The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-02-20
COMPULSORY EDUC.ATION

We have about arrived at the conclusion that one of Mississip
quinnng every child between the ages OF o and Y years to attend
school at least FIVE months in the year. Side step the matter as W c
force. 1t is true that we have had a system of schools for more
and regretable feature is that only small per cent of the children
of school age avail themselves of the privileges and dement's OF the
many, neighborhoOd brons, petty whims and imaginary grievances
things have been the cause of parents keeping their children out Of
school and responsible for their growing up n ignorance.
localities, but those places where this is not the case far outnumber
them. We can not have full rounded men and women without edu-
eating them and children can not become educated without attend
ing school lnasmuch, then, is our government is a democracy and
character of the individual either, it therefore devolves upon organ,
lied society to see that the youth of the land has that mental and
given him If people are to be kept from the path OF error and are
minds must be trained. The Lord himself can not do much with an
ignoramus. Grace may save an extreme iliterate, but what can such
a being do for the Lord in return for his salvatonf 1t therefore fol-
lows that if the christian religion is to claim new converts, IT we are
tudes of life as taught n the sermon en- the Mount we must edu-
cate, and where people will not voluntarily send their offsPrings to
From the last issue of the Progressive Farmer that valuable pub
LEGATION gives some facts, based on the census of 1910 showing the
illiteracy of the native white population OF the country. In the IS
states OF the North and West, except New Mexico, less than per
cent of the native white population are lIterate, unable to read and
ate; but in Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia Florida Tennessee,
Mississippi and Arkansas the iliterate whites run as high as 10 per
cent, and in the two Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana and
New Mexico the whites who are unable to read and write count IS
per cent of the total population. The reader Will not forget that in
our Southern states that no account of the negro, whose iltteracy
III, n" 65 r above DIVER, for the reason that there are many who
state that they can read and write when a a matter OF tact they
can only make a pretense att.
The Progressive Farmer, basng its figures Of the Russell Sage
Bulletin on the public school system of the several state, shows that
the per capita expenditure for the public schools in the several
s5 IN Massachusetts,, down to 50 in this state and S. in South Car
DINA. Tennessee and North Carolina adopted compulsory educa-
ton laws last year.
In the use OF the word "illterate" we speak of a class and not
specific instances. Nature has done so much tor some men that
they have developed without education and have served a most use
full purpose in the world, but these very men will bear testimony to
their own deficiencies; they realize their limitations and what they
have missed in life by not being educated.
The first objection that will be urged against compulsory edu-
cation in Mississippi is that the law would have to apply to the ne
gro, which makes it impossible from many angles. Inc reader will
bear in mind that we suggest only five months, which is less than
the terms of the schools in many counties now. The ingenuity OF
the Mississippian is sufficient to prepare a statute that will make the
proposition work so that those who pay most OF the taxes will reap
the greatest benefit.
Compulsory education is coming; 1t IS ear at hand. Necessr
tvs call makes it imperative. An educated, christian citizenship is
the only thing that can save the country from political chaos.