The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-31
A REAnING pEoPLE.-

One of the most striking circumstances
to the observant foreigner in the United
States is the great extent of reading
which is done by the people Of every
rank. In no European country is it pos
sible to see the thousands of men and
women going to and coming from work
who are absorbed in their daily papers,
that may be seen in any American city
every day.
While the American people are not
the standard Of intelligence is so high
that the ordinary Woodworking man is
not content unless he is able to keep well
up in the daily progress Of the world
paper.
It is estimated by the federal commits
sioner of education that there are some
thing like 100000 children In attend
ance at school. Every one of these
children Will probably remain at school
until he OF she has secured at least
They will associate with those every
day who are well informed on the cur
rent events OF the world. They will have
access to almost every form of periodi-
cal literature, and must show fair
acquaintance with most subjects of cur
rent interest If they are to maintain a
reputation for intelligence.
In such a state Of society iIliteracy,
the curse of European society in GER
tain European countries, is practically
an impossibility. We may not receive
the full equivalent IN popular education
for the vast sums which are being ex-
the schools. But few boys or girls can
leave the American school, no matter
how poor the system may be, without
having learned enough to spur up the
intellect to making some increase on their
current stock of knowledge as time ad-
vances.
Few. If any. Of that army OF 17,OOO.-
600 will be allowed to grow up illiterate
by their parents if they are in a position
to prevent 1t. The illiterate is never
the child of one who reads and writes.
The work Of popular education goes on
and the standards of popular intelligence
are advancing every day. Yet there has
been something of a struggle to keep
illiteracy under. In certain regions of
the South today the proportion of IL
lfterates is quite high, and 1t IS easy
to find numbers of American families
who can trace their ancestors back to
the very beginning Of the nations de-
velopment in which reading and writing
are unknown arts. The problem of negro
education is still unsolved. and it's diff
ficulties are only beginning to be thor
oughly understood even by the people
of the South.
Whatever future there is before the
United States as a nation, the evils which
may infiict American society will not be
the product Of popular ignorance. Even
the legislation, which has aroused so
much feeling, excluding negroes from
the ballot box, has direct tendency to
promote popular education and will ope-
rate in time to tighten up many dark
places in the South among the illiterate
whites. who will find it necessary to be
able to read and write if they wish to
exercise the franchise.
When those who fear for the future
Of free Institutions in America stop to
reflect upon the general spread of edu-
cation among the people, they must at
least admit that If this people are ever
deprived of their political freedom 1t
will be done, not through any military
dictator, but by the people themselves
in the intelligent exercise Of their priv
ileges as reasoning members of an en-
Hghtened commonwealth.