Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-06-09
Views of Hon. &. ID. Tiliman on
Educational Reform.
CLARK 5 HILL, s. c. |
- NAV Z. 1881. &.
Editoy Journal and Re1aeay

your note of the 18th nlt., request,
ing my views for publication on GER
tain proposed reforms in our public
system, which you are agltatiag in
the Journal and Rer'ear.
have carefully read your splen-
did editorials and the capital letters
of Mvssrs. Henderson, Croft, Aldrich
and others, on the subject. 1t seems
TO me thai you and they have ex-
hausted the argument, and that moth
ing remains to be done but to enact
most OF the suggested amendments
iato obligatory law according to our
means and surroundings. No one
ought to oppose, and no one who is
imbued with the spirit o! his time
will oppose, au enlargement of the
curriculum and an extension oil the
usefulness Of "ur public schools. The
tendency OF. the agein all civilized
countries. whether despotic, monarch
ical or Republican, is towards the in
crease and diffusion of knowledge
among every class of society. In
fact, intelligence is fast becoming the
dominating power OF the world. To-
day it governs both religion and the
moral sense in the United States,
where spirit OF discovery and prog
ress is steadily undermining and over
throwing tradition and conservatism.
Nor need anyone he shocked at this,
because Republicanism selt:govern-
ment. and wise aelf-government is
chiefly based on knowledge, since
knowledge promotes virtue, and vir-
tue and knowledge are the corner
stones of liberty and progress. lg-
norance ls not the mother OF devo-
tion either to God o. to the State, as
was formerly contended. On the
contrary, it is the mother OF super
stition, stagnation. tyranny, crime,
poverty aud misery.
But 1t ls waste OF tins 10 argue
the necessity ofimproved school faclli-
ties among our people. The adop-
tion OF the Constitutional amendment,
IN 1876, levying tax Of two mills
on all property tor school purposes,
by an almost unanimous vote, shows
Snuu South Carolina is alive to the in
calculable Importance OF educating her
children, especially her colored chill
dren. Although about two thirds of
our present heavy school tax is lev
leo upon property, and although near
ly all that property is owned by the
white people, yet the latter cheerful
ly pay it, while largely more than
halt Of the resources from the tax is
expended TO support colored schools.
Tins single fact is sufficient answer
to all the Pharlsaical slanders of North
cru Republicans that we are averse
to educating colored children. That
charge Is made only to furnish pre-.
text Tor opposing the appropriation
OF The proceeds of public lands or
any other money out OF the Federal
Treasury to help educate the millions
OF Ignorant slaves that the Pharl-
sees have made voters, although
the same Pharisees sold thousands OF
the ancestors OF these slaves to the
South and many OF the slaves Them
selves. | mention this fact because
in shaping our public school iolicy [
do Lot expect. however much may
hope, that the, United States will ever
assist to any considerable extent to
lessen the mass OF colored ignorance
that they have injected into the fran
chise at the South. J say this reiac-
tantIy but deliberately, as the result
of my observation of the temper OF
the Northern people and OF my ex-
perience az member "i the Com
ln!ttee on Education and Labor in the
last Congress. The same seltishness,
sectional hatred and love oil 20 er
which prevent the pensioniug OF the
few surviving soldiers Of the Flor
ida and Mexican Wars because
most of those soldiers were from the
South, while thousands Of the very
bummers and, camp-folowers OF tine
Federal Army in the civil war are
pensloned will likewise prevent ma
tional aid to educate The Southern
negro. Still another reason is thai
ii our negroes were educated, they
would either become Democrats or
at all events cease to be tools Of
either carpet-baggers, scalawags or
demagogues: neither of which results
will promote the designs OF Rspubli-
can party leaders at the North, who
desire to keep the negro lnignorahce,
because he can then be better used
as d factor to preserve their sectional
supremacy and to destroy State Gov
ernments.
The only measure hitherto discuss
ed in Congress proposing national
help to educate the Southern negro,
was a bill to divide the proceeds OF
the sale of public lands among all
the States, according to population
except that during the ten first years
the apportionmeut should be accord
ing to llliteracy. This-had the bill
passed-would have given the South
ern States considerable advantage
TOR few years, bit it did not pass
iu any form granting one cent more
to Southern than to Northern
s ate for educational purposes. ln'
deed the chances are against dividing
the sales OF the public lands even equal
ly among the States for school or any
other purposes, because all political
parti IS in the many new States and
Territories where the land ia siturte
favor either a gilt OF it to The State
and Territo.y where it liea, or q do
nation of it as free homestead to
actual settlers with aview to attract
population TO the great Northwest
This latter promises now to become
the ultimate destination OF the vas'
public domain. Not only do the
local State and Territorial Govern
ments desire it, but there is rapidly
growing sentiment friendly to it, u
all Of tue old Middle and Eastern
IL D.,ll,oo, ,>.,rt