The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-12-22

HOUSE, llat the OH MAS ABOUT 10 meet
with opposition. 1t MAS, therefore, but
reasonable that they should be satisfied
of its general priucinles-as it WAS the
inauguration Of IA system III the State, diff
ierent from that already attained; and he
therefore proposed TO bring before the
House the particular considerations which
influenced lie, Committee. The Lill pro
poses the Abandonment OF the free school
system, aud inauguration of the common
school system. That system silfers Ell.
trclv in several particulars. The chief
particular is that ii throws aside the dis
tlnclion tEat now eN,s;s between the rich
and poor. lie Was aware that arrange.
ments were made i'll many districts 10y
which teachers admit into their schools
many of the children of the poor, but to
get that benefit it MAS necessary To make
declaration Of pauperiSsH. But the
plan now offered no additional burden
upon the rich. The Committee main
tam that the sum paid 10y Il man Of
wealth, If put into the hands Of Board
ct Trustees, will pay not only for lis own
chld'en, bat will pay for the education Of
his neighbours children, and The sum of
money will not hc mule to him, bu, less
1t will create Il fund which will enable
the community about him to be educated
Ii that Ge true, II was very obvious
tang that this plan should be pur< cd
The only inquiry was, whether in adop
ting this plan We were departing from the
genera principles laid down.
HIthorgh upon the statement of this
bill the p'au seemed new, yet according
to the act Of 1911 the original inaugara,
ton OF free schools IN this State, intended
to inaugurate the common school system.
But this act unfortunately had Il provis.
ion, that when any more children should
apply than could be received, preferance
should be given to poor orphans and the
children uf INDECENT aud uecesSitous pa
rcuts. The State at lhat time only ap.
prop,iaIed s37, 900 Cor the mhole area Of
South Carolina. The consequence WAS,
that the children of the poor only were
educated III those schools. The commit,
tee propose 10 come back to that system,
but leaving out the provision, and to in
augurate or retrieve the common school
system. That brings up the question
anew. Shall we give the peop,c auy ed.
ucaton We are bound to give every
citizen primary education. We require
q! them to sit upon jnrieS, decide grave
questions of law, vote for representatives,
and bring before them all the questions
Of State. Should we require men to de
eide upon the most difficult causes in sci
ence and law unless we give them the
highest cdusation lie would submit
lhAt While they had been e. gaged for the
last few weeks in discussing of banks and
railroads, that thus question, applying 10
the mind o( the State, was more impor
tant than any that APPLIES to material
wealth. + cryih,ng mater.al is for ;he
deyeiopn,sut OF mind. We are 10 dig
among our citizens in the same way bv
education as we dig in the soil for the ma.
lerlhl wealth that is there. We propose
that wherever the citiZeLs Of district is
not disposed to lake the new system, they
shall continue the Old. Bat whenever
lhey desire to make the change, this bill
gives item tue pow er to DO ST..
Take, for example, Columbia. Sup
pose its citizens determine TO erect a new
school rIccmcI in this city. The first
sep they take would be to see VIII .thcr
twO-thi:ds were in favor Of il. If So, then
it is NECESSARY that they contribute one
hall H. tie election of IA school house
the State provides the other halt. When
the schoo. commences, the Trustees are
authorized To tax the inhabitants 20 per
cent. The Stale will pay corresponding
tax To the amount Cf So IA head. She is
eatltled to have that amount set down 20
her credit. The State expends one half
10 build and one half the expen,e Of the
pupils OF So per head. The question for
Tie Legislature is, is it worth all this -
There are schools gong on in CharIe,
ton which make the success OF this sys
TEN apparent. In the last report Legis,
!ators would find thai the most eminent
men declared the result produced upon
the pupils surprised them And far surpas,
sed anything they had ever seen. 1t
brings together the rich and the poor
When n man Of consequence bad his sons
IN a school IN common with the poorer
class, it draws their attention TO il. In
stead Of being difficult to find good com,
'hIss'oheTS' every man VIII give hls time
To II, and the result is that we combine
the whole intelligence Of the district The
contact OF the sous of the rich and the
poor is decidedly beneficial TO both. The
rich boy is brought to proper bearing.
On the other hand, he jealousy Of the
poor against the rich is subdued Ly this
contact. When this is the case il produ
ces that feeling of kindness eminen,lv
proper in Eepub!ican Government
The next advantage, is superior education
for The time heing. When you have
number OF children you can classify them.
Say you have TWO hundred Children
You may divide them, say, in five classes,
Of different grades, from 4. Il. G up;
then if you give to eacl, class y separate
room, with separate teacher to each
class, you perceive shat the teacher is oc.
cuped all the time, ard the children are