Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-08-17
From the South Cdrolinian.
Popular Education.

This subject has been too much neglected in
our State, or, if attended to, the legislation con-
cerning it has not been marked with sound poll
cy. As our next legislature will be fresh from
the people, and the representatives presumed to
know the wants Of their constituents in the re-
spective sections of the State, we trust that the
whole subject of popular education will be thor
oughly Investigated, and reform in our present
system be vigorously and energetically COM
menced. 1t is not likely that our lawmakers
will have much politics, State or Federal, to talk
over at the approaching session, SO that ample
time will be afforded for those measures wich will
tend to benefit the people, and place South Caro-
lima in her legitimate position in this age OF pro-
gress.
In gancing over the new Constitution of Loui-
siana, Just adopted by the Convention of that
State, we find the following clauses regarding
public cducation:'
"ARr 1885, There shall be elected supern-
tendent of public education, who shall hold his
office for the term of two years. His duties
shall be prescribed by law, and he shall receive
such compensation us the Legislature may direct;
provided that the General Assembly shall have
power by vote of the majority of the mem
bers elected to both houses, to abolish the SAID
Office Of superintendent of public education,
whenever in their opinion said Office shall be no
longer necessary.
"AEr. 1876. The General Assembly shall es-
tabIish free public schools throughout the State
and shall provide for their support by general
taxation on property Or otherwise; and all mo-
neyes so raised or provided shall be distributed
to each parish in proportion to the number of
free white children between such ages as shall
be fixed by the General Assembly.
CART. 1871 The proceeds Of all lands here
toforc granted by the United States to this State
for the use or support of schools, and Of all
lands which may hereafter be granted or be-
queathcd to the State, and not expressly grant
cd or bcqucathcd for any other purpose, which
hereafter may be disposed of by the State, and
the proceeds Of the estates of deceased persons
to which the State may become entitled by law,
shall be held by the State as loan, and shall
be and remain a perpetual fund.- on which the
State shall pay annual interest of six per cent; ;
which interest, together with the interest on the
trust funds deposited with this State by the Uni
ted States, under the act of Congress, approved
June %, 1886, and all the rents Of the unsold
lands, shall be appropriated to the support of
such schools, and this appropriation hall remain
invioablc."
These provisions, in our humble opinion, are
well calculated tospromote popular education.
The very first step which our Legislature should
take is the appointment of the Oflieer-superin-
tendent of public education mentioned above.
Until such an appointment, wisely made, Of
course, we fear the system, no matter how patch
ed and amended will never be effective in its
operations. This officer would feel his response
bility, would bend all his energies to the task
Which would devolve upon him, and dcvoting
his whole time to minute investigation of eve
ry point likely to be productive of good, his
first report, if he be competent man, and has
the subject at heart, will demonstrate that our
free school system, as heretofore carried on, was
proftess expenditure of the public funds.
The distribution of the school fund, Accord g
to the present system, is complained Of Above,
it will be seen that louisiana distributes her
fund in proportion to the number of free white
children in each district This is equitable. but
VIC should think that the insertion of poor or
destitute" before "lrec white children" would bet
ter serve the object of the expenditure. Let the
fund he distributed according to the necessity Of
the respective DISTRICTS and not in proportion to
taxation or representation. That is, if llorrv,