Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-09-19
HowELLE. JACKSON.
His Powerful Speech on National Aid TO
EdraneFox.


Education.
Senator Howell E. jackson deliver
ed strong masterful speech at
Columbia recently in advocacy Of
National Aid to Education. It was
the most statesmanlike utterlnce that
has been heard i'm Tennessee for many
day. Ths constitutionality and legal
aspects of the scheme were closely ar
gued and clearly proven. We have
room only for the following extract.
We now expend in Tennessee, for
public school purposes, say about ST.
100000 per annunl. Our scholastic
population numbers about 100000;
something over so per cent of these
are enrolled, though the average daily
attendance is only about one-third, say
100000, who receive instruction. The
school term of-average number of DAYS
taught during the year is rs, say two and
one-half months; while the average
compensation of the teachers is less
than $50 per month-not equal to the
average earnings OF factory hands or
other skilled wage laborers throughout
the country, even for the limited time
employed We cannot deceive our
selves with the idea that this short
term of instruction, with poorly paid
teachers, is any tit or adequate pro-
vision for even the 10000 scholars
who make up the average attendance.
Six months would be short term of
instruction; but to extend the term
to six months for the one-third of the
scholastic population now attending
school would involve the expenditure
of an additional million dollars Can
this be easily or certainly raised But
go a step further: To make prepara-
ton for the 100000 or 100000 scholas-
tic population not even enrolled would
require 1000 additional teachers and
school houses. The cost of these addi-
tional school houses would amount to
| 81 100000; the cost of qualifying the
extra teachers would reach $l,125,O00.
Six months salary to the teachers
would require 81, $4,000, and the cost
OF books, school fixtures and apparatus
would take $4,000 more, aggregating
the sum of $4,050000 as the outlay re-
quired in making preparation for six
months instruction OF the unenrolled
scholastic population of the State. Able
and interchangeable as our accomplished
state superintendent OF public institu-
tons is, and supported as he is by an
efficient corps of county assistants, l
venture to say that he and his CO la
borers would shrink from the hopeless
task of raising this additional fund
either in the State or in the counties
h,rf ox nfh or
be done. We are not able to raise the
means requisite for the education of
our population and meet the current
demand upon our resources.
Between 1860 and 1880 the assessed
valuation of our property decreased 45
per cent, while our population in
creased 80 per cent. From 1870 to
1880 our population increased 2S3,S36,
the assessed valuation OF our taxable
property diminished $42O03,623, re-
ducing us to $137 per capita of popu-
lation, while the Middle and New Eng
land States range from $500 to $1,000
per capita of population. Fifteen
States OF the union Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia,
occupy substantially the same position.
They have an unenrolled scholastic
population numbering about 3,O00O00
for whom they have not, and cannot
make, adequate preparation for their
instruction for the average term Of
three months.
These fifteen States now expend for
three months instruction of their en-
rolled scholars about $S,000000 annu-
ally. With the exception of Maryland
and Missouri, they are financially in
the same condition us Tennessee. The
aggregate decrease in the assessed val
ne of their property between 1870 and
1880, in thirteen of these States, reach
the enormous sum of $411, 475,0 90.
With all our efforts the number of IL
iterates is increasing, while the per-
centage of illiteracy was only reduced
about 2 per cent. throughout the coun-
try in the last decade Under this con-
dition of things it is trifiing with a
great question and great danger to
ask or expect an impoverished people
to provide the means required TO meet
existing emergencies, which reach and
affect the whole country. Contrast
our educational situation with that of
Massachusetts The duration OF her
school term is III days; ours only rs.
Her enrolled pupils are within less
than 900 OF her entire scholastic pop
ulation; ours only about one half Her
annual school expenditures amount to
about Sl5 per capita of her enrolled
scholars, while ours reach $3.50 per
capita, or 50 cents per month Tor each
pupil.
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