The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-30
As to Illiteracy

80
| its natural resources and great in its
material progress. No state in the
union combines such natural advan-
tages in soil, minerals and timber as
| Alabama. This is a wonderfully pro-
ductive state and the farmers, by
adopting modern scientific methods,
have made marvellous advances within
the past two or three years. All the
cities and large towns in Alabama
have grown steadily and thrift is in
evidence in everyone of them.
In education; too, there have been
strides. The colleges are prospering
and the higher education in this state
is appreciated and fostered now as
never before. But with all Alabama S
progress the state makes bad show
ing in literacy statistics.
Governor O'Neal, in his illuminat-
ing and constructive address delivered
before the University alumni at Tus-
caloosa last Tuesday, set forth facts
in explanation of Alabama's backward
position in the education of the
masses. Here are facts presented by
the governor, which should be kept
well in mind:
while Alabama and other southern
states have not kept pace with the more
prosperous states OF the union in educa-
tional Development, it is manifestly unfair
in criticising the illiteracy that may ex-
ist in our borders, or the amount of our
school revenues as compared with other
the loss of wealth and wealth producing
power which we sustained as a result of
the civil war and the increased expense
occasoned by the necessity of having to
equip and maintain schools for two sepa-
rate races. We should not forget that
the per capita wealth of the southern
state as compared with the other states
in 1860 was greater than the rest of the
union. AT that period the wealth of Ala
DdIld tAGttueu lildt Vi NEW 1Oihs anu
yet, in 1870, the per capita wealth of New
York was five times as great as that of
Alabama. In addition the south lost one
tenth of its male population by war-one-
tenth of the men who were our leaders
in every avenue of human endeavor. With
the overthrow of its entire economic sys-
tem and the enormous immigration from
ota which folIputa1 civil
owing to the upheayal of the social and
economic conditions which followed in
its wake, estimated at 2,50O,OO0, we were
further handicapped by our struggle to
preserve our civilization and to readjust
our economic condition, hampered, as they
We're by hostile federal legislation and
litter sectional animosity. With the ap-
palling loss of money and men the de-
struction of credit and the crushing bur-
den of debt, with capital and immigration
stunning our borders it is not astonish-
ing that our economic and educational
development was retarded"
Governor 0Neal then went on to
tell of the marvellous progress that
has taken place in Alabama since the
commencement of the last decade. The
governor then called attention to the
fact that the people of Alabama are
denied the privilege of contributing
locally to the support of elementary
schools. He strongly favors local
taxation, showing, as The Age-Herald
has been contending year in and year
out, that in order to bring this state
up to high standard in relation to
common school education school dis
tricts must have the right to tax
themselves for school improvements.
Conditions will not be what they
should be until there is q school house
atsevery cross roads; until every bare
foot girl and boy has the opportunity
of receiving a common school educa-
ton.
The next legislature will, it is
hoped, be induced to submit a con-
stitutional amendment to the people
which will remedy the evil.