The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-01-13
Make THEIR MARKS
20 PER Cent OF White VOTERS
ARE nov ILLITERATE
33 COUNTIES REPORT

State Superintendent Of Education
Estimates One White Man Out of
Every Five is Unable TO Read or
Write-Cherokee Leads With 29.S
Per Cent.-Beaufort Lowest, With
7Per Cent.
That 20 per cent. of the white men
Of South Carolina of voting age are
ilhterate is the estimate made from
literacy figures compiled by State
Superintendent J. E. Sweariogen
from thirty-three Of the forty-four
counties in South Carolina, based on
the returns Of the Democratic club
rolls.
This is an increase Of 100 per cent.
In illiteracy among white voters. in
four years, for the federal census Of
1910 showed that 1913 of the white
voters Of the State were illiterate.
public school organization and eff
6ciency are challenged in clarion
tones by these figures" says State
Superintendent Of Education Swear
ingen In his annual report to the
general assembly.
Cherokee county occupies the un-
enviable position Of showing the
greatest percentage Of illiteracy
among the white voters Of the State
In the figures Of thirty-three out of
the iorty-four counties reported to
State Superintendent of Education
John E. Swearingen.
The percentage Of Democratic vot-
ers In Cherokee county who are un-
able to sign their own names is 29.S.
Marlboro comes next with 27.5,
Pickens third with 26.4, Lancaster
fourth with 25.2, and Spartanburg a
close fifth with 25 per cent. Figures
were not obtained from the counties
Of Barnwell, Berkeley, Charleston,
Chesterfield, Colleton, Fairfield,
Greenville. Greenwood, Horny, Lee
and 0rangeburg.
Beaufort carries off first honors in
the small percentage Of illiteracy,
only per cent Of her white voters
being unable to sign their names to
the Democratic club rolls. Edgefeld,
the home county Of the United States
Senator B. R. Tillman and Of Super
intendent Swearingen, stands second
with 81 and Calhoun is third with
10 per cent. These figures were OBJ
tanned from the Democratic club rolls.
''The census of 1870" says Super
intendent Swearingen in his report to
the general assembly, showed H.
5s94white males Of native parentage
who were unable to read and write
The census further shows that 1913
per cent OF our white voters were
tlliterate. These figures were ques-
toned BY many, but the Democratic
rolls Of 1914 disclosed some interest
ing facts in this connection.
Doubtless hundreds of names were
marked with { cross on these rolls
for reasons that might be easily
enumerated. LOW much would 1t
mean for the cause Of education If
every voter unable to write his name
would feel humiliated and ashamed
to make his mark. The need Of such
q sentiment Is plainly seen IN the
hteracy figures compiled from the
Democratic enrolment lists OF the
several counties"
Commenting further the liter
acy figures, Mr.. Swearingen says:
"These figures show that the Con-
federate veterans Of 80 years are per-
haps better educated than their
grandsons Of 21. The State was re-
deemed from csrpet-bagg rule in
1875. The Reform movement OF
1890 originated in the demand for
s.n agricultural college. Neverthe-
less, 80 per cent Of the men born
within the last SO years are either
illiterste or not unwilling to sigr
their names with a mark. Public
school organization and efficiency are
challenged in clarion tones BY these
figures"
The totals from the 3S counties
present an interesting study and af-
ford room for serious thought, as
pointed out by an educator in Colunl-
bia Thursday. OF the S0,S34 voters
between the ages Of 81 to 29 years
reported, 9,799 made their mark; Of
the 2s 4s4 between 80 and 80 years
of age, 5,172 made their mark: 49,
24e between the ages Of 40 and 40
registered and Of the number 2,565
made their mark; Of the 1884 be-
tween the ages Of so to SO, 3,32e
made their mark; Of the 1854 be-
tween the ages Of 60 years and up
4.os0 made their mark. These thir-
ty-nine counties reported a Demo
cratic enrolment Of 100,S94 and o.
this number 22,251 made their mark
or, in other words, over % per cent
of the white Democratic voters II
thirty-three counties are illiterate.
The total enrolment Of Democrats
In the forty-four counties vas 154.-
SIS, and to get the percentage Of
ilhteracy for the state it would be
necessary to have the figures from
every county. Superintendent Swear
ingen made every effort to gather
the figures from each county, but re
peated requests from the eleven coun-
ties named brought no responses. i
Is believed that 20 per cent. illiteracy
among the white citizens Of South
Carolina is correct.
That one out of every Eve white
man Is illiterate, unable to read anc
write his name. is bound to add in
creased demand for the enactment Of
q compulsory school attendance law
In the opinion of leaders in South
Carolina. If this estimate is correct
<bo literacy among white men has