Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-07-08

children are receiving anything like thor.
ough education. During the timc the pub.
lie schools arc open the schools arc full and
! everything looks chcery, but as soon as
they closo where arc we? You all know
this, and am only wasting your time re-
pcating it. Over two thirds Of our schools
close after tho three months public term to
remain closed for nino mouths. Is this
not progressing like that inevitable crab
backwards? This is certainly u reversed
order of things II should read open nine
months and closed three. Tho amount
paid per, capita by the.county will not ave :
rage two dollars, aud this same two dollars
is causing many u child to grow up in com
parativc Ignorance. When SEQ the evils
Of the public system Of cduco,ion booming
up before nc daily, and when have been
dcnliug with it in this State and Georgia
for nearly four years, can you ask mo to
praise it, and say that it is a good thing?
Can you ask nc to pander public senti
mcn;? If this people would only receive
the public funds as an aid, aud not depcuI
upon it to educate their chillrcp, then !
would say that as far as it went it VAS good,
but right here is tho trouble and right hcro
is whore the mischief is done. az | have
before shown you. 1t is too much depend
ed upon. We can lock upon it only as an
aid aud in no other light. It is an effort
by tho State to create stimulus for tho
advancement Of her educational Interests.
Call it by any name you choose and you can
make nothing moro out of it. We should
appreciate the effort. We should all love
our country, and VIC should rejocc in tl
prosperity. want to sec it grow in refine
ment, religion and morals. The essential
prop to this is education. Besides we want
a good healthy government, aud the prop
Of this cducation. We want to overcome
superstition aud Ignorance, and VIC want to
free or land of crime and the way to ac
compl;sh this is through cducnton. The
CRY is We must haze farmers to represent US.
Then. she should be, too, then tho farmers
mnst be educated Tho county nocls all
the intelligence that it can Sc! and We need
mcvs, since they arc tho bone and snaw of
the country. They arc the ones that arc
suffering most from our FREQ or public school
systom. ! want them fully Is appreciate
this fact, that it may arouse them properly
to their duty, for from the people must
como tho Improvement in the sys: en-. This
IS Democratic country and all laws come
from them. They arc the ones to raise the
cry of dissatisfaction or approval, and when
| public sentiment once flows in the same
aircction, it sweeps everything boforo it..
You may have as many Supcrintcndens of
| Education, MS you please, bat they arc
poworless without the aid and co operation
Of tho people. If ! have appeared harsh
to day or if have appeared little etllc-
rial, Oh if | have placed too high atan-
dard on educational matters, at least higher
than you think it is in our power to reach,
ascribc it to desire on MY part 10 gee our
old State improvcd-to sec individual man
raised far beyond tho level OF tho brute
creation--to create desire among us TO
keep toiling onward and upward to get you
to look at this public school system in its
proper light to benefit these children, for
they arc tho ones that arc suffering from it.
Now | beg every enc hero 10 day to thnl,
less of the few dollars expended in tho
education of their children, and to ,hn,:
more Ct tho amount OF their real advance,
mcnt. Lay aside the idea that the public
school system 10 efficient enough alcnc to
give your children proper education But
in the meanwhile discuss this subject
among yourselves, aud try 70 make o7ory
ono understand that it is inefficient as it
now stands 10, support in the true sense Of
the word free schools. Our public schools
are generally called free schools but this
is misnomcr. In conclusion allow me to
state that l. have not gono into causes aud
effects. My time would not permit nc to
DO so, but have only .jottcd donna few focts
which may servo as grounds for thought.