The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-12-13

ton the very principles, and tho 1un
damental Ian upon which the State
and National Government rcposc
The end sought by the proposed sys
tenn could long since have been prac
tically accomplished, but for the bittel
spirit Of intolerance cngendered ant
fostercd by party leaders Of the oppo
sition among thoir followers.
1 have been at all times ready, as i:
well known, to cooperate with al
moderate men, without regard t(
party affiliations, in securing the cleo
tion to public office of those only who
were worthy and well qualified. My
own course in this regard has moi
only been illustrated by tho Executive
appointments, but by the personal aic
that have invariably extended to ele
vate to public position those native
whites who, although classcd, at tho
time, with the opposition, were gen
tlemon Of CHARACTER and intelligence
and fair and temperate in their polit
ical views. In proof of this, l in
stance, with great qualification, Chic
Justice Moses and Circuit Judg ges ex
Gov. ]. L: Orr, Green, Melton, Gra
ham and Farmer, (the last an ud inte
rim Executive appointment, to whose
elevation to the bench I gave my cor
dial support.) These gentlemen were
all trusted and honored under the an
cicnt regime, and will! compare favora
bly,, in. point Of personal character
and capacity, with any citizen in the
State.
1 submit, however, for your deliber
ate consideration, whether tho mer
who now demanding the establish
.ment by law of the system of minor
ity representation, are entitled 10 .thi:
act Of magnanimity at your hands
1t is for you to determine whether
the line Of policy pursued by then
since the adjournment of the Tax
payers convention tends to commend
tho speedy. adoption by you Of al
elective system which must largely
increase the number Of those in the
General Assembly who are hostile te
our system Of free government. 81.
FREE COMMON SCHOOLS.
Ths State Superintendent of Edu
cation states that he had hoped to bs
able to submit, in afull and complete
form, his third annual report, bu
found several of the annual report:
of the County School Commissioner:
so inexcusably defective, that he wa:
compelled to return them for correc
ton, and, on this account, the com
pletion of his report has been una
voidably delayed. The following
general statements arc presented:
The scholastic population Of tho
State, as shown by the census of 1869
is as follows: White males 4O,95G
colorcd males 5S,776; total male:
99,732. White females Al, 30; ). col
ored females 5G,207; total female:
97447. Total white s2,19G; tota
colorcd III, ,9S3; total scholastic pop
ulation, 1869, 1o7,179. The return:
of this year will show a scholastic
population amounting, in the aggre
,atc, to moro than 100000. The
Whole number'of pupils attending the
free common schools Of the State, for
the scholastic year 1871, is about
G7,09S. The whole number of free
common schools in the State ia ] 639
The whole number of school districts
in the State is 4G2. .-*
The free common schools through
out the State arc kept open about siS
months in the year. The whole num-
Der of teachers employed in the pub
lie schools is rs follows: Males 1850
females 7O5 total 1855.
The average salary paid to teachers
IS $50 per month. The following is
an exhibit of the school funds of the
State for the fiscal year ending Octo
ber 81, 1871: Regular legislative 'ap
preparation sl5O,OOO,O0O; amount o.
poll tax collected, estimated at $50, 900
deficiency appropriation $4,000; tota
s2lO,0O0. 4 majority Of tho school
districts in the State have voted .
school tax, but the Superintendent
has no meansaof ascertaining the ag
rrcgatc amount. -.."
There is evidently a lack Of interest
in the cause OF free common school,
education, aud it is hoped that some
practical and simple p!aa for raising
a school revenue, by means of loca
taxation, will bo speedily devised
and that the people interested in The
general results, Of education will
through their personal influence, aic
extending means. A reasonable de-
gree Of progress. taking into due con
sidcration the adversities and Difficult
ties encountered, has been achieved
in tho cducationa! work during thu
scholastic year. The school attend
ancc for the year 1871 more thar
doubles that Of 1870. The "schoo
law" though not f.ultlcss, will no
sail to produce very favorable results
if it be properly enforced, and the Su
pcrintendent tcstifics that the people
arc gradually acquiring an interest il
the cause Of public schools.
1t will be noticed that $35 per month
has been paid to teachers, male ant
female throughout tho Strtc. | an
surprised at the high average Of com
pensatior paid for this service, as'it i
well known that the qualifications o
a large portion of these teachers woul'
not enable them to earn over one-thlr'
Of the now received in any other 70
cation they might adopt. 1t is th
duty of tho General Assembly TO in
terposc in the expenditure of the ap
preparation for this purpose, and Will
advancing the means of education
limit the amonnt paid teachers 10 sucl
n con,nnnsotiOn aS their services Wou!i