The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-09-04

other than their rCal reasons !Of opposing
the State in an effort TO discharge her
high responsibility i'll educating her
sons.
It is said that VIC have colleges enough.
This we believe to be an error. we necu
in Columbia, a college of a high grade OF
education where the Stats may bring to-
gether her young mon, where all can
meet on Il common level, and where
merit is the true standard Of a mans
worth. We are an active people, ana II
we do not keep pace in education, Il
position as an educated people VII!
be one lower than that which she former
lv held, Let the State University be
closed. and tho standard Of education i'll
South Carolina will be lowered. The re-
suit will be that there will be less de-
mand for UNCONVENTIONAL education. Edu-
cation grows upon what 1t fccds. Inc
moro We have the more we want. me
possession of the boon by one, STIMULATES
another to seek it also. The more Col
lcres we have, the more education the
people will demand. Competition is the
life of business and in no business docs
it manifest such good effects as in the
educational pursuits. AS proof OF this
we need only to call attention to the fact
Of the many colleges that have sprung up
in this State under the shadow Of the
South Carolina College.
The remarks in the article from the Id
rocutc about wholesome religious in
struction'' in UNCONVENTIONAL colleges is
perhaps more unfair than any expression
made in the article. 1t would seemingly
claim a degree of purity for dcnomina-
tional teachings which the writer would
have the reader believe docs not exist in
other Colleges. This is unfair, and can
be justified only on tho assumption of a
want Of information on the subject.
It is a we'll known fact that there
was no lack of Chritian instruction in the
South Carolina College, and the high char
attcr OF the young gentlemen III attend
ancc upon its cxerciscs will bear us out i'll
the assertion that they were as we'll be-
haved as those in any Of the dcnomina-
tional institutions. On the principle that
religious training was lacking in the
South Carolina College, the editor of the
4idrocnte should oppose the common
public schools Of the country. AS a rule
the teachers are selected for their fitness
for the position, and not becarsc Of their
religious faith. Tho children of all de-
nominations attend the schools. The
question ofreligion docs not enter. Good
morals and "simple faith arc taught.
There are no "denominational' public
schools. AS soon as a teacher should be-
gin to rroselytc his or,her scholars from
the faith of their parents. the teacher
would lose his situation. The Aduocatc
now proposes to throw q slur at the South
Carolina College because it fails to do
that which would not be tolerated for a
moment in a common ncighborhood
school. If dcnominational Colleges are
what their names imply-they teach tho
tenets of their particular faith while i'm
parting literary instruction. For this
reason a Professor in an institution Of
this Find is chosen as muchfor his zeal in
the faith as for his literary attainmcnts.
We would be glad to see this war on
the State University ended. She is now
PROSTATE sleeping the Lilliputians
wouldIun riot over her body. She may
yet rise, despite their efforts to fasten
down, throttle and kill an institution
which has done more for South Carolina
than can well be computed. There is
room for all. The demand for dcnomi-
national education will not be lessened
by the opening of the South Carolina
University, but the probability is, that
education would receive such an i'm
petus, that through generous rivalry, all
would do better in the future than they
have done in the past.