Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-13
SOCIAL EVILS.
Give the Masses Liberal Educa-
tiOn and Thus Stop Them
Is the Opinion Of a Minister
Who Is Well Posted.

Views of DIR. Mayo, Who Has Spent
Twelve Years Among the Southern Pco-
pIe-Illiteracy South No More Harmful
Than Illiteracy North--EducationaIA Ad-
Vancement in the South.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-For the last
twelve years DR.. A. d. Mayo has been en-
gagged i'll the ministry of education, en-
tirely personal and unsectarian in its
character, among tie southern people
reaching through all the sixteen south
ern states. This work includes from six
to eight months travelling, visiting
schools of all kinds, making popular ad-
dresses, speaking to children and stu
dents, lecturing to teachers, preaching in
churches of all denominations, and in all
suitable ways trying to push the inter
est, especially in the common schools,
for both races.
The Doctor Talks.
Speaking to reporter of the general
tendency Of educational affairs in the
south, DR.. Mayo expressed the decided
opinion that i'll every portion of that
section there is steady advance. Said
he:
"The recent upheaval of the Farmers
Alliance i'll southern politics i'll some Of
the states, especially i'll South Carolina,
seems to have deranged the upper story
of state university education, but this is
probably only temporary disturbance,
and is due to the growing desire of the
masses of the white people for a better
system of country schools For the
past twenty years, since 1870, the south
ern people have done the greatest job in
founding for the first time the American
system Of free elementary education for
all classes and both races that has ever
been achieved under anything like
similar circumstances in the history of
education.
In addition to this, they have recon-
structed their entire system of the sec
ondary and higher education for the
white, so that it is better by far than be-
fore the war. They have also expended
during the these years perhaps $50, ,0O0,-
600 for the education of the negroes, of
course largely at the expense of the
white people. During this time the
north and the nation have probably in
vested some 500, 900, 900, chiefly in the
superior training Of from $4,000 to
10000 of the better class of colored youth
for teachers and leading positions among
these people.
But, of course, this great work, so
creditable to the southern people, is only
the beginning of what must be done if
the formidable illiteracy of that portion
of the country is to be overcome in rea-
sonable time. AT present the border
states of Maryland. West Virginia and
Missouri, with Virginia, Tennessee and
Texas, have made the greatest progress.
Bat even in all save two or three Of
these states the progress in popular edu-
cation has been most marked in the cit
les and villages. The southern people
OF both races are rapidly following the
example of the rest of the world in
drifting into the towns and cities, leav-
ing the green country often deprived of
its most vigorous and enterprising popu-
lation. Thus the city and town popula-
ticn is largely handling the money of
the country and able to establish the
graded school system according to the
best modern methods prevailing else
where. Almost every southern city of
10000 people has now a graded school
spstem of both races, generally worth
supporting, and often of superior merit
The smaller towns of 2 200 or 5000 and
upwards are falling into line. But three
fourths of the southern children still live
in the open country, and here is the
weak side of southern education, as, in
deed, it is everywhere" "