Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-02-23
Popular Education.

TO a government indissoluble as this nation
claims to be, popular information or the
means of acquiring it is indispensable to or
der ard progress. This need is not confined
to State or section, but is limited only by
the territorial lines Of the nation, for ignor
rance and its attendant corruption, wherever
found. is cancer on the body politio and
affects 'prejudicially good government and
every public interest. Popular education
being then of national importance, demands
national recognition and aid. and it is to be
regretted that IL has so long been without it.
This matter is at present Of the highest i'm.
portance to the South, which by reason Of its
being exhausted by long war, its property
oonfscated and its citizenship doubled by the
strong arm of federal power, and by tho ad'
dition Of class utterly ignorant of the rights
and duties of citizens, is q prey to the cors
rupt influence Of demagogucs. Popular vr-
tue and intelligence have always been ad-
mitted to constitute the safety ofa Republican
Government. Whom tho people rule they
should have the means of acquiring knowls
edge Of the rights and duties of citizens and
should have tho moral frmness to carry them
out. When they are wanting in these. they
arc liable to be led ty designing men to
course destructive Of their own and their
oountry's interests. Education supplies
these requisites. 1t eleyates man by devel-
oping his spiritual nature. The intellectual
and moral faculties are SO closely associated
that the proper training of tho ono develops
the other, thus fitting tho man for the high
est duties Of citizenship as such, while ho is
better prepared also to promote his own and
his eountry's material advancement. Igno-
rance, on the other hand, is the parent Of
crime, corruption and every species Of vice.
The very nature Of man leads to this concu.
sion, and the statistics Of prisons confirm it,
Wherever general intelligence prevails crime
diminishea, while material and moral pre-
gross advances rapidly. It is not strange
then that tho Legislature of great popular
government like this should tucn its attention
to the promotion Of education. On tho other
hand it is strange that it has so long ncg-
lected to aid popular education, while it has
donated millions to material internal inn
provements, which, however important, arc
of triaing Importance when compared with
the fruits of education.
1ro.a o Southern States are not and never
have been able to appropriate adequate means
to open and keep opon schools for the large
mass of ignorant negroes enfranchised by
stroke of tho pen, and while to these States
their education is Of the greatest importance,
it is the duty, as it is tho interest, of the
Federal Government to lend it's aid to sup
plement the deficiency. With this view
Senator Butler has introduced bill which
provides that the proceeds Of tho sale of pub
lie lands shall be devoted to the oause OF
public education, and that the money thus
received shall bo disburscd under tho au-
thority OF the States for the aid Of their in
efficient public school system. This bill has
been supported by large petitions and mo-
MORALS from somo of the States and all must
agree no better application Of tho public land
money could be made. 1t is certainly far
better than donating lands to largo railroad
corporations, which seek the enrichment of
their stockholders, the material development
of the country, being more incident or
secondary consideration TO such enterprises
national appropriations in support of educa-
tion, among them bill by Senator Logan,
providing for the application Of the annual
revenue from whiskey, amounting to nearly
sixty millione of dollars, to the purposes of
popular education. 1t is q large amount, but
such IN application would bo the best use Of
the money derived from tax on an article
ob nkrtk - kho
of mankind and to the vices and crimes
which disgrace civilization. What higher or
nobler purpose could it be applied to than the
moral and intellectual elevation of mankind,
and in this way to the check of tho vices
flowing from intcmperance. It would lessen
local taxation for educational purposes, and
in the decrease of crime through education
diminish the criminal expenses in every
State and tho number and ooet Of supporting
poor and insane persons created by drink. IF
half that amount could thus be used for ten
years its beneficial influence would be seen
in the progress of the nation in all that con.
tributes 10 the happiness and welfare Of it's
oitizens.
Senator Blair, Of New Hampshire, has inc
troduced another bill providing for diroct
appropriation for education to the amount Of
fifteen million for the first year and dmin-
minish one million each year for ten yoars.
at which timo it should cease.
These various schemes, looking to Sna-
tional aid for education, show that Congress
begins to appreciate tho Importance Of pops
ular information in o republican government.
and whether one or all fail, they point to q
time, not distant, when somo measure for the