Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-08-08
Baptist Western Recorder Sees
Not Dangers That Exist at
Home.
Blames Catholic Church For
Conditions That Exist in
Mexico.
CHURCR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE

The Baptist Western Recorder
shut its eyes to conditions at home
and blames the Catholic church for
the illiteracy that prevails in Mexico.
The Recorder makes the groundless
assertion that with slight exception
the church for centuries has ruled
that country, and as a result two
thirds of the population can neither
read nor write, when the truth is
that where the church was granted
equal rights there followed education
and the elimination in great meas
ure of the illiterate. The church
does not rule this country, and we
ask the Recorder what answer it
makes to the facts and figures here
presented, all pertaining to the
United States.
Illiteracy is a direct menace to
the progress of a nation. It's exist
ence rebukes civilization and its
extent measures the efficiency of
the social system. If all classes of
population are considered no section
of the United States can claim even
approximate freedom from adult
illiteracy. The number of illiterates
now in this country exceeds the total
population in 1900. The Federal
census for 1910 shows that there
were then in the United States
5,516,165 persons over ten years old
who were unable to read or write.
This was IT per cent. of the total
population of corresponding age.
The full meaning of these figures
will be better understood when it is
remembered that the aggregate
total is less by only a few thousand
than the total population over ten
years old in all the New England
States, and more than the same popu-
lation in Boston, Baltimore, Wash
ington, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit,
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis,
Louisville. New Orleans, st. Louis,
Kansas City, Minneapolis, st. Paul,
Seattle, Spokane, San Francisco and
Los Angeles. In double line of
march, at intervals of three feet,
these 5,516,163 illiterates persons
would extend a distance of 1857
miles. Marching at the rate of
twenty-five miles a day it would
require more than two months for
them to pass a given point. A mighty
army is this, with its banners of
blaskness and darkness inscribed
with the legends of illiteracy, ignor-
ance, helplessness and hopelessness;
too large for the safety of our
democratic institutions, for the high
est good of society. and for the
greatest material prosperity.
The significance of illiteracy as
measure of popular enlightenment
depends upon many conditions. Chief
among these are its extent and
racial character and the density of
population, which are the things
that in a great measure determine
the success or failure of the endeavor
to bring all children under instruc-
tion. AS TO adults, their ignorance is
not wholly or chiefly their own
fault. To a large degree it is due
to lack of opportunity because of
their poverty. of the negligence OF
the States and communities in which
they spent their childhood. II has
recently been learned that the coun-
try school attendance is lower where
the roads are bad.
OF the total illiterates 3,1S4,633
were white persons (1,534,272 ma
tive and 1,65O,361 foreign),
2,227,731 were negroes, and the
remainder We're Indians, Chinese,
japanese and others. In the New
England, Middle Atlantic and East
North Central States the percentage
of illteracy was greater in the urban
than in the rural population. For
the rest of the country illiterasy in
the rural population was from two
to five times greater than in the
urban population. Boston had
24,46S illiterates over ten years old.
Washington 1852, Fall River
1926, Birmingham 11,02S, Mem
phis 1855 and Nashville 7.947. BY
States Wyoming has the smallest
total OF illiterates, or 3,874, while
New York has the highest, or
100000. Yet 1t must not be forgot
ten that in New York's foreign-born
illiterates totaled 362,O25.
There is every hope that illiteracy
may eventually be stamped out in
the United States. and soon. II was
reduced 3 per cent. between 1900
and 1910, or at the rate of l per
cent. every forty months. At this
rate illiteracy would be ended In
about twenty-five years. Eliminating
illiteracy. however. Is not a task that
can be reckoned by time. Remedial
legislation, tandem work by the
Federal Government and the States,
and persistent effort are the only
means with which to combat condi-
tions that perpetuate Ignorance.
Bills now in Congress providing
that the Commissioners of Education
shall investigate illiteracy among
the adult population and the means
by which II may be eliminated or
reduced. are a step in the right di-
rection. II is believed that by CO.
operative effort. In which the nation.
the States. individuals and associa-
tions shall Join, and with such as
Congress may give. the stain Of
llliteracy IN this country can be
almost IL not wholly obIiforafod