Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-10-23
INT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, OCTOBER %
Educntlon IN the south.

Extra bulletin No IL, which has Just
been issued by the census bureau, contains
an exhaustive summary of statistics re-
garding national education. The tables
presented, showing the public school en-
rolmcnt in every state in the Union, are
of great interest and importance.
The facts as to the present ratio of en-
rolment to population i'm the Southern
states are especially significant. They
show that a great gain in school enroll
ment in the past decade has been made.
not in the North or West, but i'm the South,
and that it has been largely among the col
ored people.
While the percentage of school enroll
ment for the whole country has increased
since 1880 from 1884 to 20.22, the ratio in
the Northeastern states shows decline.
In the North Atlantic division, comprising
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it
has fallen from 20.33 per cent in 1880 to
1877 in the year 1890. In the North Cen
trail DIVISION comprising the states of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, the
ratio has likewise decreased, though only
slightly. 1t was 23.5j in 1850 and is y. 81
now. The Western division, which CON
tains Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon and California, has
increased its ratio from 1862 to 1901 in
the decade
The South Atlantic division of Della
ware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Nir-
ginia West Virginia, North Carolina,
MI ril L., II,
an increase of from 1851 per cent to 1877
per cent in public school enrolment The
South Central division, with the states of
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississip-
pi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, makes
the remarkable gain from l5.41 per cent in
1880 to 21.31 in 1890 A fact of the high
est importance is the increase of the per-
centage of school enrolment among the
cOlored people.
In the South Atlantic group of states
the gain in white school enrolment since
1850 has been 1896 per cent. In cOlored
school enrolment it has been 1892 per
cent. In Missouri it is p. Is and 81. ~ per
cent respectively. In the South Central
division the colored public school enroll
ment shows a gain of TOSS per cent, as
against gain for the whites of 63. As per
cent. In the Southern states as a whole
the ratio to population of white public
school enrolment is 21.6S per cent. The
percentage of ColOred scholars enrolled is
1875.
While these statistics are necessarily sub
iect to final revision, and while perfect ac-
curacy is by no means claimed for them,
they are without doubt approximately cor
rect The notable increase in school en-
rollment in the South. and especially
among the Southern colored people is a
highly encouraging feature. 1t shows
that the negroes are awake TO the impor-
lance OF securing a common school educa-
ton for their children. The proportion Of
educated persons of the colored race is
steadily increasing, and in this fact is the
promise of the destruction of the solid
South in politics. knowledge is power
for colored people as well as for whites.
When the black man becomes educated ii
will be impossible for Southern Democrats
to prevent him 10y force or fraud from cXer-
csing his legal rights of citizenship.
Neir York Press.