The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-04

relieve the parents entirely of the re
sponsibility of paying for their children
education, nor to render the school mas
ter entirely independent on payment b.
the parents, nor even to furnish tn
school-master with the greater part of hi
subsistence. The prime object is to en-
courage and help public education b,
supplying money, which shall serve as
species of retaining fee or premium, so a
to secure the constant services of ,
teacher able to instruct the young, ant
influenced by the strongest motives t.
perfect himself in his business, and to at
tract to his school the greatest number o
scholars.
THE PERFECT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
is not the one planned by Plato, b,
which children were to be taken il
charge by the State away entirely from
parental control, and in which q maj
could not tell his own father or mother
nor is it the Prussian bureaucratic plan
a central department controlling and di
recting all, which is so destructive of in
dividuality; nor is it the common loca
plan by which money and nothing else i
furnished by the government. The per
feet system is combination of the loca
and the governmental-it has an ener
getic local authority to get the work O.
teaching done, and q watchful govern
mental authority to superintend the worl
and test its quality. The parents on tht
one hand and the State government or
the other pay their proportionate share
of the expense and receive good return
for their money-the parents receive fol
their money the education of their chill
dren, the government receives proof tina
the education is good. The uncondi
tional distribution of the school fund il
demoralizing to the parents and unsatis
factory to the government.
But, say some, granting that it is the
duty of the State o. to establish Norma
Schools and (2) County High Schools
and (3) to appoint State School Inspec,
tors, and (4l to make the school fund
supplemental, is the way clear and oper
for the performance of those duties
Where is the money to come from for the
first three? and is not the Constitution in
the way of the fourth? This question
brings me to discuss
THE CONSTITUTION IN ITS RELATION
TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
1t is not my desire to "drive an omnibu:
through an Act of Parliament" nor, fol-
lowing a historical example, to "camE
outside the Constitution" It is my de.
sire, and my honest endeavor shall be, to
correct what / believe to be misinterprc.
tations of our Constitution, and the con-
sequent mistakes. In what shall say on
this head I shall argue honestly from the
ipsissin,a verba of the Constitution. 1t is
generally supposed that our public
schools are free schools. 1 believe that
the words of our Constitution justify me
in saying that
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT FREE
SCHOOLS.
This will seem to many to be bold state
ment, but I hope to show that much
bolder man than I am is the man who
will maintain that the schools are free in
the face of the consequences that flow
from that understanding of the Constitu'
ton.
I find in Art. X, Sec. 8, that "the Gen,
eral Assembly shall, as soon as practica
BILE, after the adoption of this Constitu
ton, provide for a liberal and uniform
system of free public schools throughout
the State. There shall be KEEP
open at least sic months in each year one
or more schools in each school district
In Section we read that "it shall bt
the duty of the General Assembly to pro
vide for the compulsory attendance, Al
either public or private schools, of al
children between the ages of six and six
teen years, not physically or mentally
disabled, for term equivalent to ta0enty
four months at least: provided, that nc
law to that effect shall be passed until s
system of public schools has beer
thoroughly and completely organized
and facilities afforded to all the inhab
itants of the State for the free education
of their children"
These are the words Of the Constitution
referring to our public school system
What do they mean? 1t is quite plair
that the trainers of the Constitution in
tended to effect the organization of q tre'
public school system; it is also equally
plain that they proposed to make atten
dance at the free schools compulsory; ant
also to keep these schools open at leas
Sir months in each year. A rigid anG
fair Interpretation of the Constitution
shows that these three characteristics e
together, ~ when the schools are free
(2) attendance at them shall be comput
sorry, and ~ their minimum session shall
be six months. These three condition!
stand or fall together By no law of in
depreciation can we be justified in taking
one and neglecting the other two. W.
cannot hold to the one and despise tht
others. If the "liberal aud uniform sys
TEN of free public schools" contemplated
in the Constitution has been provided
for" why are not these schools "kep
open at least six months in each year"
and why has not the General Assembly
provided for the compulsory attendance
at either public or private schools, of al
children between the ages of six and six
Teen years is IL HoL oeCauSe IacllI
ties" have not yet been "afforded to al
the inhabitants of the State for the fire.
education of their children? The ave
rage public school session in this State il
three months attendance at the public
schools is not compulsory; is it not ;
misconstruction of the Constitution t.
claim that the public schools are free
The trainers of our Constitution borrowed
their idea of an educational system from
the Northern States, and there free edu
cation and compulsory attendance anc
minimum sessions of six months are tn,
lava law not always operative, how
ever.
FREE EDUCATION AND COMPULSORY
ATTENDANCE
are correlatives; they go hand-in-hand
and are logically inseparable. This is ;
maxim too often forgotten. What justi
fies the interference of the State in th'
education of the people? A due rcgart
to the security of society by the elevation
of the masses. What plea does the State
p,olya IN lavvipn toyo for ruh1io oduoo