Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-29
OLE suFrrAGE rRoBLEM.
How an Educational Test Would
work In Virginia.

How nm Educational Test Would
work In Virginia.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
You published last winter under the
Initials 81. b. B." the inclosed article.
should Ike TO see tho article republlshed
at tho present time, under my signature.
If there IS any real statesmanship and
leadership in this poor old State OF Nir-
sinia, the essential ideas advanced IN this
short article, Will, in the near future, be
engrafted in the Constitution OF this
state.
To my mind. you have here the only real,
practical remedy for our present troubles
So long as a large percentage Of the citi-
zenS arc ignorant It IS absolutely impossi-
Dle for each OF her citizens 10 cast an
Intelligent ballot, which when cast, snail
be honestly counted" Popular government
IS a mOckcry where so large a percentage
Of the citizens Of a State are nliterate.
Although somewhat a taxpayer on real
state, in five separate and distinct coun-
les in this State and upon property,
which, under present economic conditions.
Yields little else than taxes. / do not be
lleve we can afford TO be Liberal IN our
appropriation for common and Industrial
schools. We can afford to econOml4e IN
- J. B. BAYLOR.
Brighton, Va. November 1C, 1856.
TO tho Editor Of the Dispatch:
Overwhelming statistics can be produced
to prove that no State or country under
the modern conditions Of life IS holding
It's own IN the struggle for supremacy
where a considerable portion Of its popu-
latiOn Is illiterate.
Never in the history Of the human race
has the fact that knowledge IS power
been 50 pre-eminently true as II Is to-
day. The ignorant man whose mind ana
faculties are unframed cannot hope 70
compete with his more Intelligent neigh
Dor In the most mental occupations OF
nfe I.abor-saying appliances, demand
ing a trained mind and hand, are now
used IN every department Of human labor
and the uneducated are doomed 10 hope
less poverty
Should any OF your readers be opposed
70 popular education, let them compare
England. where per cent. Of the adults
are !lliterate with Russia. where s. per
cent. OF the adults arc illiterate; Ger
many, where only per cent. Of the
adults are illiterate, with Spain, where ~
per cent. OF the adults are iiiterate
France, where II per cent. or tho adults
are illiterate. with Austria, where 10 per
cent. of the adults are illiterat6; the
republic OF Switzerland. whore per cent
Of the adults arc illiterate. with Ireland.
where 60 per cent Of the adults arc illlte-
yate; Scotland, where only 6 per cent.
Of the adults are illiterate with Ireland.
where % per cent. OF tho adults are
iliterate. These comparisons. which can
be almost indefinitely extended, should
speak volumes TO those whose duty II
is TO legislate for the people OF Virginia
IL IS painful reading 20 a Nirsilian 10
find that according to the United States
census Of 1850 over 80 per cent OF the pop
ulation OF the State over 10 years OF age
Is still iliterate. There has been. II Is true.
a large increase In the last FIVE years in
our school population, but still the fact
remains that about one third Of our popu-
Iation seems doomed 70 hopeless poverty
a population which must for years 10
come be q menace 10 good government,
for with intelligence and accumulated
wealth comes respect for law. ana with
IL an enormous decrease in tbs cost OF
enforcing the law.
Any legislation which will tend 70 re-
move superstition and ignorance from the
minds Of almost one third OF our popula-
tan should be 'fearlessly adopted.
II does not seem possible for voter to