The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-06-19


conditions as they existed in 1877
when there were no restrictions upol
! the sale OF liquor. In making thi
com arison 1t must be borne in min,
ThHt a. every stage of the fight agains
the salon the temperance people
we're, as hey are today, met with the
argument that he saloon revenue wa;
Necessary to maintain tur free schools
In 1875 here were in Tennessee
300 white public schools; in 1906 the
number was 5,7S7, almost twice as
large. III the first named year the
average length OF the school term at
these schools was seVenty-one days,
thirty years later it was 1f6 days and
according to the last statistics it was
120 days or six months. Two years
ago there were more white pupils en-
rolled in the public schools than there
were in the state in 1876 notwith-
standing the fact that the increase in
population has been only so per cent.
The average daily attendance at the
public schools thirty years ago was
125000; today it is within fraction
CT three times as large.
Of the white children of school age
in Tennessee in 1876 only twenty
eight out of every hundred were in
attendance upon the public schools:
the number now is close to fifty of
every hundred. This is the actual
average daily attendance. When Ten
nessee had a saloon at evey cross
roads she employed 1896 teachers to
instruct her white children. Now that
there are but four counties where the /.
saloon is tolerated this state employs
5000 white teachers to instruct her
future citizens. Not only this but
these teachers are paid an average of
25 per cent. more salary than they
received when the saloons were ev-
erywhere.
When saloons outnumbered schools
there were just 5000 of the latter in
the state, now the state owns nearly
1000 school houses, large majority
Of which are modern and up-to-date
n every respect. In 1S76sthe school
houses of the state were worth S1,011,- /;
S5S.79, now they are worth almost
'ound six million of dollars. In 1876
ess than half of the counties of Ten I
lay every county in the state levies a 4.
AK for that purpose and the average {
ate has increased from 90 cents on {
he 500 worth of property to almost S
0 cents Thirty years ago this state Y
rom its public treasury contributed S
leo, 900 for the maintenance of the
ublic schools; today it contributes Z
lore than three times this amount
Thirty years ago there was not a
0unty high school in the State. There
as no provision for such an institu-
on until after the Legislature had
ken the first shot at the saloons in B
eir last stronghold, the incorporated
WINS. In 1899 the legislature autho-
zed county high schools and it also
divided cheaper and better books for
e pupils. At the same time it passed co
e act which banished saloons from tn
towns in the state having popu- 20
ton of less than 1000 inhabitants. at
The first county to establish high co
hool in Tennessee was Lake and tn
ere was not a saloon within it's Dor Sc
RS. Among the counties which have pr
tablished these institutions are the lie
lowing: Henry, Franklin Cumber osi
Id Shelby. Meigs, Knox, Cheatham, alb
ane, Anderson, Campbell, Hamilton, wa
ashington, Cooke, McMinn and VIII
nite. With three exceptions every the
lnty high school here named was
ahlished after the saloons had been ID
During the past four
IRIS, since the enactment of the
ans law, saloons have been abol-
ed IN not less than sixty-fiye count {
), and this is the number that have the
sed the tax rate for public schools the
ing that time Within that period der
revenues of the public schools of moo
lnessee have increased from less Der
n S2.O00.000 to almost $4,000,000 thr,
the term heightened a fun month sst
Without fear Of successful contra.
ion Il is here asserted that not
ntv i'm Tennessee has closed =.
lie school. shortened a single toni
Dol term or reduced a single teach. -
salary by reason of the abolition -