The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-08-06

you can but give him maximum second
class wages. Some communities might o.
ject to the rank given to their schools; but OBJ
jcctions are found In all important matters.
This feature would have the advantage OF bet
ter regulating pay according to labor and ire
sponsibility.
The plan adopted bysome local boards, to
assess each patron q small monthly amount
to keep up the salary during the free term
will not, In my Judgment. prove successful.
some will bear it, while Others Will not. As
Il genera rules society will insist that %nat-
ever time the public schools are open, they
shall be absolutely free. The selfimposed To-
cal or township tax you'd meet the end bet
ter II the law were re-enacted. with the right
TO vote limited to land holders. The great OBJ
lection to 1t before was that It could be I'M
posed by persons that had no property 10 nc
affected by 1t. and who could absorb II for
their own use. / think properly holders
might be safely trusted with the power to tax
themselves for such an object.
Another plan which, though 1t must work
slowly, Should be kept before the generous,
viz. donations and requests: 1t Is true We
are n poor people, Ill prepared to make bcnc-
i~actioils. Still 1t Is to be hoped we are I'M
proving. and that each year VIII lind US fur.
Sary for men to possess p%rlneeIy fortunes to
be generous. Many nal benclnctionS
would do the schools more good than q few
largd ones. n he who plants Il tree 10 shade
postcrity. Is n hcncInctor, surely he VINO
POUNDS u house OF instruction for youth con
fcrs u more lasting benefit on posterity. Such
acts are not unfrcqucnt In the history OF col
lcges. In fact all the private Colleges FOR
young men are either founded or supported
in this way, and ways similar. Would that
donations were more frequent during the life
of donors, that they might personally see the
fruits Of their muniticcnce. Memory can ask
for no more honorable and enduring monu-
mcnt. What rejecting citizen In the county
t1nns not ruynrn tho mnmOrv of DIR. D1 La
Howe?
Every youth that finishes the curriculum
OF LcthG Is another syllable that continues To
spell out his heightened praise.
Why can 1t not be made popular for men 10
leave small lcgacies TO schools as well us TO
Colleges? Persons need not fear that n fund
of this kind would ultimately waste for want
OF Il succession OF school officers. Nor need
they fear that any OF our thrifty communities
will ever become too sparcc In population 10
need IL school. Our white citizens ut least
will continue to pack rather than dispersc.
In these considerations, l may not have W.
salary of teachers. Other members OF this
Association may differ with me In all nave
suggested, and think others better. No doubt
we all agree that teachers are not paid III pro.
their work. 1t is not beyond the Legitimate
operations OF this society of teachers and
friends of education to help TO raise more gen
cr0us views in the public mind In regard &c
any and I'LL plans submitted or individually
entertained. TO teach men to appreciate and
support educational enterprise Is u part Oh cd
ucation itself.
Hon.. d. w. Aiken, our Representative III
Congress, and Professor Marcllant, OF Granite
vile, being present, Colonel J.. $. Cothrar
moved that they be invited to seats on this
floor as honorary members. Carried.
Hon. d. W. Aiken,
in response, rose and spoke somewhat rs fol.
lows:
Mr.. President: THANK this convention FOL
the unexpected honor conferred upon me. !
know not what to say on this occasion, but
feel so deep m interest In education that | nm
sure the convention will indulge me In g
word or two. / dissent from the views e1
| pressed by Professor Morton In reference II
abollshing the use Of the rod In schools. In
your address. Mr.. President, you yourself SCI
| out very well on the proper use of the rod
| but I think, sir, In the last part OF your speech
| you went back on what you said at the !hrst
You seemed to take it all back. (Laugh'cr.
tam OF education which requires a child t.
go to school from the time he Is six years Ole
| until he is eighteen, before he Is prepared 10
College. l am opposed to the sending OF chii
drcn to schOol before they are ten years old
When they arc sent to school $ 'oner they nr,
! very apt to acquire n distaste for books, ant
literary pursuits. l govern my W. children
on this principle. The fhcti Is, ! do not likct
trust the training Of my children to others he
fore they arrive at that age. In one instanc'
I varied from this rule Of not sending M,
children to school before they were ten year
old, and If one Of my children Is moro Stupi'
than the rest, It Is the one sent to School nc
fore he was ten years old. will give my owl
experience. When I was y small hoy [ wa
| sent to Mount Zion school taught by Mr.. Hud
son. IF I mistake not 1t was 4 graded scho0
SIS good us that system now so ably and lorcl
bly, presented by Professor Morton Of Green
VILE. The Professor. l think, said In tn
Knoxville graded school there was not NOR
than one In four hundred of the children VIII,
were punished. We'll. now Mr.. President
that may Ito very nicely for Tennessee. but
tell you, sir, If Mr.. Hudson had adopted an.
such infrcqucnt use Of the rod. he would hav
had the merricst crowd OF boys to be iotln'
anywhere. But rs IL was, he used tho rod Tree
~, and tho result was. as well behaved asset {
boys as could be found anywhere, not eHcept
Ing In the Knoxville Graded School OF whic
my friend speaks. We were divided int
classes and taught In different rooms. by. rs
; siStant teachers much after the fashion or Ill
graded schools of the present day, ana IL wa
not uusil n boy was admitted into Mr.. HUI,
sons room TINT he was prepare for college,
this room the how reached by successive step
from the loves. up. ! was sent 10 thlS Scno1
whcn uuitc young and was prepared for CO
lcgc when sixteen years OF age, but my Iathe
unwilling for me to graduate until WI
twcnty-Onc, kept me two years longer ~ I'M
school than was necessary. During tlat nm
I reviewed and forgot much that had q
ready learned. This time Was lost ana
would nave been better II I had not startc
to school as early as / did, so that when, l oil
start I might have gone straight through.
The difficulty Of ttlling the office OF tcarhe
has been alluded to more than one: on TN
floor. When I was Il boy I had Il Thought {
becoming Il teacher. I taught two years an
become fully convinced hat ! had not bee
.. called TO preach. [Laughtcr.l a slip or IN
Tongue, Mr.. President, l meant to say that
had not tceu called to teach. I come neo
losing all the lOrbearancc ! ever nad, an
sought n different arocation.
The Kindergarten system OF tehchlhe ~
humbug. ! have had bOokssentto neon III
subject and 1 have given 1t considerable q
tcntion and I see no use OF 1t Whatever, OK
crpt on plantations where there are !!arg
numbers Of little negroes: ihcn INN
some old mania might .prOtltably teach ~
system. The benefit derived would DC,
| Keeping them out Of mischief.
Feeling rs great an interest liz education :
I do. | c;lnnOt refrain from mentioning III
great indifference on the part OF the VIII,
Dcoplc in reference to educating their CHI
drcn. A white ma will not let his. CHI
walk two miles 10 school, while negro chi
drcn pass my house every day goln. nVc {
six miles to school. The negroes seem MOI
eager for education than our "wDpcoplc. NJ
President, you would be astnnishcd to knu'
how ilr we ave refrigerated In cducntioii;
matters from our historic record or the pas
There are large numbers OF %!rite men !
every township Of the county who canine
read and who DO not caro- to Sead tiictr chi
drcn to school. There Is much Ignorance /
.tbbcviKe County. would mention one fac
l have met farmers, owning three mule arm:
who did not even know the names Of the VI
lagc newspapers. This l regard u lalnenLlD!
state Of affairs.
With these remarks I leave the matter &c
discussion by men with fewer children an
larger experience.
Professor Marcliant,
of Grnnlteviile, in acknowledgement OF tn
courtesy extended to him, rose and spok
somewhat after this manner
Mr.. President: After thanking this associi
ton for the privilege accorded to me, / beg {
differ from the gentleman who has Just take
his seat. | have had the honor OF tcachil
the children Of the operatives of the Granite
VILE manufacturing Company for ten year!
and think that l know something about litti
children. That company for many years M
annually paid one thousand dollars to teacl
charity. These children come to me In ever
condition. From the dirty little urciin tn,
bears unmistaken evidence OF his need to b
plungedin the tub to the cleaner and bette
crate parents, and but for the muniflcun
charity of the Ganiteyille Manufacturing
Company they would grow up IN Ignorance
l find among them many bright minds VIII
readily take to their books. but who If tn
honorable ConGressman's views were ndoptc'
would be forever barred the privilege and nd
vantages OF an education. These poor chill
drcn have to go TO work in the factory Mt tel
years of age. All the education they ever &c
III school is received before that time. Why
sir, | have children In my school not NOR
than three years old, and I tell you that the!
make. progress. l can teach q chile
more between four and five years Of age. than
any man can teach one between fifteen ant
sixteen whose education has been neglected
to that age. In reply to what the gentleman
would say thai children from the Nnndcns'