Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-31
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THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In order that civilization may be perpet.
uated, the schools and churches Of the coun-
ty must be supported. A civilized communi.
ty without church or school, is sight that
the world has never seen. 1t never will see
it. It is simply moral impossibility. This
fact will be admitted by all good citizens Of
every class. It will also be admitted that
the school house will soon rot down in that
community in which there is no church, and
that wherever there is church in thriving
condition, school house will, of necessity,
be built, and Aourishing school be main
tanned. The school house is handmaid to
the church.
Such being the nature Of things, we take
it that the people Of York county are deeply
interested in the schools Of the county. The
schools, We suppose, are watched because they
mark the advance or retrograde movements
Of the communities in which they are sit
usted To the credit of York county, it may
be said that it has, from its earliest settle
ment, been noted for its schools. When
much Of the present territory Of York coun.
ty was a wild waste men Of prodigious learn.
ing were engaged in teaching school. The
houses in which they taught we're rough in
appearance and afforded few comforts to the
pupils; but it must be said, to the lasting
credit Of both teachers and pupils, that good
work was done ID those rude 4og cabins.
1t is to be doubted whether our schools Of the
present day. with all their facilities for teach.
ing, ,ahd all their pomp and display, turn out
such scholars as we're turned out from those
''old field schools" Of former times, County
pride, if nothing else, should stimulate us to
emulate the virtues Of our, forefathers. Be.
fore the Revolutionary war they we're poor,
and after the war they were miserably poor.
Still, fathers and mothers toiled that they
might educate their children. They, to q
commendable extent, succeeded. Many we're
the intellectual giants which that age of pen.
ury produced. ''''
Single individuals, communities Of indi-
viduals-in one word, the inhabitants Of :hs
world-are interested in education. The State
of South Carolina is in, q peculiar condition.
A system of education, wholly unknown
within her borders fifteen years ago, has been
foisted upon her. This system, although it
has never been fully put into operation, and
has accomplished very inadequate amount
of good when compared with the amount Of
money spent in its support still it has most
effectuslly abolished the old system. The
old system was that every man should edu-
cate his own children; the new system is this,
the State proposes to give every child living
on her soil, an elementary education. Such
is the general import of the school law of
the State, and as such the people of the State
have accepted It. { The rich as well as the
poor, expect to receive the benefit Of all taxes
levied for school purposes. This is, we think,
right. 1t is, we believe, just as it should be.
Tie State has no right to make discrimins.
tions in favor of any class of her citizens. If
she undertakes to educate one class, to be
Just, she must undertake to educate every
class. In one word, the State must treat all
her citizens alike. ..sE,
The constitutional amendment provides
that levy of two mills be made upon all
taxable property for school purposes. The
taxable property of York county, as taken
from the County Auditors books, is 81, $685.
470. The school tax on this sum will be &c.
1854. This, distributed according to law
among the several school districts, will give
Bethel school district, S7S4.47; Bethesda
school district, $s1659; Broad River school
district, $6s5.21; Bullock's Creek school dis.
trict, $984.91; Catawba school district, ST.
42S.41; Cherokee school district, S545.14;
Ebenezer school district, $675.97; Fort Mill
school district, $7S9.25; Kings Mountain
school district $649.25; York school dis.
trict, $1,097.74; School district No. II, en-
bracing the incorporate limits Of Yorkville,
1920.
Besides the above amount, there are, in
York. county, 4,197 polls. Each poll is liable
to tax of one dollar, which is, BY the Con-
stitution of the State, to be applied to school
purposes. Each school district is entitled to
its own poll tax. The polls of the several
school districts in York county are as follows:
In Bethel, $50 Bethesda, 4S5; Broad
River, 2SS; Bullock's Greek, 495; Catawba,
GA; Cherokee, 307; Ebenezer, 321; Fort
Mill, 3Os; York School District and School
District No. II, $40. ..-us
It is probable that the past indebtedness Of
each school district will be paid by its own
poll tax. This, however, depends upon what
action the legislature may take in the matter.
Should this be the case, then those school dis.
tricts which have no past indebtedness, will
be able to use the poll tax of their school dis.
trict for present purposes
1t will be remembered by the people, that
the trustees of the several school districts are
the only persons who have any legal right to
employ teachers in their respective school
districts. The law, however, does not grant
the school trustees the power to foist teacher
upon community, in opposition to the wishes
of that community, or majority of it.
Hence, we advise that communities select
their own teachers, and that these teachers be,
employed by the school trustees,
provided the teachers have complied with the.
Of the law. : G5"...a