The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-22
! | IL SUNNY SourHLaAD.
! SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE 10 THE FalRMoNI !.
+ WEST vlRGINlAh !.
!. :. BY BON II. BUTLERs I!
SCHOOLS TIE IDEA

- - 81 ~ q
/ West Virginia the increase OF litter.
acy among the same class in the
same period was from 10 to % per
cent. Connecticut. New York and
New Jersey all showed greater mt.
eracy among the foreign population
than at the earlier period.
This Is mentioned merely to show
ItRe oddities Incidental to the sduca.
tional work Of the country. Whore
ono section succeeds in lis methods
for reducing iiiitefAcy another Is
faced BY such an increase In foreign
ignorant material that the figures
show a backward move. There Ia
not the slightest danger that ths
North. SO long thoroughly welded to
the school, win have any dlfnculty in
bringing the foreign element into the
ranks Of education.
There IS scarcely any more doubt
about the bigger task that the South
has undertaken with its native white
and coiorcd population Sentiment
has been aroused. and the public
school for both races has bcen estab5
lished. The greater part Of the task
was accomplished when the begin.
ming was made. (: 4 (.
Another helpful factor IL education
In the South Is the training school. In {
which young people Of bota races arc
taught to work. The Tuskogee Innti-
tute, which Booker Washington has
established, is probably tho most in-
iiuential Of these, although a numbe-
of them in the South is doing excel
lent work. The .segro needs training
OF the hand, and the announcement
Of habits of industry and thrift. for
lie has not had the generations Of OK.
perience that civilization has Afforded
the white man. The training school
is the salvation Of the colorcd race.
Some excellent techDic schools arc
also springing up In the South. The
necessity for these was recognized
when cotton manufacturing began 10
assume Importance. and the result Is
some OF The best institutions OF the
kind in the United States.
The Southern States have paid
more attention in the past 10 the high
err education OF the few than to the
education Of the many. In conec-
quence here are In the South no les
than one hundred and My coIiege,s
and universities, some OF them WITH
handsome endowmonts, faculty Of
5000 Instructors. and student mem.
bership Of between 10000 and 10000.
When 1t IS remembered that fha
South sends man students to tie ID
stitutions 81 the North and East Ii IS
apparent that in higher education
this section of tie Union Is doing !,
iul share. The figures from the United
State Bureau OF Education shows
that in the public schools Of the
Southern States 10000 teachers are
caring for a daily average OF $500
600 students. representing popu(n-
tion Of 24,0oo.0o6. In a population Of
2lOo0.00C at the North are $4,000
teachers and 2.soo,ooo students. Thf;
would indicate higher ratio OF
school attendance in the South now
and a higher proportion Of teachers
II these figures nre correct-and they
come from the highest authority
they show that the South IS In earnest
in the attempt to lift the black cloud
Of ignorance that for generations has
been the undoins Of this section u
the country. q 81
z BIoN H. BUTLER.
Southern Pines. N. d n f