The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-11-03
THE STATE MILITARY ACADEMY.
Economy Combined with Enicie cy-Ibe
System of Education for the .Afmes.

EcohohiS Compinec with Efftcie Lcy-1ht
System of Education for the Afmes.
notice that ii is proposed TO reopen
the cold Citadel" Academy under the
same system that caused it to achieve
such success in the past
II this is accomplished it will solve O
problem that has cccasioned much solicit
tude in the minds Of many parents in
this State
The cause Of advanced education has
been sadly neglected and the small per.
centage of our youth who are now re.
ceiving collegiate education is truly
appalling. This, too, in the face of the
undoubted fact that higher state OF
culture will be needed to excel, in the
walks of life, in the next generation
than has been required in this.
The colleges of more prosperous States
are hlled with young men eager to com.
pete with our own, on our own soil, ard
with equal merit and more attachments
will excel them whenever they are
brought into contact Oh anything like
equal terms.
/ Our people are willing and nxn.ous to
! give an education TO their sons, and to
deny this il. any individual instance
would be equivalent to Offering an insult
to the person alluded to.
What, then, is the cause Of this appa-
rent apathy? The entire South has suf-
| icrcd from the effects OF the war, and
more particularly the misgo, crnment
which pillaged us afterwards. Nowhere
have these terrible consequences been
more kcenly felt than in our own State.
!i'arcnts readily plead as an excuse their
inability to provide for their sons the
expensive courses of n college life when
the tuition is high, and the emulation of
youth in extrayagant display is too fre.
quently regarded as one Of the neccessa.
ries of existence.
To have q military school with a high
standard of education will in u measure
counteract this plea and bring within the
means of many the ability to provide for
their sons. The discipline though not
severe and tempered to the age of the
pupil expressly provides that every mo.
ment of time shall be strictly accounted
for, and thus habits of indulgence and
opportunities to vie with each other in
lavish display and expensive pleasures
are avoided. The very dress is prescrib.
cd, from the style of cap to tho precise
cut and particular make of the shoe. To
vary i'll the minutest point is punisha-
bic, and the minimum Of expense in
dress is obtained.
Admirable as this may be in military
schools generally, how much more so
would it be if, under the patronage of
the State, tho "old Citadel Academy"
was revived? There the State gave the
education and sought to derive nothing
more than the privilege Of rearing her
young men to adorn and uphold her rep
utation, regarding it cheap if in the cx-
pendlture OF an otherwise generous sum
only one, SHOULD in the day of peril
defend the Nation, and, like Perry,
cover this country with the mantle of
his own glory; if only one Of them, in
the holy offices Of religion, should illum-
inc the path Of virtue and purity; if
only one of them should ably advocate
in the Senate the liberties of the country
and the rights of the people 10 say moth
ing of that more numerous but no less
important class who would be hereby
fitted for the unambitious, but useful
offices of private life"
No profit was expected to be derir,:d
and the youth was educated mt the least
possible cost. The charge for pay
cadet was 5000 per annum; out of this.
sixty dollars was returned to the student
direct, in the shape of clothing, the re-
mainder, one hundred and forty dollars
per annum, served to pay for his board,
fuel, lights and washing. His tuition
and text books were gratis. His disc-
pine was perfect, and without cost he
was taught that honor was the goal of his
ambition, and soldier and gentleman in
It's purest sense were Synonymous terms.
More than this, thirty or forty benef-
Charles were yearly admitted, as the ap-
propriations permitted, from the mcrito.
rious but poorer youths who were unable
TO provide anything towards their OWL
support These were apportioned to
each judicial district according to the
population and the taxable property in
cluded therein; and perhaps the most
beautiful and admirable portion of the
system then Ienforccd was that this
youth was not made 10 feel his depen-
dence, but all were on an even plane.
With elbow touching in the ranks no
one knew whether his neighbor was
"pay" or beneficiary" and as no oppor.
tunity was given for display, this was
not ascertained even though your COM
rade was your classmate or your room
mate.
At no better time, therefore, than the
present could this subject have been
breached. Many Of our people are re-
covering the independence, and would
be glad to have the opportunity of edu-
eating their sons at figure within their
means, and the reopening of the State
Military Academy will in greater meas
ure than any other plan known achieve
that result.
BY all means then let it be done, and
the sooner the better.
ECONOMY.