the events of the past tweuty-fiye
years, and is uniriendIy to all education save
that OF the old-fashioued, high, aristocratic
type, which prevailed before 1860, He there
fore believes it unsafe to inirust natioDalIfunds
to the present state governments, and vould
have national aid take the form OF a vast sys-
tenn OF distributing money insseparate districts
according to their llliteracy, the whole work.
Ing OF the plan to be IN the hands of agents of
the central government. We neither believe
III the theory nor the plan. Public opinion in
every Southern state is now too firmly estsb-
iished and too progressive in favor of popular
education to be seriously resisted by any party
OF reaction; and, with proper safeguards, the
state governments of the South are as reliable
for the honest dispensation of national aid as
those OF the North. The rlan of distributing
money by government agents to local districts
On proof OF 1liitsracy, is the widest conceiya-
Bile. 1t opens the door for continual lying in
the temptation to every neighborhood in six
teen States to get money BY the easy method
OF mageifying its own ignorance. 1t would
fill the South with swarms OF government off.
cials, with boundless opportunity of stealing;
and, worst of all, it would bring the central
government into every school district as
Jealous rival of the State. No more ingenious
device for perpetuating ill-feeliug and forever
estrapging the people of the South from popu-
lar education could be devised. The time has
come when all effective efforts for educating
the southern masses must be made by enlisting
the sympathy and stimulating the effort of
those classes on which we must always rely for
the support of good institutions, aud all plans
for elevsting the lower in defiance of the up-
per strata of life, in any American State, win
come to nought.
Books Received.
AN APPEAL TO CESAR. By Albion W. Tourpie.
New York: Fords, Howard Il Hubert. (Loring.