Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-09-07
For the Advertiser.

MIR. EDITOR our correspondent
"HowARD" regrets to iftrude further !
upon your columns, especially as we
have been told that we neither represent
the Teachers nor the taxpayers of this
County, (not being duly commissioned9
However we feel our course insthis mat
ter VIII be endorsed by the Teach and
white taxpayers; and at othe outset, we
will say we never have sought any Office
nor are we thirsting for one, at present,
from the voters of Edgefield County.
And since the adoption of the present
Constitution in 1868, we never have seen
the day we could be induced to accept
any office, either County or State, under
n negro Government (our throat nor our
thirst are not in much danger of being
quenched.)
We are very much rejoiced to learn
that our School Commissioner has accom-
plished somuch for the good of the Coun-
ty, and feel confident if he will continue
in his present frame, of mind, he will
carry out his plans, and our people may
yet, before the close Of his term of Office,
reap the rich fruits of hislabor; and that
if he will be the means of having the
law amended or modified, as he has
promised when he goes to Columbia, we
will be under lasting obligations to him.
We had no desire to misrepresent him,
and could we by any possible chance
have been able to get an insight OF his
Books such would not have been the
case. Knowing he did not carry his
Books with him; and seeing from an adj
vertisement that one' of his Teachers
wanted to know of his whereabouts, we
came to the conclusion it would prove
hopeless job to hunt him up.
OurSchool Commissiohsr does not disa-
gree with us,as to the amount appropria-
ted for school purposes; but as to the
amount collected and paid over. He
makes feebleeffort to screen the County
Treasurer from allblame, and says that.
he.nor the Treasury has spared no pains
orIexpense in getting the money due the
Teachers. This explanation will not
satisfy the taxpayers, nor is it very clear
to my mind that persons receiving the
pay these persons are receiving, have
done all that is required of them.
Will the Books of the School Commits
sioner show that there has been Board
of Examiners, regularly organized, since
the last Act of Legislature went into
effect; thateach andevery School Teacher
was examined in presence Of the whole
Board; that they approved Of the certifi-
Gates issued to the Teachers; were all the
members of this Examining Board pres
ent when the Teachers presented their
claims for payment and the Drafts for
theft. pay was approved of by said Board?
In point of fact, were not most of these
Teachers examined by the School Com
missioner himself, without the presence
| of the Board, and their pay certificates
issued by him, none of the Board being
present? The law requires that all the
Board shall be present when the exami-
nation shall take place, and all such pro-
ceedings shall be approved of by the
| Board.
! Do the Books show that the required
number ofSchools, white and coloredhave
been established in at least two-thirds Of
the Townships in the County? Do the
Books show that the Commissioner has
visited each of the Schools, and given the
Teachers advice and instruction, as the
law requires should be done? If the
Books will show these things have been
done, then we are satisfied.
An effort should now be made to make
| the County Treasurer do his part, and we
call attention to the fact, that the Treasu-
rer has, in contempt of an established
law of this State, taken into his hands
the control of all the claims upon the
County; that he has assumed a position
which he claims as law, and if he is
suffered to- hold the position which he
has taken, he will continue, as he has in
in the past, to override all law known TO
the most eminent jurists of this State. II
is unnecessary to point out the frightful
licencse he has taken in issuing Exec
tions against many taxpayers VINO nave
| already paid their taxes. These Execu-
tions have been served by tn" t-Hasurys
Deputies, but most of persons knowing
who they had to deal with, have kept
| their receipts.
There is now an effort on foot to get all
| additional tax levied for school purposes,
a Radical SCENE to put money in Woollys
pocket. We ask the taxpayers, what
evidence they have that the Teachers will
get this money before the close of the
year, if ever? There is no doubt but
that every dollar which has been collect
| ed for taxes has been taken out by the
Radicals, and spent or loaned out to their
friends, and that the object of the County
| and State Treasure. is to postpone pay
ing any claims until they can wiring more
taxes out Of the people next November.
| This tax was ordered to be collected sim
ply to pay off the members of the Leg
islature who sit in Columbia from four
to six months every winter, robbing the
taxpayers Of the State. The sole object
OF the Legislators is to have money on
hand to get their pay, if no one else do,
and we hope our people will withhold
paying their taxes of 1871 until March
1872, to see how long the members of the
General Assembly will work on credit,
as they expect creditors of the State to
| do. HOWARD.
|
To the Soldiers of 1872.
The following modification of the in