did specimens of how not to do it. The visitor is often surprised to find how, in schools which were established to investigate educational problems by laboratory methods, the children being treated as means to an end very much like the materials used in laboratory experiments, everything gravitates, as the years pass, toward the traditional school; the reformers virtually acknowledging how difficult it is to improve upon that which has stood the test of ages. Reform will be possible as long as progress is possible; and it will be imperatively necessary wherever teachers go to extremes by emphasizing one phase of truth at the expense of other phases equally important. "One former is worth a thousand reformers"; and although the man himself may make little noise in the world, his work will get its stamp of approval from the successful career of the pupils whose minds were formed as well as informed under his tuition and guidance, and who were taught to think vigorously, to know clearly, to feel deeply, and to act well their part in the great drama of life. NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER.

SUFFRAGE, NORTH AND SOUTH.

THERE has been a great deal of discussion during the last few years over the adoption by certain Southern States of new Constitutions which have had the effect of limiting suffrage. Much criticism and considerable sectional bitterness have been engendered by these constitutional provisions. The cause of this is evident enough, as it is quite apparent that the citizens of the Southern States have determined to maintain a dominant white political organization in the various localities, and that they can see no way to accomplish this except by restricting the privilege of voting on the part of the colored people. The regulations adopted in some States are more stringent than those in others, but the outcome everywhere has been a continued agitation. Resolutions of inquiry concerning the probable number of voters disfranchised have been offered in Congress, the object being of course to reduce the representation of the Southern States. The colored citizens of the North have strongly protested against the discrimination made by these constitutional enactments against their brethren living in the South. The question of race supremacy is involved, and is the moving cause for the amendments limiting suffrage. The entire social and political life of the South is said to be at stake.

The Civil War wrought violent changes in the material and social conditions of the Southern States, and years of tradition, long-standing customs, and well-established usages were cast to the four winds. The voting population was augmented by thousands of people who, with no experience in political life, had the ballot thrust upon them. Former landlords became tenants. In fact, the whole fabric of society had to be rebuilt. The federal Congress fixed the status of the negro so far as citizenship was concerned, and the white men of the South had to accept its decision under protest. The contest between the races has been waged with more or less intensity for almost thirty-five years. Much acrimonious discussion has been indulged in on the part of citizens of both North and South. Anathemas dire have been directed against political leaders for their attempt to disfranchise Southern Republicans.

Retorts come from the other side suggesting that the "Land of Dixie " has a perfect right to institute a system by which the votes of whites and blacks can be controlled upon such terms and conditions as may be deemed desirable; that the States of California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and other Commonwealths situated north of Mason and Dixon's line have prescribed qualifications necessary to vote, and that it is a poor rule that will not work both ways. And so the discussion proceeds with

more or less earnestness.

Meantime the whole subject is to have the strong calcium light of figures thrown upon it. In other words, the data of the census office have reached the stage where they indicate how many people could exercise the right of suffrage in the absence of prohibitory enactments, how many decline to exercise the privilege of citizenship, and other equally interesting statistical facts. The Chief Statistician for Population has just completed a bulletin showing the population - by sex, nativity, color, voting age, and literacy and illiteracy of all the States and Territories. For example, let us consider Alabama, Arkansas, California, and Connecticut. It is quite interesting to study the results somewhat in detail, relating to the States named, so far as they bear on the voting age of literacy and illiteracy.

Alabama is now in the throes of an election held for the purpose of adopting a new Constitution, and the question of limiting suffrage is the dominant issue. The members of the Constitutional Convention found that they had a population in the State of Alabama of 1,828,697, a growth in the last decade of about 315,860 people, or twenty-one per cent. It likewise appeared to the members of that body that they had 827,545 colored people to deal with, an increase of almost 150,000, or nearly twenty-two per cent, while the white people number 1,001,152, an increase since 1890 of twenty per cent. It can be readily seen that the blacks are growing in numbers in accordance with the scriptural injunction. Of this great mass of colored people we find that 181,500 are males over twenty-one years of age, and consequently voters under the former Constitution of the State of Alabama. Of the last number 108,000 are illiterate. The total number of white men entitled to vote if they chose to exercise the privilege is 232,296. It is noticeable that at the last Presidential election the entire black and white vote was only 162,300. In other words, only about seventy per cent of the entire voting population of the State of Alabama availed themselves of the right of citizenship. Inasmuch as there are in the State of Alabama over 200,000 white males over twenty-one years of age, and having

sufficient education to comply with any ordinary rules and requirements, it is quite evident that a large number failed to vote. This may be explained by the fact that the State of Alabama is hopelessly Democratic, and that a large number of her citizens did not think it necessary to go to the polls.

The statistical results are evidence that 31,600 of the white voters are illiterate, while those of the blacks who can neither read nor write make a total of about 140,000. These would be denied the right of ballot in case of the enforcement of stringent rules regarding suffrage. Accordingly, if the present Convention should see fit to adopt a law similar to that of California, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, it is evident that for every white man who lost his vote by reason of the lack of educational qualifications three black men would lose their votes. It may be said, in passing, that education is on the increase among the colored people of Alabama. In 1890 there were only 41,007 blacks who were literate; in 1900 there were 73,533; showing an increase of about 80 per cent in literacy among the blacks. It is quite evident that the younger generation is attending school, and is reaping the advantages of our generous educational system. Ten years ago an educational test would have disfranchised a great many of the colored race; now there will be 30,000 more who can utilize their valuable privileges than then.

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Arkansas has apparently never taken very much interest in the matter of constitutional restrictions of suffrage. The increase in the population in that Commonwealth has not quite kept pace with that in some of the other Southern States, as she has only added about sixteen per cent to her people during the last decade Practically the same conditions prevail in Arkansas as in Alabama, so far as concerns the increase in the colored population. The increase in Arkansas in the number of colored people was about twenty per cent, while the increase of the whites was only twelve per cent. It is apparent that if these two States can be considered fairly representative of the conditions in the South, the colored population is steadily on the increase, and in proportion quite as great as, if not greater than, the white. It is to be noted also that among the colored people entitled to vote literacy has increased on a basis of fifty per cent during the last decade, while the illiterates are less in number than ten years ago by three per cent; marking a steady advance, from an educational standpoint, in the State of Arkansas. History repeats itself in this State so far as voting is concerned. While in 1900 there were in the State of Arkansas 313,832 males of voting age,

at the election held during that year not more than 132,979 availed themselves of the privilege of going to the ballot box.

The white men entitled to vote, however, outnumber the blacks very materially in Arkansas, there being 226,593 white men and only 87,239 colored voters. In analyzing the figures returned from Arkansas, it is noticeable that the proportion of white illiterates is very large, being 23,522 out of a total of 226,000, in round numbers. Illiteracy on the part of the blacks is about 39,000 out of a total of 87,000 males over twenty-one. It can be readily seen that there would be no special advantage to the Arkansas people in passing stringent ballot laws, as the entire number of illiterates in the State is less than 63,000, of whom 23,000 are whites. In addition to this, the white voters greatly outnumber the blacks.

Let us consider the two other States in the group, California and Connecticut; the former, a rich agricultural and mineral State, a typical Western Commonwealth, progressive, and with a great future before it, in consequence of the possibilities of trade with the Orient just opening; the latter, a manufacturing State in the Eastern group, its population becoming rich through frugality and accumulation.

California has many Chinese, but it allows none of them to vote. That State enforces very strict regulations so far as the rest of its citizens are concerned. Its Constitution provides that no person who shall not be able to read the Constitution in the English language and write his name shall ever exercise the privileges of an elector in the State. Out of 544,000 males of twenty-one years of age and over, only 302,000 availed themselves of the right to vote at the last Presidential election. There are of white, colored, and Chinese illiterates about 34,000. It is not observed that California insists upon a reduced representation in the Congressional body on account of the Chinese and other illiterates who do not vote in that State. The Chinese question in California seems to be righting itself; for while the number of Chinese reported in 1890 was 72,472, the present number, according to the last returns, is only 45,754; showing a decrease of almost forty per cent. The negroes, of whom there is a very small number, remain practically unchanged. The Japanese, however, have increased almost 1,000 per cent. In 1890, they numbered 1,147 only. According to the returns just tabulated, there are now 10,142 in California, which seems to indicate that the people of that State prefer the Japanese to their Mongolian brothers as residents within their borders.

In the State of Connecticut, where there is a male population of