The herald., 1897-02-13
IIiiteracy and BibulosIty

To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her.
aid: Some of the Republican papers are
felicitating themselves on the fact that
Mr.. Bryan's vote was largest where the
greatest ilIteracy prevailed. This meth
Cd of measuring the intelligence Of the
vote given Mr.. Bryan would have been
fair II the negro vote Of the southern
states had been left out. for 1t is WELL
known fact that three-fourths Of all the
negro vote in the old slave states was
cast for Mr.. Mckinley.
Outside of the negro vote, the Repub-
lican party could not maintain an organ
ization in the south. If we wish to COM
pare the relative intelligence of the
voters for Mr.. Bryan and MIR. Mckinley,
we should compare their votes in the
northern states, where the illiterate ne
gro is not a factor. Let US examine a
moment some of the percentages of IL
literacy In the northern states which
voted for Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Bryan:
The percentage of the males in Maine
over 10 year of age who could not read
or write in 1890 was SO; of New York
So, and Pennsylvania SO. These three
states, having given large majorities for
Mr.. Mckinley, will serve as compari-
son with some of the states which gave
majorities to Mr.. Bryan. Nebraska
gave Mr.. Bryan a good majority, while
her illiteracy is only 2.S of her popula-
tion. Kansas, with only 3.5, Wyoming,
with only 3e3 and Utah, with only Al
each gave large majorities for Mr.. Bry-
an.
The total number of illiterates in
Washington. Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wy
oming, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska and
the Dakotas is 62, 2,479, yet Mr. Bryan car
ried all these states, while the state of
New York has 124,443 illiterates, and
Pennsylvania has 1884, ,7O4 illiterates. thus
showing that all the porthern states vot-
ing for Mr.. Bryan did not have one-half
as many uneducated voters as did the
state of Pennsylvania, and that the state
of New York had 81 ,964 more illiterates
than all the northern states voting for
Mr.. Bryan.
The comparison between the educa-
tional qualifications of the voters who
voted for Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Bryan
has not been of our seeking, but has
been thrust upon us by the invidious
criticisms of the eastern press. We now
propose to push the comparison be-
tween the states voting for Mr.. Nc
Kinley and those voting for Mr.. Bryan
on their morality and general sobriety,
as evidenced by the number of saloons
in the states voting for each candidate.
In all the states, both north and south,
which voted for Mr.. Bryan, there are
&C. 065 saloons, while in only two of the
ley, viz, New York and Illinois, have
GA. 963 saloons or S9S more saloons than
all the states which voted for Mr.. Bryan.
Arkansas has a saloon for every 14S0
of her population. South Carolina has
saloon for every 1924 of its population.
Texas, one for every 3lS. North Carolina
has to get along with one saloon for
every 1860 OF it's population, while Maine
being in a cold latitude, manages to fur
nish pne saloon to every 574 of it's peo
pie. South Carolina is so full of hot
blood that she needs only one saloon to
every 1884 of its population. AS matter
of fact, fully sustained by the census of
1890, Mr.. Bryan got the largest vote in
the north. where there was the highest
grade of education, and his vote through
out the United States was greater in
those states containing the fewest sa
looms.
JOHN SHIRLEY WARD.
Los Angeles, Feb. II.