The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-08-12
Our Schools.

Louisiana is the most backward
State in the Union so far as education
al facilities are concerned. The re.
port of the State Superintendent of
Public Education and the U. S. Com
missoners of Education have repeat
eddy pointed out our insufliciency, urg-
ing the necessity of an increase
and by statistics showing that
that two-thirds of the educable chill
dren are denied by the State system
any educational advantages. The eff.
fort of private individuals to build
respectable schools throughout the
State wherein the public monies are
supplemented by large drafts on pri
vate sources, is pointed proof the
people are awake to the necessity of
education and we'll knowing the ina
bility of the State to establish proper
schools, are willing to bear the main
support themselves. If Louisiana was
abreast with other states this would
not be, and public facilities would he
such that each individual could secure
fair education for his or her child at
State expenses. AS it stands to day
Louisiana's school system is farce
from lack of means, though the pur-
pose may he good. The following is
an extract from report of U. S. Com
missioner of Education. 1t is a fair
illustration of elbow others see us :"
"rhe reports of the parish supcrinten-
dents show that there is urgent
need of education in Louisiana, and that
"more than one-half of the voters who 60
the polls are unable to tell from their
tickets for whom they are votingn One
of the main causes of this is the small
amount of the school fund, which is only
sufficient to keep the schools IN opera
ton two OF three months of the yea, and
even then the pay of tie teachers is mad
equate. This has cansel thousands of
young men who could afford it to go to
institutions i'll other States to secure III
education. Strong efforts have been
made to induce immigration to Louisiana,
but SO long as the educational advanta-
gcs are so deficient, immigration viii GER
tainly 90 elsewhere.
"Nlany of the school houses are rough
franc buildings, without sashes, fire.
places, tlues, or cisterns. The seats often
have no backs, and boards nailed to the
wall are the only desks"
South Carolina alone is behind
Louisiana in illiteracy, in all other
states intelligence is ahead by from
is, l66 to 203,S44 voters. In nineteen
parishes alone in Louisiana is there a
majority who can read their ballots,
in the other forty ignorance predomintes
and the destiny of the State to a great
extent at the mercy Of illiteracy. 1t
may be claimed that this ignorance is
confined to the negro. The following
statement from black parishes show
white illiterates in the majority: In
Acadia, Cameron, Lafayette, Lsfourche
St. Bernard, Terrebonne and Vermil-
lion there are 6,S5s illiterate white
voters to 6,070 who can read their bal
lot. This shows need of increased
educational facility in our State, and
if left to the State no relief can be ex-
pected as every resource has been ex-
haasted and it is rather to be expected
that our public schools will be draw
into closer limits and less utility, unless
the revenue amendment be adopted.
Let us take glance at the situation
and make comparison. We select
Lincoln and ueignboring parishes for
comparison:
Lincoln at present secures from the
State in school money s2,421; under
the adoption of the amendment this
will be increased to $1,000, nearly
three tim s as much and meaning G to
. months schools. The present fluid