The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1919-01-25
ADULT llLtTERACY IN THE
FELtciAks's

fELlJlsNNa
From compilation showing The
number ~ adult ilIterates tn Louist
ana. the editor studies with especial
interest he figures relating to the
felieianae These figures show that
there are j,els adult illttetates N
East Felieana and 4,soe ia West Fell.
ciaua, a percentage Of - 8 and ~ 8
respectively e tie entire population
~ these parishes While there sfr
somc parishes which exceed West Pc
Iiciana. namely Teusas. 5si ~ Lar
dry 50 |. Cancordia 5ts Lafayette So 6
foinle Coapee 80 I. 81 Martin 81. Mad
ison 30 7. Arcadia 80 ? the fact remains
that IVES, Feltcisn" s uneyuttably
high IN ,he lis, lhouph West Baton
Rotge nuns her closely with AS
II gill be urged taa, nearly ali OF
the figures cited refer to notcfiously
biat k parishes, Including West Fell.
clara This lis true 40 tina, IL sil be-
Interesting to note the figures relating
TO white adult illiierases alone
In East Felieiana there are 357 us
tive born white adults ts5 per cent?
and IA foreign born white adults. so
that can not read and write Only
twenty one parishes can show q better
record than this ss 10 natives. With
only sixteen marshes rs 10 foreign
born East Baton Rouge having The
same number OF the latter ss East
felieiana This In not so bad but IT
certainly IL not good,
In West Felieiana there are se ma.
tive born white adults, al per cent
and &c foreign born tis5i who can
neither read nor write Only five par
ishes show n lower number of native.
born lllltegates thar West Felielana.
namely Madison 10. Tensas 10. la It
Carroll "a. 81 Helena 10. Coneorda
Nj No others approach the low figures
81 these parishes art West Faliciaua
The tiguers .noartinr Immediately lnta
the hundreds As 60 foreign horn
adult illEterates. Wes' Felictana with
i,s 20 drops below "a other parishes
On the Ahole however the totals, II
no. actually inspiring ~ not wholly
diseoufagins East FelicIsha With S7i
white and 5st2 negro adult ilIitera,es
has great but not an impossible task
before II. West retIeiana with its III
Nhfss and 1851 negro sdul, illi,erates
Lar 4 smaller task, although Its actual
percentage Of llliteraey Is higher than
East felictans's.
We nse the word "task" with due
intent. because We believe that Wit
the figures before them. the parishes
Of East and West FeIeIana will moi
be content 10 rest under this stigma OF
llliNraey but will be ready and will
NJ. yes eager ic respond Ia the ae
Ion planned By the State Department
~ Education In a state ide crusade
gainst sllItefacy State supt Harris
Is making arrangements TO reach adult
.lii,srates. by hay NJ them taught dur
iug the month"; 0f June luly and
August wher farm work is slack, aud
there Is some leisure to devote to The
simple arts Of reading riting and
rithmetlc ="
In advance theae viii he need to-
create sen m,nt among adult iIlite"
s'es to threw OF this detriment for
their own sskes and for the fair name
of The state OF Louisiana Few have
the ha,dihoot 20 dany that education
IL good as ar abstract truth OF as
regards sh.tes. although some claim
IA apparent sincerity that the negro is
n better Niger" without education
This il uoi true when industrial and
moral sJaeat.on accompany book
learning ard Is az necessary IN the edu
cation OF whites as negroes Certainly
the negro who ean reaG and write and
has self respect aud Industry Is be'
tef liigen thsn one without these quail
ifieatlons
A. for the lIterate white man there
IL no present disgrace In his illiteraey
II circumstances stood In the way af
his acquiring the rudimen,s Of eiuea.
ton shen young. hui II will. and should |
be \ disgrace TO him II he tails TO take
advantage OF the opportunity nov max |
ing To remove hls ilti.eraey
-
Goy Pleasant has issued q prneia |