The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-08-24
Our Free Education.

Our Free Education.
The State is taking much inter,
est in the subject Of free education.
There are signs of it on every hand.
Some Of these signs are: l, The
nomination Of Col. Thompson for
Governor 2, The reopening of
the S. G. University; 3, The re-
opening Of the Citadel Academy;
4, The Normal Institute. Are the
practical results commensurate with
all these outward signs of interest ?
Is not the free school system IN
this State theoretical, rather than
practical? We believe it is. We
believe, further, that the children
of the State do not derive one
fourth the benefit from the free
schools that officers and teachers
do. Look at the results, and see
if we are not correct. The school
fund may be roughly summarized
as follows:
Constitutional Tax. $500, 600
Poll Tax. l75,OOO
S. G. University. ........ 12,50O
Citadel Academy. ........ $4,000
With this large fund of over half 8
million, has there been that general
diffusion OF learning and that ad-
vancement among the children that
would rightly be expected? Where
are the fruits of this grand system {?
It is a grand system-in theory !;
but in practice it has been, and still
is, deficient. The people should
not be satisfied with glittering gen.
eralities about free education. Fine
speeches, high-sounding eulogies
count for naught. There is no
doubt that q thorough reform is
needed and the watchword of that
reform should be, the greatest pos
siale good to the children. The
school system is managed honestly;
but in too much of slip-shod style.
We need feacsr and better schools,
as q rule. We need only so many
schools IS will give all the children
a chance to attend. We need the
wseaing out of all teachers who are
not fit morally; Intellectually and
by training to teach successfully
the free school system should not
be made an infrmary, nor en- asylum
for men and women out Of a job
we need competent teachers. We
need a Superintendent Of Education
shat will overlook the whole field;
will post himself as to every portion
of it, and will know 1t as thoroughly
as a railroad Superintendent knows
every mile, every trestle and every
cut and every employee on his road,
and who Will see that every teacher
is competent and that he does his
duty, and that there are nc more of
them than necessary. There is no
sense in paying ten men to do work
that FIVE men can do. We need, as
a general thing, 8 better class Of
School Commissioners throughout
the Counties; especially do We need
School Commissioners who will see
to it that there are not too many
schools and that no unfit teachers
are employed. We need, as rule,
3 better class Of Trustees; men
who know what constitutes g good
teacher, and will see that there are
schools enough, but not one more
than is needed. We need that free
schools should be made in fact as in
name free. We need that the free
schools should be run on strict
principles Of business economy. 4
man who would run his farm in the
loose, slip.shod style upon which
thefree schoolsare conducted might
be able to make very pretty speeches
at grange meetings and agricultural
fairs and write nice articles on
farming for the papers but he
would soon find himself without a
farm.
The Greenbackers are quite nu-
in some parts Of Oconee