Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-06-29

prayer by Dr. Mullally aud brief saluta--
tory address by j. x. Lcgarc, Hon. Hugh
S. Thompson, State Superintendent of
Education, was introduced us the anniycr-
sary orator Of Adger College.
lilo set out by stating that occaeions like
tho present were always interesting, though
they were Of annual occurrence. It is
pleasant for the people 10 meet together on
such occasions aud pay tribute to knowl-
edge. While to do this they must leave
their harvest, they in return arc permitted
to join in this harvest of learning. It s
promise to tho industrious that seed time
and harvest shall never fail So, too, in
this great field Of usefulness there is sure
reward to those who faithfully discharge
their duties and apply themselves diligently
to the work before them. While property
may be Inherited, intelligence can only tc
acquired 1t cannot bo transmitted from
father to son, nor from generation to gencr-
alton. The knowledge of ono generation
may be preserved through tho medium of
books, but it can be acquired by the iudi-
v!dunl only BY toll aud pcrscvcriny study.
To reach aud utilize it education is necessary
and education comes through schools
Are We as State doing our full duty in
the matter Of cducation2 The right of
the State to supervise and promote cduca"
ton is as old as the government itself. 1t
is furthermore duty cf the highest order
II may be coptcndcd by some that the
State has no right or authority to take the
money Of one man to educate the children
of another. Ii this be admitted it might
be contcndcd that tho blessings and bur
dens of the government should be enjoyed
and suffered equally by all The good of
the State is the great object in view by all
governments, and whatever promotes this is
legitimate subject of legislation. We have
our courts aud jnils and pcnitcntiary and
charitabl. institutions, all of which arc dc
signed to promote the public welfare and
arc supported by monies levied generally
from those who have little uccd of them.
So, too, our public roads arc Of equal vauo
to all Of our citizens, and yet the expense
Of keeping them in repair is uncqually
borne.
The State requires duty of its citizens,
when called on, and it is its duty to prepare
them to NEE: such requirements as may be
made. During tho late war all our citizens
irrespective of property, were required to
serve the State, and many of them died Of
wounds, who were unable to write last
dying message Of love to their families or
even to read tho word Of God.
The victories OF poace are greater than
those of war nud nothing promotes peace,
order and good government more than
education. For this reason nothing is
stronger impressed than that the State may
contiol education as far as cxpcdieut. This
has been held as right aud practiccd fir ON
the days of the colonies to tho present
time. The limit and only limit is one of
cxpcdicncy.
Mr.. Pctisru, on hca,irg young orator
discourse very eloquently against the right
of the State to take the money of one man
to educate the children of auothcr, aud on
being asked by tho orator his opinion Of
his views, instead of approving them as
expected, said, "It was all very fine and
you may be right, but you are 200 years
behind the times" So all, who deny this
right of tho State, ore 200 Soan behind
tho times.
In the next place it is necessary that the
State should control education Admit
that tho end Of government is tho good Of
the citizens and it follows that, as educa.-
tion promotes the public good, it must
belong to the State to control it. 1t is said
men are best governed who're they arc least
governed, and this occurs to tho greatest
extent in the best educated States. Now
it is impossible for individuals to educate
whole people. Sparta had her free cdu-
cation. Charlemagpc established system
of public education, and no case can be
found whero education has spread among
tho masses except it had the support and
encouragement Of the government. 1t has
been said that tho learning of tho few is
despotism, Of the many, liberty. llo then
apoke of tho demand for free trado iu articles
of commerce aud why not in education,
ard illustrated It.
Tho benefits Of education apply to tho