The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-04
sT4TE DOCTORS DIS
AGREEING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

/ cannot but be struck By the significant
contrast between the recommendation of an
Increase of the appropriation for educational
purposes to two hundred thousand dollars,
made, at its late session in Columbia. by the
State board of education, and the views of
your contributor Fairfield" who so truly as.
serts that the present appropriation for educa.
tlonal purposes is, if we consider our circum-
stances, ''really large and munifceIt," and
who, I fear vainly demands THAT it shall no
longer be expended to no purpose" on idle
officials" and "snecure and incompetent
teachers" 1t could hardly have been reason
ably expected, however, that this extraordl-
nary board, who, with their chairman
and his clerk, now consume over
thirty-fve thousand dollars per annum
of public money, which can only be
regarded as so much political under, would
magnanlmously have called public attention to
the fact, and recommended rigid economy. or
wise and efficient expenditure of funds al
ready quite sufficient to. do a great deal Of
good, if prudently managed. On the contrary,
it was natural that they should cry out for q
larger amount Of money to be doled out to
their political underlings in the sacred name Of
education, and confidently expect compliant
Legislature to give to men unfaithlul In great
deal the opportunity OF being unfaithful In
great deal more. 1t Is, 1 am persuaded, the
sinecure existence and political plunder of such
men as compose the majority of the State
oIn hot ,otu
with the whole subject Of public education. If
State education were not the mere pretence
that it is, the wel-meant words OF such q
writer as your contributor, Fairfield" would
command respectful hearing. But now he
need not waste Ink aud paper. He Is splitting
against the wind. regret 10 believe 1t, but
1t is so BE evidently, too, innocently takes
for granted that there is an independence and
a desire for the progress aud advancement OF
their race among the colored men now In
power, which plainly does not exist.
But there Is one recommendation of the
State board of education. refer to that Of
"Normal Schools" which, coming from q
most miserable source, is yet very good one.
The rejecting people of the State would,
doubtless, be delighted If the Legislature
would, at its next session, abolish the present
State board of education altogether, aud ap-
proprlate the thirty-fve thousand dollars and
over thus saved towards establishing, In
suitable buildings, in convenient localities,
several high and normal schools. In con-
nection with this subject, there are two points
in the history Of our former Normal School
here in Charleston to which 1t may be well to
call the attention of our own citizens and the
citizens OF Columbia. First, the Legislature
appropriated ten thousand dollars towards the
Charleston Normal School building, on condi-
ton that ten thousand dollars should be sub
scribed for the same object here in Charleston
Second, our Normal School here was not
free, though public school-a tuition fee was
collected from many Of its pupils. In these
two particulars should not the Legislation
the futnre be guided by our successful expert
ence In the past CHARLEST0SIAN.