E. H. ADDINGTON

172 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GRAND LODGE
every State in the Union showing the number of children of school age
enrolled; the number attending the public schools, and the cost for the
last thirty years; and also the number failing to attend. Time does not
permit me to read the figures, important as they are.
I will, however, give you two examples: The official reports of the
public schools of the State of New York from 1878 to 1909, inclusive,
show there were enrolled in the public schools of that State 36,536,665
pupils and the amount expended for their education was $822,345,307.
The official reports of the public schools of Illinois for thirty years,
from 1878 fo 1909, show an enrollment in the public schools of that State
of 27,140,859 children and an expense of $509,061,746.69.
It must not be assumed all the children of each State attend the
public schools. The State of Wisconsin shows that from the year 1878
to 1909, inclusive, the attendance at the public schools ,of that State
aggregated 11,831,929, and the amount expended was $115,376,086.53.
From that report it appears the number of children of school age during
that period was 19,077,887, showing during the period covered by the
report 7,000,000 were not enrolled in the public schools of Wisconsin.
There were enrolled for all of the States, as the figures of the Government
of the United States show, for the thirty years, a total of
7,416,983,465 children, and there was paid out for their education the
enormous sum of $5,348,155,611.
Mr. Jefferson says: "A system of instruction which shall reach
every description of our citizens from the richest to the poorest, as it
was my earliest, so it shall be my latest of all public concerns in
which I shall permit myself to take an interest."*
Supporting these views were Washington, Madison, Hamilton,. Marshall,
and indeed every Mason in those early days. The result of their
views as to the necessity of public schools was early put into force in
many of the States.
In the history of the world I recall no nation which had such men
to lay the foundation of a government such as ours. How many of
these men have placed their names on the roll of fame! They labored
not for personal promotion, but to establish a free government based
upon law and the rights of man—a government oy the people and for
the people. The leaders were men of brains — Washington, Warren,
Montgomery, Franklin, Jefferson, Monroe, Daniel, Morgan, Gouverneur
Morris, John Morton, Governor Moultree, John Marshall, C. C. Pinckney,
and many others—all who believed in a government by the people, and
knew the value of education '' which shall reach every citizen from the
richest to the poorest," and prepare each, by. a good public education,
to support and maintain the government of a free people. Thus
a foundation was laid to secure the Nation's perpetuity.
The enemies of. enlightenment are the foes of progress; and no labor
can be too great, no endeavor too costly, in warding' off any attempt to
^History of North America—Vol. 6, p. 427 (1818).