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

6Ou, 1c1OIo tuo
Association, on 27th September, 1870, by
W. O. Benet, Esq. OF Abbeyille.
trUBLIsHED BY REQUEST OF THE ASSOCIATION. ]
Mr. President and Ladies and Gentle
men of the anderson Educational Associa-
ton: When, some two months ago, I
addressed the Abbeville Teachers Asso-
citation on the subject of our public
schools, did not expect that the opin-
ions I advanced would be received so
pleasantly then and published so widely
afterwards. It seemed to me that be-
yond the intelligent and indulgent au-
dience who listened to Sme, my words
would fall like seed by the hard-trodden
wayside of educational discussion. 1t
was, therefore, gratifying to me person
ally, and satisfactory andicheering to me
as a citizen of South Carolina, to find
that my address was 70 some extent in
strumental in stirring up a lively and
prolonged discussion :on our public
schools, in which the newspapers in all
corners of the State took part. Still
more gratifying to me was your invita-
ton to come here and address you on the
same important subject; high compli-
ment which / did not look for, but for
which I thank you. I came at your call
the more readily because, since the Abb
beville meeting, the State press has re-
yealed to mesnot only the weak points in
my argument, but the strong points also /;
and gladly embrace this opportunity to
consider more at length those divisions
of'the subject which have received most
attention and provoked most discussion.
THE SUBJECT
which 7 was asked to bring before you is
not simply education-an inexhaustible
topic if considered in its widest sense !;
nor even public education, which is edu-
cation considered in its relation to the
State: but it is the public school system
of South Carolina. a consideration of
this subject saves us the fruitless, though
may be pleasant, task of reviewing the
boundless expanse of education; or even
of surveying the more limited though
still wide-extended domain OF public ed
ucation; and it enables us to concentrate
our powers of vision and our thoughts, as
it were, with a focus, in thorough ex-
animation and close inspection of our
own educational feld-our public school
system. I did not come here to deliver
an oration-the field ask you to survey
with me contains few flowers of rhetoric.
I came here to talk, to talk plainly, prac-
tically, strongly, with clearness and SIM
plicity. am not teacher; / can there
fore advocate the teachers cause without
being charged with doing so iucri causa.
I am not a politician, and therefore I
need not busy myself to say only such
things as may be agreeable to my hearers.
I came here at your request to give you
the result of some years experience and
much reflection in connection with our
public schools; asubject of infinite im-
portance to us all; a subject surrounded
with great difficulties and giving rise to
an endless diversity of opinions; a SUBJ
ject which with US in South Carolina is
the vital question of the day. On this
subject I have much more to say than
can we'll be overtaken in public ad-
dress. I therefore throw myself on your
indulgence in case may trespass on
your patience-which / am anxious not
to do-and without further preliminary
remarks shall first address myself to a
brief review of the history of
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Iu this State from the earliest period of
her colonial history, attempts, more or
less successful, have been made to estab-
lish systems of public education more or
less liberal, the first State-aided school
having been founded in Charleston in
17l0. We then read of State colleges
being established about ITO at Charles
ton, Winnsboro, Alexandria and Cam
bridge. Then in 1905 was founded the
South Carolina College, with whose his
tory and noble work we are all acquaint-
ed. Down to this date the efforts of the
State in behalf of education had all been
directed towards higher education, and
the benefcent results were such as to
justify the proud boast of the South Car
olinians of the eighteenth century that
throughout their Commonwealth high
schools, grammar schools and colleges
were offering classical education to all
their sons, and that in addition more stu
dents went to the British Universities
from this State than from any other of
the thirteen colonies.
THE "PooR SCHOOLS"
Poverty and population increase par;
passu. At the beginning of this century
the greatly increased population of this
State included a numerous class of poor
people who were unable to bear the en-
tire burden of the education of their chill.
drep. Therefore, in 1911 State appro-
priation was made for the benefit of
"poor scholars" The appropriation was
small, but as the benefciaries we're COM
paratively few in number, (all being
white children the class of poor whites
really obtained more substantial aid then
than is DOW obtained by them from our
vast public school fund. For instance,
the INDECENT white people in Abbeville
County before the war obtained about
$4,000 a year from the poor school fund !;
now the entire white population receive
from the public school fund only about
$1,000 year. With some changes and
improvements in 1888, this old free
school Tor rather free scholar) system was
continued until the war. In thus aiding
higher education (which is not remune-
rative nor selfsustaining), and also pay
ing for the education of the INDECENT
poor, South Carolina pursued wise and
enlightened policy, and fulfilled towards
her white population her whole duty as
State in the matter of education.
THE EFFECTS OF THE WAR
was utterly subversive of the ante bclIum
system of education. All State aid and
State-aided educational institutions were
swept away as by deluge. When the
war was over, the people Of South Caro-
lima saw that all old things had passed
away, and behold all things had become
new. Among the new things the most
striking was the enfranchisement Of the