Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-06-07
The Tests ofsocial Progress.0

u T." IL ~ ~ hIb0 y Act LtL our
c;,l.zation i adyauciug or receding
whether the condition OF the present
geurra.Mn is more comfortable and
refined than that Of tie preceding
generation. whether. as nation, we
are better of than We were fifty years
ago.
Statesmen and economists have
suggested several standards bv which
to nudge: The per capita wealth, the
percentage OF Legitimate births, the
position and treatment of women, the
rate Of illiteracy, and the ownership
Of property, particularly of farms and
homes. OF these standards the last
seem By far the most practicable, and
accordingly Congress has directed the
Census Office to ascertain how many
months each scholar has attended
school during the preceding year,
what proportion OF the peopie can
read, write and speak English, how
many families own their homes or
farms, how many rent them, how
many own them subject to mortgage
or other incumbrance In the COM
ing census, every territorial division
of the country and every separate ele-
ment OF the population will have
chance to show what proportion of
their number own their BONES and
what proportion can read or write.
The practical applications of these
tests or standards are found in their
employment as suffrage qualifications.
People differ about the relative merits,
as suffrage qualifications, of the own
ership of property and the ability to
read and write, but there is no doubt
OF the immense significance and i'm
pOrtance of the two classes of facts.
liz France. in 1891, there were about
4,500, 900 owners of land; England,
with about the same population, had
only 32j, 900 land owners, while the
United States occupied an intermedi-
ate position with population about
~ per cent greater than that of France
and little over 100000 families
who owned their homes or farms.
No one can doubt the significance of
these figures in explaining social con-
ditions in France and England and
the United States. They represent
the difference between our land sys-
ten, the system OF large land holding
in England and that of small proprie-
torshlp in France.
1t is hard to ovsrestimate the value
of such information or the interest
fe.t in it by statesmen and social stu
dents in general. Take the race ques-
ton. for instance, as single illus
friction of large class of similar ques-
iions. In 1880, - per cent of the
colored population was illiterate,
while in 1890 this proportion was less
than 81 per cent. Not only did the
proportion OF colored illiterates de-
crease between 1880 and 1890. but
the absolute number Of such persons
diminished. Whether the colored
population will make as admirable a
showing in 1900 is question of the
utmost significance.
The territorial distribution of the
iliterate population is another ques.
ton OF great interest In 1890 the
percentage Of illiteracv in the North
Atlantic States was 6.l9, in the South
Atlantic States 80 50; in the North
Central States the rate was >. =. in the
South Central group 29.13. In the
last ten wears the South has had 8
magnificent industrial development
Whether his material progress ha,
Iresulted in a higher state OF educa.
ton: whether the benefits of progres:
have been shared BY the masses. o.
nave been secured mainly 81 the rich,
e. classes, are questions which VII