St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-01-17
LOCISIANA'S PAROCHlAL
SCHOOL SYSTEM,

SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Ancient SodCm was destroyed,
because within her limits were moi
to be found ten righteous; doubt.
less two could have been found.
Were such . calamity to befall the
States Of this Union, that the two
most illiterate were to be eradicated,
Louisiana would be s'in the same
box" - Sodom. The ssconse-
quential effects OF the civil war;
have had much to do with our IL
literacy; those evils We are now
outgrowing, and II, within the next
decade, this State has not advanced
higher up the scale than No. ? In
literacy, no longer can be used the
shield Of consequential effects. .
One reason Why our educational
system lags behind, why it is not
remedied, Is because the Weather
portion Of our population consider
It matter Of no personal interest,
their children enjoying the advan-
tages Of schools and universities,
where tuition fees, incidental ex-
penses, and an exclusive circle, bar
out the children Of the needy. Nc
one can with justice assert that =
mans children are not entitled to
the benefits which his thrift and
economy gives him the power Of
granting them, but he can assert
that such individual advantages
should not stand in the way Of his
furnishing his pittance toward the
encouragement Of our common
school system.
II help for the poor m ust be in
cited BY selfish motives alone, the
rich should consider the danger
they invite upon their posterity. by
surrounding them with an unedu-
Gated majority, . class upon whom
demagogues may act as sparks upon
powder. When this view is taken,
It becomes, not . d aty from . phi
lanthropic standpoint alone, but .
political necessity. In the rut in
which the wheels OF our State
chariot are now creaking, the rich
leave ~ an inheritance to their
children the suppression Of . mighty
social mass, reared in ignorance
and stepped in crime-the poor to
heir offspring but more wretc!ed,
'quallid state than they before
hem have endured, who, were they
able to lift the veil that overshad-
'ws the future, might he tempted
o follow the example IT the native
women OF Alaska, who, carrying
heir babes to some bleak hill, stun
heir mouths with litchens and leave
hem 70 die, excusing themselves by
aging, "Would to God l had been |
70 treated"
This is . question the grave ear
'estness of which is apparent only |
o those who have children to rear
n our poor parishes. Have We
here . common school system:
We have, il gatherings for a couple
1 months, called s'schools," in
tructed too often by incompetents
ermed teachers" can he SO desig-
atcd like asking, ''does . certain
avage tribe 60 clothed?" and ans
'eting, "Yes, the king wears
The impression prevails that our
literacy is owing to the black
opulation. Those know better
no have padded along our moss
estooned bayous, and gotten an
'sight into the habits Of that class
uncertain nationality, speaking
o language but . dialect peculiarly
leir own, whose characteristics are
} aptly described by the author Of
Mosieu Toto.'' l.
We may progress in our COM
'ercial and mercantile relations
e may possess alluvial lands that
'rpass in their beauty and pro. i
activeness GOODS own country :"
e may control the gates Of the
Father Of Waters," but unless We /;
lucate our children, we leave to :
em bat . harren patrimony, as {
secure - our floating prairie. I
When it is thoroughly impressed ;,
non the people that illiteracy il I
e foe concealed In the T,ojan s
'rse ; the reason States North and e
est forge ahead in their progress. u
'ile We. with the prim appearance, .
pace; lace cap and spec !,