Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-10-03
Popular Intelligence.

Inc latest census bulletin, relating
to illiteracy, is one of the most inter
esting and instructive that has yet
been issued. 1t shows, generally speak
ing, that in 1890 there were 1894, 702
persons in the United States wei 10
years of age, or o than IS per cent.
Of the total population, who could not
read or write. This looks to be a re-
markably large number, considering
the abundant educational facilities Of
the country, and it certainly is larger
than it ought to be; but there are GER
tain mitigating features in the case.
The statistics include the colored peo-
pie and the foreign born whites, among
whom the greatest part Of the illiteracy
exists. That is to say, the percentage
Of colored illiterates is 81, and of for;
eign i~lliterates 10, while the proportion
of native white illiterates is only u
little over z per cent. The showing is
an improvement upon that of 1880 in
the n that the general percentage
of illiteracy has been reduced 4 per
cent. S~ingularly enough, the colored
people have done better in this respect
than either the native or foreign born
whites, which goes to prove that they
are taking advantage of the schools in
a very creditable degree, and that the
next generation is likely to closely APP
proach the native white standard, at
least in the States where they are prin
cipally located, for white as we'll as
colored illiteracy is most plentiful in
the South.
1t will surprise many people to learn
that the lowest rate of il~literacy is not
in New England, where we might ex.
pest to find it, but in what is some
times derisively termed "the wild and
woolly West" The States lying west
of the Mississippi River all surpass
those upon the Atlantic coast and of
the intermediate region. Nebraska
stands at the head of the list, with only
3 per cent of illiterates, and Kansas,
Iowa, the Dakotas and Missouri range
from that to Z per cent. This is at
tributable in q considerable measure,
of course, to the fact that the New
England and Middle States have con-
tributed largely to the settlement and
development Of these newer States, and
the foreign born population is greater
comparatively in the older portion of
the country. Nevertheless, it remains
true, whatever the explanation may be,
that the ratio of popular intelligence
is higher in the West than in the East.
This condition will become more mark.
ed and effective in the next ten years.
The West attracts intelligence and
enterprise by reason of the induce
monts that it offers over sections that
have utilized all of their and
absorbed all of the opportunities OF
ordinary ambition. 1t is yet a land O
magnificent possibilities in all the &C
t~ivities of life, and its progress is sure
to be attended by a steady lessening OF
the proportion of citizens who lack the
advantage of education.
When we come to take separate &C
count of the foreign born element in
this relation, we are confronted by the
melancholy fact that Its illiteracy il
increasing instead of diminishing. The
rate in 1880 was lower than in 1890,
and there is good reason to believe that
the present situation is still worse,
This Is the result of our indifference
with regard to the extent and .charac-
ter of the immigration to our shores
from foreign countries. We have al
lowed the lowest classes of Europe
ignorant and degraded Italians, Huns
Poles and Bohemians-to flock here
in large numbers and to become a par
of u fixed population, without any
inquiry as to their fitness for citizen
ship or any discrimination in the inter
est of public safety and prosperity. The
effects of this careless hospitality have
been wildly seen in our labor troubles