The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-12-22
tFor,the anderson Mtelligcncer.


- t.For,Ae anderson Lntelligencer.
FFfhe Freecommon School, Fund of AM
:: .a :, derron County. z
Mr.. EDITOR: When the agents of the Fed:
eral Government first arrived in South Caro-
lima, on their mission of Reconstruction, to
teach Ms Southerners the mystic art Of: making
a Constitution for the cid Palmetto State, which
should be Republican in all its provisions, they
very gravely informed us that after having
got the new Republican Ship of State under
full way, they would then inaugurate mann
moth system of Gree Common Schools, whose
colossal proportions should be so extensive that
it's area would embrace every; child, without
regard to race, color or previous state Or CON
dition,"" from the seabord to the mountains
and that to carry into practical operation this
wise, humane and philanthropic institution
to run this ponderous and complicated ma
;chinery, under their wise and economical su-
pervision, would require almost as little trouble
and expense as if performed through the mag
ical influence of Alladins Lamp! According
ly, suiting their actions to their words, those
Legislators at their last session before adjourn
ing, put under way gigantic Educational
System, which resembles in its features grand
and complicated mill machinery-perfect in all
its parts, but the very sine qna NON is wanting:
there is not water to propel it /! for the attempt
was made to put it into practical operation by
appropriating 1000, to be added to the.Pon
Tax of the State, for the purpose of running
this educational machinery during one scholas.'
tic year, which gives to each child in the State,
white and colored, between the ages of six and
sixteen, about Ga cents .-a
But, sir, our main object in penning this
communication, is to notice the "Free Common
School" Fund of Anderson County. ....., =.
From statistics furnished us by our esteemed
friend;- and the very efficient School Commis
sioner of said County, we condense the follow
ing facts and figures:
The number of children in the County, white
and colored, between the ages of six and six
teen, is 6,4S2 To pay the tuition of these
children fer the last scholastic year, we find
that out of the $4,000 appropriated by the
Legislature for Common School purposes, that
the County of Anderson is entitledt to 81, ,20967,
and that the Poll Tax of the County available
is $4,000; to which add s7976S as balance
of the last scholastic year preceding this, and
we have "a 4,a5s.s9 with which to pay the tut
ton, as We have already seen, of 6,4S2 chill
d:en. But the number of days reported to the
Commissioner by all the Teachers of the Coun-
ty is only 7S,294, which, at FIVE cents per day,
amounts to SS,9l4.70 as sum total of the claims
of all the Teachers of the County.
Hence, we perceived that Teachers claims
for the last scholastic year could be paid and
leave balance of $443.69. But up to this
date Teachers claims haze not been paid!
The Commissioner informs US, when in Co..
lumbia about month since, he had with him
orders from nearly Ill the Teachers for their
claims; but on prea eaenting them to the State
Treasurer, this dignitary very coolly informed
him that it was impossible to pay Teachers
claims, from the fact thc'Treasary was empty
We notice, Mr.. Editor, in looking over the
proceedings of the Legislature, now in session,
that q member of this body has offered reso-
luton to investigate the claims of Teachers.
What meaneth. this Why investigate the
claims Of that which they know, to Be, valid :
Did not the Legislature at its last session. pass
an Act legalizing ga system of Free Common
Schools?" and did it not appropriate $4,000
to be used in conjunction with the Poll Tax,
which was already by the Constitution school
fund these to be used to pay Teachers for the
last scholastic year? Did not the School Com
missioner, in opening schools last Spring, act
under and in obedience to orders received from.
the State Superintendent of Education? Un-
questionably.h .ho did. Why, then, investigate
Teachers claims? Why not pay these claims
at once' Or, in more direct terms, where is
the sum of s. S5s.39 belonging to the County
as its school fund.- Will not q, ,S58S9 pay
1894 70, which is the sum total of the Teach
ers' claimsY And, by-the-bye, will not the
sum of s2,24S, as the school fund of Oconee
County, pay the claims of Teachers of that
County, when the sum of these claims is only
s., ,96O7.
Now, sir, would it be considered unkind or
pesonating to inquire if State officials are
privileged characters, who have the right of
holding the State funds entrusted to their care
as long as they may find il convenient to their,
own private interests, or those of the party who
have placed them in Office? And we are going
to indulge in another remark which, perhaps,
may be considered personal, which is this
Were we a member of the Legislature, we
would offer counter resolution to rebut that
of Mr.. Henderson, which would be something
like this That there be committee appoint
ed to examine the books of the State Superin-
tendent of Education, and also those of the
Ctoto Traoeuror IN oscertain If nossihle why