Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-06-20

per cent of all the Mexicans have any
education?' We are sure that the mis-.
sionary authorities of our own church
would call us down and out and home
| or we had any homes to go tor II for
the third of q century no progress nad
been made on the line of education.
Also here are our public schools. II
Mr.. skinner imagined himself back
third of a century, or 1870 or 1872, he
was about right. We had no public
schools until about 1879 At that date.
this writer had been advocating the
public school system in the face of a
strong opposition for three years, Al
that time, or 1870. the census showed
the per cent OF illiteracy TO tie SO over
ten years o. age.
OF course the first public school law
was poor one. and the first public
school, were poor ones but they were
the best that could ne had at that time.
rhoy were better than none, and they
have been improving ever since. The
mission schools were just what the
territory needed at the beginning
These with good teachers soon 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.
~. From SO per cent of illiteracy in
1870 to 60 in 1880; and then to i41e
in 1890, and last to 80 in 1900, and, as
is believed by the superintendent of
public instruction, to 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 S2
per cent. No other state or territory
has done so we'll
The governors report for last year
shows that New Mexico, October /,
1902, had 40 schools, 1877 teachers
] employed, and had expended S747,-
| 50S.71. or the above number of pupils
snrolled. Z 593 We're enrolled in cities.
Bernaillo county has forty school
districts; Albuquerque has five fine
| school buildings, and why should not
we have as good schools as al most any
whore 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? II not how can he say there
! Is not a common school worthy the
name and they are the variest
farce?
Out of the 1877 teachers employed
in our no public schools in New Mex
! leo there surely must he quite mum.
her who were educated In the schools
of Mr., SINNERS own church. Why
should they not teach good school?
| The Methodist Episcopal church is
spending hut very little money for
schools in New Mexico compared with
the amount his church is expanding,
and yet we had at least seven teach
ing in public schools last year, three
county superintendent of public in
struction and have had four In the
Legislature; and II 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 II 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.
II is not true that the Mexican
people are looked upon with contempt
by the whites" DO you so look upon
them, Mr.. Skinner? Such statements
are calculated TO stir up strife among
the people, and We are very sorry
that Mr. Skinner made such state
ment, Many OF the Protestant Mexl-
can people speak of such reflections
upon them In this way; The Ameri'
can preachers and teachers come
among us, open schools and missions,
teach us and our children 1--WE need
their Instruction., they seem to like
us while they are with us, but they go
away, make fun of us, abuse us. say
many things about us that are not
true, and we don't like It," Who can
blame them?
AS to the charge OF being bought
and sold at elections like cattle we
can not answer positively 10 this
~.