The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-18
uLITERATE AMERICANS,
Facts Cleaned By the National
Commissioners OF Education
Tie Proportion of Uneducsted People b
TIE Various States-Shoving of the
Sexes In the General
Estimate.

Sexes In the General
Estimate.
Some pertinent facts as TO illiteracy
IN this country are brought out in the
report of the national commissioner Of
education, recently printed The fig
ures, aud, of course, the deductions,
ere all based On the census OF 1890,
End. while changes have taken place
since, allowance can be made for them
and pretty accurate idea of the pres
ent situation as to nliteracy gained.
To some neighborhoods and classes OF
the population the figures will be found
encouraging, while TO others they will
be just as discouraging. The amount
OF illiteracy in the country, taken as
whole. is, however. appalling.
In 1880 there were 47,413.599 inhab-
itants in the states and territories 10
years old and over, and Of these c, 324,-
7O2 could not read and write. So the
i!literates composed 1873 per cent. of
the population 10 years of age and
over. According to the census Of 1890
Interpolation of the same age was So
76I sol, of whom 6,2S9, e5s, or II per
cents, could not read or write. Be
tween 1850 and 1890 the population OF
the whole country Increased L, 400. 46T,
or nearly 25 per cent; but the rate OF
illiteracy fell from Il per cent. in the
first year to 1873 per cent. in the second
year, a decrease of 81 per cent. Had
the same percentage of ihteracy pre-
vailed in 1890 as in 1850 there would
have been in the former year $3.50. 3o5
illiterates, OF 1895, COS more than there
actually were This Is gratifying de-
crease, Indicating more than twice the
progress in education made between
1870 and 1850.
OF the male population over 10 years
of age 1914 per cent. GIse illiterate, and OF
the female population of the same age
IA per cent. showing a per cent.
greater nliteracy among the females
than among the males. Both sexes show
a gain over 1880, the males of ga per
cent and the females of 3.S per cent, or
GA per cent. in favor Of the females.
But it is not SO encouraging to see that
the percentage of ilhteracy among the
males in the North Atlantic division OF
states, which includes all New England,
New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
Nania. increased 0.5 per cent. although
female iiliteracy in the same states de-
creased o.5 per cent In the South At
lantic end South Central divisions of
states, which include al the southern
states, the decrease in the ilhteracy OF
the sexes maintains about the same
ratio, showing that the colored women
ere keeping steady step with the coll
pred men in gaining an education.
5 Someof the facts brought out are sur
prising, and if the figures were not off,
cial there would be hesitancy about
accepting them. Nebraska, for M
stance, ranks at the head of the states
in literacN only 81 per cent. Of it's
population being unable to read and
write. In fact, no state west of the
Mississippi river, with the exception of
the four southern states, ranks as low
as Massachusetts, in TIE number of IL
iiterates in It's population. No one of
them has over per cent. of ilhtsTaees,
while Massachusetts, has CO per cent
In Pennsylvania 6.s per cent. of the
population is illiterate. 1t viii be q
matter for regret TO learn that SUI
states as Name, New Hampshire, Yer
mont and New Jersey inceeased tho
percentage of their iIliteratcs between
1850 and 1890, and that Pennsylvania
iiliterates decreased only 4-2 per cent.
in the same time. This shows how largo
Il percentage of the bettereducated eie-
ment in these states had eu1igrated To
the far western states. their places be- |
ing taken by illiterate foreigners.
Perhaps the most encouraging fact !
brought out in the report is the prog
ress shown among the cohOred people |
Of the south In 1850 there were 4,601. /
2O7 cOloned people over 10 years of age,
of whom 3,22O,87s, or 20 per cent, could |
not read and write. In ls9O the coi- |
pred population0ver 10 yearsnumbered /
& 1874 and of these SIP .les, or sos /
per cent. could not read and write. /
This is a decrease of over i3 per cent. IN 1
10 years, a rapid and gratifying de- .
crease, but 1t must not bs forgotten
that the colored uI5terates stall make .
up very nearly one-haIf tho total nun
Der of nliSsrates in the United States
Louisiana stands at the foot of the
column, With ass per cent. of her total
population unable 70 read and write
z Philadelphia Press 4