St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-08-26
YermOnt's Illiteracy.

he state Democratic platform, III its
concluding plank concerning education,
makes this statement.
Vermont is on the downward course
IN education and mas fallen he TINS
respect when compared with her sister
states during the wears ot Republican
rule. from the fourth to the twenty
seventh position TINS IS depiorabie and
Illuminating and is due TO lack OF atteu-
non on the part OF the party III power
This declaration IS rather sweeping in
It's terms and is one demanding that
somebody SIT up and take notice. On
the lace OF Things. for a state TO fall IN
IT'S rank of illireracy from fourth TO
tweuty-seventh place, Is certainly sug-
gcsuye bat nobody caa pretend that
Vermont IN fourth place was giving any
more attention 10 educational Things
than she is in the wentv-sevcnth place.
Indeed. any state situated like Vermont,
as q constant contributor through the
emigration of her sons and daughters 10
the newer states farther west is very
likely to lose her rank and not materially
reuograde as regards herself il should
be remembered that during the period
that Vermont has been losing ground as
regards illireracy. other states. 10 which
her sons and daughters nave b=cn active
factors in the upbuiidIng. nave moved
onward and upward IN the scale, thus
lowering the standing of the Older states.
la 1876 a horse that could trot IA mile
IN $50 on rhe average county tar track,
was considered fast Such horse
would not be fast as compared with the
records now being made at the same
county fairs. This does not mean that
the horse IN 1876 was not a fast horse,
nor does It mean that such a horse
would not be a most excellent horse
today II simply means that through
breeding, improvement In race-tracks
and the bike-sulky, there have been
developed better records than were
possible a generation ago IN other
words, Fcrmonts rank IN ilIiteracv is
more due to the fact that newer and
more aggressive states have passed by
ner than that she has refrigerated
During the period that the Democratic
platform considers. could Democratic
control of the state government nave
prevented Vermont being left behind in
the educational race of the states Has
the Democratic party, anywhere it has
had control of a state government,
shown that 1t could have done any bet
ter for the cause OF education
The people Of Vermont are not unin-
formed regarding the cost II money Of |
good schools and it is safe TO say that
there is not a single town in the state
that IN an emergency would not make its
schools the last subject for retrenchment |
in expense. True, skilled supervision is
a matter for which provision in a gen
eral sense, has only but recently been
made. and is vet in large extent an ex-
pertinent. 1t is well started, however,
in Vermont and it is bound 10 be ex-
tended. To what extent time may raise /
Vermonts rank in illiteracy is uncertain, /
and, indeed, OF no particular significance
from the reasons above shown. If the |
state appropriates money for school pur-
poses as literally as can be afforded, and |
directs that such money shall be ex-
pended under approved supervision, no /
more can be asked and no more should 1
be expected While this is being done
there IS no reason TO presume that other 4
states will not be working on the same
lines and therefore not only Vermont's
rank in illirerscy, but every other states
rank in the same way will be governed
by resources rather than by anything
else.