The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-02-08
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
GEN. GARY'S SPEECH IN OPPOSITION TC
THE PENDING BILL.

THE PENDING BILL. -
The following were the remarks of Gea.
Gary in the Senate on Monday last on the
bill to provide for the organization of the
State University:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of the SEN
ate:
1 am opposed to the passage of tho bill
now before the Senate. L object to that
portion of the resolution that says "that
said universities or colleges shall forever
enjoy precisely the same privileges and ad.
vantages with regard to their standards of
learning and tie amount Of money to be
appropriated by the State for their main
tenance." Iregard this resolution as vio-
lation of the uniform principle of leSiaa-,.
tion adopted by all lawmakers, that isk = to
try aud meet the demands and wants of3hc
citizens without regard to race, color or pre-
vious condition Of servitude. To give to
the colleges and universities intended for
the colored people the same advantages as
regards their standards of learning, would
be to anticipate their wants, or it would
lower the wants and requirements of the
white race. am in favor of the principle
of supply and demand regulating the apprss4
.asiatipns made q these uniysrsiti0s Col
legess. It is an namated fact that nearly;
all of the taxes paid in this State are paid
by the white race, and it would be an TN
just discrimination in favor of the colored
race to give them an equal amount of money
for their universities ald colleges as YOU
tecnth amendment of the United States
Constitution only applies to any denial or
abridgment of the right of citizens to cote
on account of 'race, color or previous condi-
tion of servitudc." 1t does not apply to
restrictions or differences in educational ad-
vantages.
l object to the section of the bill that
makes the South Carolina College and
Clafin Colleges ono University. / am in
favor of keeping the two colleges separate
and distinct as the resolution advises and
directs. 1tis, in my judgement, for the
best interest Of both races to keep them
apart. God has maze us two races of people,
and any effort to unite us upon the same
educational plane, must prove disaster to
both. The black line Of separation and
difference that has been drawn by the hand
of Providence cannot be changed by tho
puny fingers of man. AS we'll might you
attempt to unite oil and water. There has
never, as yet, appeared Siamese twins COM
posed of negro and white man, and
when it does it will be regarded as mon
strosity in nature ; so this attempt to con-
meet the South Carolina College bv legisla-
tive ligaments with Cafin University must
shock the sensibilities of the Caucasian rae
everywhere.
| further object to the bill on the ground
that there would be no legal barrier prevent
ing the negro students Of Clafin University
entering the South Carolina College. Ar
ticle X, Section 10 of the Constitution of
this State, reads as follows: "All the pub
lie schools, colleges and universities of this
State, supported in whole or in part by the
public funds, shall be free and open to all
the children and youths of the State, with
out regard to race or color" If you will
inspect the bill you will see that there has
been made no distinction as to race or color,
o. to who may be admitted into these col
lcgcs. In Section 10th of the bill it says !:
"Thcre shall be admitted into each college
of the University one student from each
county Of the State, who shall be entitled
to tuition free of charges" but it does not
specify that the one that enters Clafln Uni
versity must be black, and the one that is
adI.itted to the South Carolina College
must be white both may be black or both
white, or they may compromise upon mu--
latto. There is no protection from this in
the BILL nor can there be any until the 10th
Section Of the 10th Article of the Consti-
tuition of the State is amended The ne
ccssities of the State demand the early con-
vocation of Constitutional Convention to
change and modify the organic law of this
land to meet the wants and necessities of
the white and black people of this State
| am in favor of a broad, just, progressive
and liberal system Of education, but 1 am
in favor of making haste slowly in this
matter.
| am opposed to the 14th and 18th Sec
tions of the bill, authorizing the board of
trustees to establish such schools as they
may see fit, and prescribing such course of
studies as they may select. desire to re-
serve this right to the General Assembly,
and there is no subject more worthy of the
most minute legislative action than that of
education. 1t underlics our future welfare
and greatness.
The object Of all educationis to discip-
line the mind. This has been universal
ly conceded as the grand objective point
in every system of education. The next
point is how to preserve this great dcsi-