The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-29
SAM JONES, LETTER.
Education and llliteracy and it's Bearing
on the state and Nation.
COPYRIGHT ieoA

COPYRIGHT. 1904
My mind has been called 70 this sub
ject by the recent action of the constitu-
tional convention in South Carolina dis
frnnchising many voters on the ground
OF heir illiieracy, and having recently
passed through the state of Pennsyl-
,nnia stopping ut several points lcctur-
ing to the county institutes, which are
but gatherings of the 400 or 500 teachers
Of the public schools of the counties In
four or five days session to discuss
the best methods in the school room
! Pennsylvania has made the greatest
outlay and has developed the public
school system perhaps more thorough
! ly than any state in the union. Ger
tainly she expends more money and has
more system and offers the finest facil-
tiles TO the masses of the people to get
/ an education. l vas told the state APP
! propriated from its treasury more than
| Sli.000,oo0 annually 10 the public
schools. In addition TO this munic-
/ ipal and county funds are perhaps as
much more. These two things put to-
\ gethor, the educational facilities of
/ Pennsylvania and the illitcracy OF
/ South Carolina, make me think about
| some other things.
| Pennsylvania with all her boasted
educational facilities a few years ago
( gave \ majority of 100000 votes at the
/ polls in favor of saloons and whisky AMI
/ debauchcry. Could South Carolina in
/ proportion TO her population do worse
3 ~ u, 10 Ia. of, L.,
delving into the classics. possession OF
culture. do all for fellow that he needs
10 have done for him? A man learn
at school. There Is not faculty Of
his mind that is not Iulckcned, dcyel
opcd and broadened by the curriculum
of the schools. liut when man has
learned to read, learned to write, and
has learned the curriculum of the
schools thoroughly, does il necessarily
follow that he has learned to do right
aud love right-thut he has learned that
wrong is wrong and he ought not TO
do wrong?
II man learns some things, il Is u
foregone conclusion that he has or will
learn some other things? Because
man knows Greek or Latin, or much
about 5hc sciences. does that argue
hat he knows much about morals and
deccncy and good citizenship? take
the position clearly that some of the
best citizens | have ever known were
almost totally illiteratc. Some of the
best citizens | have ever known were
cultivated people. Some OF the worst
citizens that ever cursed humanity,
some IF them we're cultured, some IL
ltcrlte. a man who knows whit right
liz and does II. and what wrong is md
will not do 1t, is the best citizen in
any state, Tor after all rood citizenship
is the only basis upon which a state
or n nation can rest in safety A man
never lives higher or votes higher than
his convictions. Convictions are not
matters dependent upon u thorough
knowledge of tie school curriculums. IL
is u matter of conscience and common
sense, and clear apprehension of duty
and destiny. The head is an essential
in the makeup OF n man, but it is not
all the man. II takes heart. It takes
character, 1t takes principle with the
head 10 constitute II man. Our public
schools teach the masses how 70 read
md write correctly. God alone can
teach us how to live and act correctly.
II the state, with the finest educational
facilities, will give the biggest majority
in favor of debauchery and saloons,
liz II just and right for South Carolina
TO disfraDchise one-third her popula- !
ton because they cannot read and |
write?
Our institutions. our governments are |
in safer hands when the ballot is in the |
hands of an ilitcrate yet trustworthy. |
moral, upright man, than they can
possibly be in the hands of the cultured |
literary character, who has no more |
conscience than an alligator, and no |
more concern for women and children,
their happiness and protection. than
roaring lion. do not say that Pennsyl-
vania ought to have less educational fa-
cilities; ] do not say that South Caro-
lima should not protect itself from ne
gro domination; but say put the two
things together which 1 speak of in
Pennsylvania and South Carolina and
you will think = long time before you
can reach wise conclusions. | know the
most fearful domination OF politics and
municipalities and states and govern
ments is the domination exercised by
the liquor traffic. This domination is
cruel. 1t IL debauching, and has every
element of perdition in it. Who has not
suffered at its hands? congressman.
senators and governors have talked to
me with tears running down their
cheeks and saying: "The saloons have
got my boy, the saloons have got my
boy" From the millionaire TO the pau
per this domination has outraged the
home and broken the heart. would To
God some system Of education could
bring the masses I'D TO see what " hisky