The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-02-07
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
Como Very Original Views on tho Educn-
ticnal Question.

some Very Original Views on tho Educa.
ticnal Question.
The following were the remarks OF
Gen. Gary in the Senate on Monday last
OH the bill to provide for the organization
of the State University:
1fr. President and Gentlemen Of the Ssm-
ale: am opposed to the passage of the
bill now before the Senate. I object to
that portion of the resolution that saws
.:that said universities or colleges shall
forever enjoy precisely She same privi.
leges and advantages with regard to their
standards Of earning and tie amount of
money TO be appropriated by the State for
their maintenance" I regard this reso.
luton as violation of the uniform prin.
ciple of legislation adopted by ell! law
makers, that is: to try and meet the
demands aud wants OF the citizens with
out regard to race, color or previous con-
dition of servitude. To give to the col.
leges 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 princi-
ple of supply and demand regulating the
appropriation made to these universities
and colleges. It is an admitted fact chat
nearly all of the taxes paid in this State
ARE paid by the white race, and it would
be an unjust discrimination in favor of
the colored race TO give them an equal
amount of money for their universities
and colleges as you give to those of the
white race. The fifteenth amendment of
the United States Constitution only ap-
plies to any denial or abiijgment of the
right of the citizens to cote on account of
"race, color or previous condition of SER
vitude." 1t does not apply to restrictions
or differences in educational advantages.
l object to the section of :he bill that
makes the South Carolina College and
Clafiln College one University. i am in
favor of keeping the two colleges sepa-
rate and distinct as the resolution advises
and directs. It is, in my Judgment, for
the best interest of both races to keep
them apart; God has made us two races
of people, and any effort to unite us upon
the same educational plane, must prove
q disaster. to both. The black line of
separation and difference that has been
drawn by the hand Of Providence cannot
be changed by the puny fingers of man.
AS we'll might you attempt to unite oil
and water. There has never, as yet, ap-
peared Siamese twins composed of q
negro and o white man, and when it
does it will be regarded as monstrosity
in nature; so this attempt 10 connect The
South Carolina College BY legislative lig.
aments with Claflin University must
shock the sensibiIities of the Caucasian
race everywhere.
further object to the bill on the ground
that there would be no legal barrier pre-.
venting the negro students of Claflin
University entering the South Carolifla
College. Article 10, section 10 of the
Consultation 0f this State, reads as fol.
lows: "All the public schools, colleges
and universities of thir 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, without regard
to ract or color" If you will inspect the
bill you will see that there has been made
no distinction as to race or color, or to
who may be admitted into these colleges.
In section 10th of the bill it says: "There
shall bs admitted into each college of the
University one student from each county
of the State, who shall be entitled to tut
tion free of chargcs;" but it docs not
specify that the one that enters Ciafin
University must be black, and the one
that is admitted to the SouLh Carolina
College must be white; both may be
black or both white, OF they may COM
promise upon q mulatto. There is no
protection from this in the bill, nor can
there be- any until the 10th section of the
10th article of the Constitution of the
State is isamended. The necessities of the
State demand the early convocation of
a 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 broad, Just, progressive
and liberal system of education, but
am in favor of making haste slowly in
this matter.
am opposed to the 14th and 18th sec-
tons of the bill, authorizing the board
of trustees to establish such schools as
they see tit, esd prescribing such course
of Studies na they may select. desire
to reserve this right to the General As
sembJy, and. there is 10 subject mora
worthy OF the most n,;nutsst Legislative
action than that of education. 1t under
lies our future welfare and greatness.
The object of all education is to disci-
pline the mind. This has been uniyer-
sally conceded as the grand objective
point in every system Of education. The
next point is now to preserve this great
desideratum and at the samo time teach
the student auch branches as will disci-
pline his mind and OF the same time pre-.
pare and fit him foE the duties of good
and successful citizon. We must pre-
serve this discipline of the mind, and
atill give the student practical, instead
of an ornamental. education.
It is true that anything that is taught
in schools and colleges confers some de-
gree of benefit upon the scholars, but in
an age where so much is 10 be learned,
We must keep abreast with the progress
sive spirit Of, the times. The system we
should inaugurate must keep pace with
the advanced ideas upon education. In
England and in America the eclectic
system has been adopted. If we wish o
vigorous growth in our future system, VIC
must cut away the dead limbs limbs s!;,ss
Pede its perfect development.
The study of Latin and Greek must be
dropped from the curriculum of our
schools and colleges. They are dead
languages, and should be allowed to
s'eep quietly in their tombs. Whatever
was valuable in their authors has long
since been translated into the living
languages; and why take ten years 10
learn to. read them in the original, as q
task, Gyhen you might read them in day
or so in @ good translation? Life is too
short to study dead languages, or to
dream over dead issues. We have to
grapple with the present, and prepare for
the future.
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