The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-03
Observation-Disclosures oo
ILLITERAC1 AND SUFFRAGE.


o o o o o o o o O o O O O O O
The suffrage requirements in South Carolina ar
TWO; the roter must be male of q years or over
and he must be able to read and write, or failing
this. he must own 5000 worth of recorded property
Without question the educational requirement tn
most important OF these There is no "inwar
grace" that makes masculine hand more effica
cious than a feminine in depositing a ballot
whether voter owns $500 worth of property O
none at oil affects but little the good conduct of
State, but 1t is matter % great moment that th
head that guides the hand has been awakened
sufficiently to understand and weigh public ques
tic and has been trained to discriminate between
what is good and what is dishonorable.
Some exceptional men who from an educationa
point OF view, do not know IA from lizard" MAJ
make trustworthy voters. but observation and re
suits incline most to the opinion that understanding
and good Judgment more to be relied on in al
educated than in an ignorant person
recent writer race problems has said tha
the rate of infant mortality might be taken as
measure of civilization. Paraphrasing this to sui
The subject, Il might be stated that the measure of
States good government the number of chill
dren in school. This measure might be applied
the sex Of the school children was OF no more I'm
portance to e subject in hand than the sex of in
fants. But lie present ballot laws bring sex dis
tinction in'o consideration. This would make thu
measure of States good administration to be tn
number of boys In school Is this discrimination
advantageous to our State? The report OF the edu
cational department will answer the question
Since the voters of today were the boys of th
past, they can not be overlooked in this discussion
The illtteracy of South Carolina E.s lately beer
much to the fore. In recent newspaper article
John E. Swearingen, the State superintendent o
education has stated that the iliterate white
of this State have increased 100 per cent in tn,
last four years. Though this percentage may hav
been computed on an incomplete basis. still th
Democratic club enrollments show that the destin.
Of our State lies largely In the hands OF men VIII,
can only make their mark Evidently there wer
not very many boys of the past in school. review
of the last four years of State administration will
show how this reflects in State government
Analyzing the report Of the educational work ii
the State It is that average attendance in th
elementary schools shows 1921 more girls thar
boys. This deficiency in male attendance means
that the future moral and intellectual standards .
South Carolina will be lowered and its progress
retarded by voters who can only make their marks
An interesting and well worked out report of tht
inspector OF high schools. w. H. Hand, shows tn,
same lack OF boy pupils in the higher grades. Girl
have always been in the majority In the higl
schools. but this majority is increasing. In 1910
theie were SIS more girls than boys. in 1914 th
number had increased to 1,073. After the secont
year OF high school there are few boys left. TIL,
high school enrolment of boys Is only 46 per cent
From these returns 1t ia evident that the mos
literate portion of our citis..cs are the women.
The educational repor.s from the whole ,countr!
show taa some prepnnderarice OF girls in tn,
schools There are one-third more girls attending
school in the United States than boys.
II 1t IA women who keep up the standard O
literacy in this State, as well as in the Unitet
States, why would It not be valuable asset to th,
State and to the nation as whole to admit womel
to the suffrage?, No patriotic man. no thoughfu
woman can deny that IL wnnla he nnd-lThe State
Our idea of an apostle OF optimism is the Frencl
professor @ho figures that the allies viii get 1,
Berlin by 1s4s--The State
| Most OF billy Sundays converts are men May
be the reason Is that there are so many more mel
than women who are in need OF conversion Green
VILE News - @ SIS
Senator Tiliman in urging that the United State
walt the disclosures OF the European war, befor
lembarking upon any extensive armament bnfldina
Is not sounding new note Ia the nation s history
This country has from its hegiHnins proilted b