Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-07-25
ILLITEREcy AND THE BALLOT,


Much ado has been made bv Mr.. Fer
puSon over the proposition of Mr. Ball
10 enact Such legislation rs will not
only secure on honest hnic hut nm In
tclligent vote in Texas. and. with all the
rccklcsSness Of a dcmagogue unmatched
Mr.. Ferguson has distorted the propusi
ton aud sought to appeal - the pre-
JUDGES II the illitcratc S~uifragans.
Mr.. Ball il right. There u more press
ing aud inSistent need among the many
needs ~ the hour thnn y more rigid sui
fragc test and qualification.
Safety with universal suffrage ~
impossible where the proportion ~ "
litrratcS i 81 great. MIR. Balls quah
~fication Il mild md conservative
enough. 4 voter who docs not know
what ticket 4 candidate u on. ar what
he i running for. should not w. allow
ed Ia vote. The worthless. indifferent
man without energy or pride should not
he put on a par with the Intelligent.
thoughtful. well informed citizen.
Comparatively few people appreciate
Ia what extent illitcracy exists ~ the
United states. That very able man.
Hon. Franklin X. Lame. secretary Of the
interior. deals with the question very
ably IN 4 recent article.
IN 1919 there were. of persons over
the age % 70 wears. 5.5i6.iG3 who were
unable a. read aud write. which was
=. per cent II the population of c"rrcs
ponding age. or that number. 3lSi.CSi
We're white persons tl.,a4.212 native and
l6sAaGi forcirn). 2.s27. 73l were n
croeS. and the remainder were Indians.
Chinese. %.lapancso and others.
In New York states Their" were i0i.l-u
illitcratc persons. .;6..0.J Of them for
eign born.
These are fearful figures. and IL i a
honefnl sign " the times that congress
i taking steps 10 enact legislation look
ing a. the obliteration of illitcracy. The
rnoperaiion of the nation. the states.
associations and individuals can he
brought about. in all likelihood there
can be- such results ~ by such effort
was brought about in France. where
the number Of illiterates was reduced
from forty-five in a hundred 70 five ~
n hundred.
There j. absolutely no excuse for any
man or woman with average common sense
to remain lllitcratc. They can learn Ia read
and write IN thirty days. This T. not a
guess nor an estimate, hut j. supported by
unquestionable evidence.
Hon. Frank Park, member Of Congress
f.... E..~.. urhara ha xn- 4 pTrrIfIf
Judge in 1906, found so many Jurors. wit
aeSses and htigant~ who were unable to
read and write that he employed teachers
and opened n school for adults. and the
first year taught school himself. In three
years. the superintendent of public schools
said, the cross mark on promiSSory notes
was almost wiped out IN the county OF
Worth. Twenty-o n adult men learned to
read and write quickly. rs persons. boy
and girls. mothers and fathers. unclcs and
auntS and grandiathers. anne 10 school; 4
Confederate veteran 81 years old learned
90 read and write. One youth of 20 walked
a long distance TO schools. sold hi~ crop
for 500. went 20 a business school, and l.
now assistant cashier of a bank.
In Rowan county. Kentucky, 1900 men
and women from IL to So years old en-
rolled IN such 4 school. One man Of 30
after four lessons wrote the superintendent
a lcgahlc letter. while a woman ~ 80. after
eight nights study. did tae same. Some
entered a schoolroom Tor the first time IN
their lives when they entered the night
school. and one woman was 50 and a
man 81.
What has been done IN kentucky and
Georgia can be done IN Texas, and If a
law should be- enacted or the constitution
changed "a that after 1916 no person
should De- allowed to vote who could not
read and write the ballot would be- elevated
10 \ noblcr dignity in Texas.
Mr.. Lane truly says "Illitcracy j. a d.
rect menace 10 the progress Of a nation.
It, existence rcbnkes civilization. and it,
extent measures the efficiency OF the social
system.
''Thc army of illiterate~ j. am army with
~ bunner~ "a blackne~S End darkness in
scribcd with the legends Of illiterucy. ig-
norance. helplesSness and hopele~sneSs. too
large for the safety Of our Democratic in
Stitution~. for the highest good ~ society
and for the greatest material prosperity"
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Two Minutes lntermissjen.