The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-02-06
MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Annual Report OF superintendent COlemAh
Temperance and Reli iglon In the Schools
Education of Colored Children--The
Effort to Secure Mixed Schools.
State Superintendent of Schools Cole
man has completed the fortieth report
Of the public schools of the State, and
the manuscript is now in the hands Of
the printer, and will be ready for dis
tribution shortly. The report is for the
school year commencing July I, 1888,
and ending June 80, 1889. Under the
head Of General Suggestions" Mr..
Coleman says:
careful comparison OF the statistics and
general condition of the schools of the State
for the school year herein reported with any
previous year Will show decided improve
mcnt More teachers were employed, and
ut better salaries; more fines were collected
and placed to the credit of the permanent
school fund; more good Institutes were
held, and more systematic and thorough
work done than in any prev vious year.
Discussing the needs of the School
law, Mr.. Coleman says that it should
fully set out the subjects to be taught
in all the public schools of the State.
Higher branches he says, should be ad-
mittcd only by order of the board or by
vote Of the people. Concerning the
teaching of temperance ideas in the
public schools Mr. Coleman says:
The law on teaching the evil effects of
alcoholic stimulants and narcotics upon the
human system Is farce and II fraud.
The law, rs it stands, is worthless, and shoull
be repealed or amended.
In regard to teaching foreign lam
guagcs in the public schools, he says:
The law should specify definitely in what
language the instruction in our public
sch ia - hn triy I Ii ~
/ disgrace to American institutions to have
the English language ruled out of our public
schools aud German substituted, as it is
done wholly or in part in many districts in
! this State. The average legislator appears
I to quake when this matter is brought up for
consideration. Right and justice are for
! gotten or smothercd for the sake of the Ger.
! man vote.
The teaching Of church creeds is most
severely condemned. lie believes that
the Legislature made most serious
mistake by not establishing county SUI
pervision.
In the matter of the education Of col
ored children he says:
While fifteen colorcd children can be made
the basis of Il district school, yet it takes
thirty white children to secure the same; 80
that in plHc" of the law discriminating
against the negro race, it actually discrimi-
mates against til" white race.
Discussing this matter at length, no
, says, among other things:
The secret of the whole matter H. these
negro agtators want to put the negro chill.
drcn in the white schools There are
some negro teachers who have little judg.
ment enough 10 think that they can force
the negro and white children into the same
schools in Missouri. If such "A law could bo
enacted and enforced, it would Immediately
send about six hundred able-bodied negro
school teachers udrft to find employment
elsewhere, for not one of them could then
hope to be employed in our public schools
any more than they can to be employed to
3 teach public school in Iowa, Illinois or
= Ohio. After twenty five years eSrArionce
trying to educate the negro childrenuf the
/, State, very little has been accomplished out
y side of the cities and larger towns.
The school funds are given as fol.
: lows:
State school fund...............".$3,l So, lio,s53 o.
University fund ......,............ 6iO,W5 O'
n County school fund. ;............. sG!l,65 2
Township school fund...."........ 3,3lI,B0 81
s Special school fund....,........... 45,232 s.
IDthl. SlVtpbp,01i ~
Under the head of statistics, reported
by county commissioners, the number %
. children enrolled in the public schools
is given as follows:
Boys. Girls. Total
- White. c..................I IlI,U'J 2S!,t3S 1H3i'
CoIored. ..... -. G,plO -lfl5S 32l''
Grand total...................... 81
l. There are 2,94S white teachers en-
- ploycd in the State and CSC colorec
= teachers. The average salary paiC
, teachers is S42.3l per month. There
= are now in operation ais white schools
:, and 500 colored schoGls, making in al
" 9,0s7. The cost per day of teaching
N each pupil is .OI4c. School property o
- the State is valued at Sl0,972, 16l. Aver
-. age tax levy for school purposes on $40
valuation is i3 &C.
q. SUIT AGAINST THE FRISCO
The State Sues the st. Louis s San Fran
ID cisco Railway Company for Three Hun
S. dred Thousand Dolars-Iiistory OF til
c. Case.
le ST. LOUIS, Jan. 31.-The State OF Mis-
is souri, yesterday brought suit agains
in the ST. Louis & San Francisco Railwa.
at Company for $4,000 on notes, and
le further asks for accumulated II
- tcrcst. There is story connecte