Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-07
MOOnliQht Schools
I'm MOSES d. Mnnn-

zion, Henry Kendall CollereD
There are in round numbers twenty
million children OF school age in the
/ Uritcd states. Five hundred million
dollars are spent each year for the
education of these children, or an
nnoun, equal 10 s25 for each child.
| This Is Il large sum of money and
should bring good results in better
wing among an the families in our
country. ana as consequence OF such
'amily bettcrmcut We should expect
almost ideal social conditions thruout
the nation. Is this expectation being
realized: The many thousands out
Ii employment the unfitness of
"thcr thousands 10 meet the demands
Of the social need, the general unrest
to be noted all over the country. ana
The fact that dt least ~ per cent OF IN.
twenty million children for whom the
schools are maintained do not attend
"'uiu seem 10 indicate "A negative an
swer to the atovc question. The CEN
turies ola question, What is the bur
pose ana what are the means and
methods OF education? is still nm
h.ulcd and, tho blUodlcss battles are
pelig Fought instead Of the bloody
ones OF former years. the children are
TOT iuifllilng the expectations OF the
social organizations which support the
schools.
Tho successes or failures OF the
scr o"is Of today with their promises
or b"ttcrinent for tomorrow do not
enter the field of our present discus
SION, ana are mentioned only in order
10 suggest cause among many for
the conditions TO be described.
Ihe hard fact remains that there
were 'l,5SO.2'0 persons IN the United
states in 1917 who were 10 years old
and over. OF this number j.i16,16L
oi ~. per cent. could neither read
nor write. More appalling is the cen
Sus statement that 2,273.GO3 Of these
were males OF voting age, l,2i5,613
liNinC in the south and l.O27.ggO in
rll Other sections Of tn. country. The
illiterate negroes Jf the south number
tiO,'5l and the whites have 575,0G2
lllitcratcs among them.
-Four classes or castles made m the
social order of the old south. The
aristocrats. who stood AT the top.
owned most of the land and all Of the
slaves. were representatives of the
noble families OF England. France
Germany ana Spain. The younger
sons Of the great landed families Of
these countries were granted large
estates by kings or companies and
came over to settle with their fam
lies. "erNa acts and stock from the
home country. They brought with
them the manners ana customs the
civilization and laws which they had
known. and these were introduced
into the new land. which became the
old home land carried across the
seas. The sons and daughters were
educated In the same way as they had
always been. The young bows were
placed under the care and instruction
of tutors until they We're thru the
elementary courses of study. and then
they were sent to the male academy
In the neighboring county seat town
Here they were given the rudimcnts
Of Latin, Greek or Hebrew. of science
mathematics, oratOry, and they were
instructed In social usaEes aud fitted
to become gentlemen by learning to
ride. use the sword, dance and move
among the young men OF the neigh
borhood. After such preparation
tfey were sent away to college at the
state capital. in the north or across
the seas to the mother country. where
they were prepared for the law. the
ministry or the medical profession
1heSc young ariStOc:atic representa-
t!ves became leaders OF their colonies
their states and their section. The
girls were taught at home by the
mother, a house slave or a governess
In all the arts of homemaking and
housekeeping. in music. drawing,
painting and dancing After that
they went to young ladies' finish
ing school', where they were given
the final Instructions necessary TO
make them mistress of their homes,
and o! the hearts OF their husbands
Many thousands Of people came to
America because OF political rersecu-
tion. religious persecution and their
inability to make n tolerahle living
and ;cquire land In the homes of
their birth. Many of them were not
criminals except in the sense of being
or TIE opposite side from noble or
Liny. and for this they were arrested
for crime and deported or were sold
for a term Of wears TO work as sloves
until the fine and the expense of shin
ment were worked out Af:er these
fines were paid the men frequently
left the settled parts and became pio-
reers on the borders OF the colony
and settled the small farms that had
not been allotted or granted. The
southern colonies for the most part
passed the law of entail and the law