The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-02-06

N. 0. Chronicle.
The condition Of the Southern States
since the emancipation of the negroes,
and the conversion Of an immense mass
of ignorance into citizenship, has
awakened among the statesmen of the
country most profound feeling Of
solicitude for the future welfare. The
ignorant voters are numbered By mill
lions in the South, and the North has
her quota also, mainly attributable to
the steady stream Of foreign immi-
grants pouring in upon her annually.
The Blaine bill, which has received a
larger degree of approval than any
other measure discussed Of late years,
proposes to distribute among the sew
eral States, on the basis of illiteracy,
liberal amount Of money as rein
forcement of the State school systems.
During the changing economic con-
ditions, the revolution Of our society,
the treasures of the several States
cannot well bear, unaided, the burden
Of immediate and comprehensive pub
lie school systems, necessary to re-
move the standing menace Of ignorant
masses controlled by eorrnpt leaders
as against the better equipped ele-
ments of society.
To educate and impart definite
knowledge Of the laws and industries
of the republic is the duty Of the Ma
tional and State Legislatures. The
Blair bill ought to pass and Congress
be flooded with popular petitions until
it does.
Rev John Hall, Of New York,
Presbyterian minister, in recent SER
mon touched upon the menace Of the
uneducated classes as the most vital
question of the future. To minimize
that menace the rich and the culti-
waited must act as guides to those less
favored. BY holding aloof from pol
ities, that portion Of the community
claiming to be the better not only
shirks its duty, but makes itself di-
rectly responsible for the disgraces of
municipal and State government. The
education of the unlettered and their
guidance by the enlightened to re-
spect citizen duties in recognition of
conscience are duties inherent in the
Of man and safeguard de-
by the welfare Of society. BY
these means the hydra of anarchy,
which has shown itself at times, in
Pittsburg, Chicago, Detroit and other
cities can be overcome. The better
education and consequently better
guidance by national leaders will end
The loss and misery to the people Of
strikes and lockonts, correct errors
relative to the protective tariff, and
render powerless the cheap money ad-
voeates.
Every we'll informed leader of the |
people In this city understands the
adversion of large body Of citizens
10 engage ID 4 practical citizen duties,
and they form the bulk Of complain |
ants against misFule. They avoid the
primaries, keep away from the polls,
are strangers 10 a majority Of their
fellows, and by strange hallucination |
expect the mass to seek them and call
them TO leadership in representative |
capacity. The withdrawal Of the guild |
snce of the cultured from the less fa-
yored gives the latter the opportunity
10 commit errors il selection of lead
,rs and the support Of measures affect
ng society as a whole. The misgoy-
,rnment Of large cities is specially at
ributable to the commercial and edn-
,ated classes who with an undemo-
ratio spirit shirk their citizen duties.