Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-06-15

up all these schools at such an ex-
pense, If the illiteracy of the territory
is not being reduced? The Roman
Catholics have eighteen schools, six
ty-seven teachers, and 1854 students.
Is it not strange that out of that
vast Presbyterian host of 700 minis
tiers and commissioners to that 115th
assembly, representing a church of T.
532 ministers and a membership of L.
023. 1898 and 500 600 young men and wo-
men of the Christian + deavor society.
that some one does not inquire of Mr..
Skinner, what becomes of all the
money we are spending down there,
if it he true that, after all this, not 10
per cent of all the Mexicans have n
education?' We are sure that the mis-
s~lonary authorities of our W church
would call us down and out and home
Off We had any homes to go to) if for
the third of a century no progress mad
been made on the line of education.
Also here are u public schools. If
Mr.. Skinner imagined himself back a
third of a century, or 1870 or 1872, he
was about right. We had no public
schools until about 1872. At that date.
this writer had been advocating the
public school system in the face of a
strong opposition for three years. At
that time. or 1870. the census showed
the per cent of illiteracy to be IS yer
ten years OF age.
OF course the first public school law
was a poor one, and the first public
schools were poor ones, but they were
the best that could he had at that time.
They were better than lone, and they
have been improving ever since. The
mission schools were just what the
territory needed at the beginning.
These with good teachers Don showed
the people what schools would do for
their children and opened the way for
the public school, and these with the
incoming of the American people have
have reduced the illiteracy very rapid
ly. From 50 per cent of illiteracy in
1870 to 60 in 1880; and then to 441a
in 1890. and last to 32 in 1900, and, as
is believed by the superintendent of
public instruction, to a much less fig
ure than the above, and yet We are
told by Mr.. Skinner that we have no
common schools that are worth the
name Surely schools that will re-
duce the per cent of illiteracy as above
shown are not, as he says, 'the variest
farce"
What other states and territories
have done better?
Between 1880 and 1900 New Mexico
filled a gap of illiteracy of almost 80
per cent. No other state or territory
has done so well.
The governors report for last year
shows that New Mexico, October i,
1902. had 10 schools, 1,077 teachers
employed, and had expended s747,-
50S.71. OF the above number of pupils
enrolled. 1888 were enrolled in cities.
Bernalillo county has forty school
districts; Albuquerque has five fine
school buildings, and why should not
we have as good schools as almost any
where else? A great many of our
teachers are from the states. Why
should they not teach as well here as
there Can Mr.. Skinner see any rea-
son why? If not how can he say there
is mot a common school worthy the
name" and they are the variest
farce?
Out of the 1,O77 teachers employed
in our no public schools in New Mex
leo there surely must be quite a num-
Der who were educated in the schools
of Mr.. SINNERS own church. Why
should they not teach a good school?
The Methodist Episcopal church is
spending but very little money for
schools in New Mexico compared with
the amount his church is expanding,
and yet we had at least seven teach
llS III Bhbiit oNiOOlo looN 90 1
county superintendent of public in
struction and have had four in the
legislature; and if Mr.. SINNERS
church has done as well in proportion
to the amount of money expended and
number of teachers employed then
there has been quite a per cent from
the mission schools in the legislature,
school superintendent and teachers,
and if we haven't any common
schools worthy the name" We are very
largely to blame; but we have good
schools or We could not have sur
passed all other territories and states
in the decrease of our illiteracy.
1t is not true hat the Mexican
people are looked upon with contempt
by the whites" Do you so look upon