Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-10-28

teotion." EVory parent endeavors to maiu-
tain bis child, and every one will protect
him from bodily harm, but, Education !!
how many neglect this all important pro-
vision7
Now lot US look at the bad effects Of our
'sPublic School System" 80 called. Tho
first drawback, or rather the greatest, ia our
'Publc" some times called "Frco School
System" The injury that it is doing our
County is almost inoonceivable, except to
those who have had to deal with it. A
number of the people rely on tho public
funds to educate their children, and they
either will not or cannot see that it is en-
tircly inadequate to meet the necessity of the
tunes or the purposes for which it was in
tended. AS have had occasion before to
remark, the public funds only run the
schools on au average about threo months,
and any person that will giyo it any con.
sdcration at all, will soon find out that to
send child to school for three months each
year, instead OF nine or ten, is merely con-
suming so much tiue to little or no purpose.
Let them consult the most eminent teach
ers, and they will tell them the same thing.
Ono of three things must be done with this
system. We must either do away with it
entirely, or give what money is collected for
FREQ school purposes to those children that
are not actually able to pny their tuition,
OF raise nino or ten mills tox in order to
have free schools in the true sense of the
word. You will lind persons opposed to all
the plans mentioned above; and especially,
will you find them opposed to the idea of
lcvying ten mill tax or raising any ad-
dtional tax at all. Some may ask, ifa
State has the light to tnx the property of
one person to pay for the education Of the
children Of lis less fortunate ncighbor and
[ answer that it has am welded to no
particular idea on the subject. l only ask
some Que to show us the way out Of tho
darkness, and will gladly follow; there
fore do not advocate more than any other
the plan Of lcvying heavier ak than we now
have to pay for school purposes, but I will
simply state why think that a State has
the right TO tax her people for educational
purposes. She has tho right, not because
q man who has q competence owes an edu-
cation to his less fortunate ncighbor not
because the unfortunate or indo,cnt has
claim upon the State; and not because the
State owes on education to the worthy or
the unworthy; hut because the State owes
it to hclself her life depends on it. TO
make those that possess the sovereign power,
aud those that WELD her destinics, iutelli-
gent, she must use every means in her
power. AS the State has the right to build
forts and men Of war, aud to own, equip and
to train armies, to protect herself FROM the
| invasion Of foes from without; so she has
| the right to cducate the masses for tho
purpose of averting from herself, by elcvat
| ing tho moral character of her citizens, the
irretricyablo ruin that would follow from
entrusng the making and execution of her
laws to an uncducated people. Life, liber-
ty and property depend upon this. There
is great cry among our people that they
are not able 70 educate their children.
Now, il this DO the case, what can We do Z
Does it not appear that tho State will have
to take the matter in hand In Michigan,
the tax per pupil, is over twenty dollars
and we complain at three dollars. II we
are not able now, when will we be able ?
Will We wait until we grow richer? Will we
be more able next wcckgor next year? Will
it be when The present generation has grown
up in ignorance, and tho generation that is
to follow, is trcading in the same old paths,
and wo have passed away?
Our people are depending on the public
funds, and crying that they are not able to
do more, aud urging other excuses now
the question arises What is to be done
This question must be answered by the
people. They must arouse themselves and
60 to work in earnest. | will admit, that
number Of our citizens would be strained
very much to educate their children, but
they must expect to make some sacrifices in
order to this. Tuition now is very low, and
from ten to twelve dollars will send child
one year to any of our common schools.
Now where is the man in this oountry of
ours, where wo can make every thing SO
p'enifully, that cannot in twelve mouths
save that amount to pay for tho tuition of
one Of his children at least2 | fear that
the necessity of an education is not suffi-
cieDtly realized by large number of the
people, to induce them to endcavor to