The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-30
MIR. HOOD.

WV "Nis III NicpSN
his able defence of the motion to strike.
out the. cnacting words of the bill on yes
.tCr,lay, tho gentleman from Chester fol-
lowed. in all attack so personal, so inrcc-
tive and SO u~nprovokcd, that l cannot
presume l will be exempt from like
abuse. My colleague made an adn!ira-
bic and noble defence of his opposition
to the bill under consideration. II was
done muniully and courtcously-nOt Il
word of diSrcspect was in it. And yet
the gentleman from Chester SAW fit 10
cilaracterize it as ''nOnScHSe JrOm begin
ning to cnd,' and triumphantlv. and snr-
clsticallv iMmented that my friend afford
cd such wonderful evidence Ito him OF
The need of education in the State! when
another Of my colleagues, Mr.. Conner,
whose mature Judgment on public IIcS-
tons, long experience, acknowledged Dll-
itv on universal controversy in debate,
lave heretofore always commanded Tor
him Difference yer from opponents, stat
cd that the discussion necessarily IN
wolves the question whether III addition to
the fact that our impoverished conditions
forbids the idea that we call undertake to
open the State University, it does not ais"
raise tie question whether there is Il pre-
sent necessity for it, inasmuch as so many
other Colleges are III. operation IN the
State, and also whether lis r~e-CStabllSll-
mcnt, with the power of taxation TO sup
port il, is not both in theory II fact an
unfair competition with the dcnomintion-
al and private institutions III the Stale,
whose Struggles with difficulties to Keep
their halls of learning open during. the
dark years Just past have entitled them
to her lasting gratitude, the same gentle
man, with eager haste, was to his feet
again and, III Il reply, flushed and hot,
and is unhccoming in matter ana style,
as it was unlike the hOnored name he
bears, scorncd it all; and with loathinS
and dcrision, insultcd the decent sense OF
this House, by dcscl i&ing these sacred in
situations of learning that have been fun
ded by the charities, prospcred by the
payers and cherishedfm the hearts OF the
GOOD and wise of every land, aS "ma-
chineS'' ''conccrnS for grinding onfprcdch-
c,'S."
Could I then, sir, if not constrained by
q sense Of duty to my own convictions
and the convictions of the advocates OF
the motions now pending, wish to excite
another such onslaught? Should have
occasion in the cOurse of my remarks to
refer to the same arguments already so
we'll handled bv the first named gentle
! man from AbbevilIe, or ones similar, can
[ but expect, with the lights of yesterday
! before me that l too will be charged with
"uonscuSe? Can I of my free will de-
sire to hear repeated the foul dispersion OF
these institutions, their friends, their
agents and bcneIlctors? Nevertheless,
sir, | fOrcwarn that gentleman and others
| that may choose to adopt his plan OF ar
rumcnt, that the friends of this motion
will not be driven from their ground by
any species OF pariianlentlrian 'chlcanery
or any forms of Scorn, frownS or threats.
! I do icpcut il, sir: the people Of this 'S0te
are not ia financial condition to reopen
the EuivcrSity at the public eIptnSe. Be-
si,les All appropriation to pay the profess
sorS, librarian and other officers, the
buildings could not be occupied to-tlay
without repairs which nc one estimates
would be less than $4,000 to Sl5,OGO.
Then VIC must remember that the friends
of this bill contemplate Il larger operation
than the one University. They also take
under their care the Clatin University.
! It is already a double institution itself,
having attached to it the Agricultural
Land Scrip College. The fourteenth and
twentv-secOnd sections of the bill give us
the Toreshadowing OF the cost. We Will
have Il triple Institutional mammoth
power in the land for taNation. The past
should be or guide in estimating the en-
prnse for the future. The annual cost OF
the South Carolina College for years Was
between S24,G 600 and $4,000 exclusive 81
buildings and repairs.
.ttler referring at some length TO the
poverty of our people Mr.. Hood said:
am aware, sir, that some advocates OF
the bill admit that our people are moi
able to bear the expense Of these uni
vcrsitics at this time, and say that tho
bill asks for no money. If they want rc
money why SO earnest III pressing the
bill! But l know they do mttht money,
| Go happen to know that the Trainers oI
The bill ut first Intended to put the de-
mand for money in the "ill, but. on: see
onl thought, from motives OF policy
withheld it. \! further consideration OF
policy promises to 40 amend the 18th Sec
liou that future Legislation iuusr hc had
before any thing more can be done than
tho union OF tine three Universities under
, one board of trustees. The ccntraI
stroke of policy is to get possession OF
the Cia!iin University, now L private eli.
tcrpriSe run soi"y for colorcd youths,
! We arc told that the officers OF that Col
lcgc have generously offered it to tic
State as adonation, and we are scorntully
asked by the member from Chester il
ne are too poor to accept u donation! \
donation indeed ! Yea Il donation Of III
future expenses, present debts, mortgage
and all! Let my hungry paws once
more dip deep into the treasury pap is
its hungry cry. This is the sugar plum
of the bill. The scheme to Swceten by
this bait cannot DO diSguiscd-'tis talked
on the streets, by the way sidc-all be-
licvc it; and |, gentlemen OF This House.
would no do my duty in the matter die
| not give you a true statement of the
facts concerning the Land Scrip oil. ASri'
culture college connected with the Olaf.
lin University, ahd out of which our Ell.
tanglcmcnt with C!a1lin arises. My re-
lations to the pnblic records of the State
this fall gives me some advantage in this
matter.
In July 1862, Congress donated public
lands to all the States. to establish -AErl-
cultural Colleges. After the r%corganiZa-
ton OF the State Government in 1863
South Carolina tried to Get from the Uni
ted States her part. Well do 1 and many
| of YOU remember how long and earnest
the effort was to get it into possession iol
the honest purpose for which it was
donated, running through three sessions
OF the General Assembly. The effort fail
cd. As soon as the republican party
gained control of the State, the app!ica'
ton was renewed by them. A short Act
directing the Governor and Attorney
General t do thus and SO, md the scril
was given to them. 1t entitled the State
to lS2, 600 acres of public land. The III.
! nancial Board Of TIE State Of which tho
Governor and Attorney General made
two in that board Of three, placed tlt
scrip in the hands of kiInpton, financial
agent of the State in New Iark, and di-
| rected him to sell it.. He sold it, and re-
ported the amount realized as Slj0.jOD.
The same financial board directed him to
! buy bonds OF the United States or this
! State with the money. lie obeycd, and
rcport@d Sl9I 800 Of bonds of South Caro-
lima bought with the money. In ISL, m
| Agricultural and Mechanics Institute WIS
chartered and made Il part OF Claliin Col
/ legc then in Il weakly existence III Orange
, burg, and the Secretary Of said joint Col
legCS directed to draw annually on tho
! State Treasurer for the interest on the
bonds, viz: Sll sos. OF course Clatlin's
prospects frightened. But the same
board, or kimptou Of his own accord, in
either CASE without even the p%retcncc ni
lawful authority, DorrOwri money from
bankers in New York anL pawncd these
! bonds (Which were to have been helf in
Sacred trust for specific purpOse) at an
average of about ~ cents on the dollar.
He never paid the debt, nOr do l suppose
he c~verintcndcd to pay it.. In the course
of time the pawlIees sold the bonds under
forfeiture III public cutlery, and thus they
were forever lost.
And, gentlemen, I verify believe that
I 49,. .-x $3.50, ,l n1I ,,.n slt fIi.