The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-12-10
THE LEAVEN OF THE SCHOOLS.
Address OF DR.. j. l.. NJ. Curry in
Columbia.

Curry, the distinguished general agent
of the Peabody fund, addressed
the members Of the Legislature
and the citizens of Columbia in
the hall of Representatives tonight on
the subject Of education. The hall was
brilliantly illuminated and every seat
was occupied, while scores of people
stood outside the ratings throughout the
proceedings. DR.. Curry was escorted to
the speakers stand bv committee,
comprising Governor Thompson. Lieu
tcnant-Govcrnor Sheppard, Speaker ST.
mons, Superintendent Coward and
Mcssrs. Buist and Hutson, the chair
men respectively of the Senate and
House committees on education.
Speaker Simons introduced him. DR..
Curry's address was an aggressive and
powerful one and was frequently an
plaudcd with great hcartiness. After a
broad and able discourse on the Gov
ernment, DR.. Curry addressed himself
to the negro problem in the South. We
mnst, he said, lift up this people or they
would inevitably drag us down 20 pcrdi-
ton. Our own sclfinterest. to reduce
the matter to selfish question, demand.
ed that they should be lifted up lest
they drag us down. The government
was linked to the lowest strata of secie-
ty and could not be separated. He was
free to admit that giving the suffrage to
thls,vast horde Of ignorant, unqualified
people was the most gigantic crime re-
corded in history, yet it had been done,
lrrcvocably done, and could not be alter
cd. We must make the best of it.
The speakers declaration that the
greatest calamity that ever afflicted the
South was the introduction of negro
slaves. was loudly applaudcd. The
great hand of craftsmanship should be
placed under this lowest strata, and lift
it up to comprehension Of its respon-
sibilitics and duties.
Alluding to the talk about the evil cf-
tcct Of education on ordinary labor, DIR.
Curry demolished this plea of people
who were haunted by the fear that scav-
cngers and boot-blacks would disappear
If the people were taught the three
RS" What instructed labor assisted
labor. He said that he went to-day to
the public schools Of Columbia. They
were an honor to the State The Lcgis
laturc could do nothing better or wiser
than to adjourn Tomorrow and visit
these schools, and see what was being
accomplished for the elevation Of whites
and blacks. He believed that the color
cd teachers in the colored schools here
were the equal Of any colored teachers
in the South. Here DR.. Curry alluded
to the great work the white people of
the South were doing for the education
Of the negro.
lie made these remarks, he said, to
vindicate the South, and hurl back the
aspcrsions which had been cast upon
our people.
Turning to another subject Of some
popular discussion in South Carolina.
DR.. Curry showed THAI public schools
were interlinked with colleges and uni
vcrsitics and that where the one flour
ished the others throve equally. lie be-
lievcd in denominatonal colleges. He
was himself the president of the board
OF trustees Of n dcnominational college,
and had been for twelve years a profes-
sor in one. He gave yearly Of his
means to the support of such institu-
tons. But he was far from thinking
that there was any antagonism between
the dcnominational colleges and the
colleges and universities Of the State.
There is. or ought to be perfect harmo.
ny, as there is perfect identity of inter-
est. They benefited and mutually
supported each other. State universi-
ties were q necessity. Their places
would not be filled by dcnominational
colleges. The State needs what dcnom-
national colleges can't furnish-great
scholars, great leaders Of the people.
That the two classes Of institutions
could exist and prosper together he
proved by the example of Virginia,
where the denominational colleges pros
pered, while the State supported three
institutions, including her great Univcr-
sity.
He added that he had gone on pill
grimage to-day with bowed head and
revercnt heart. He had visited the old
South Carolina College, an institution
which had made luminous the history
of the State. He eloqucntly showed
how much the college had done for the
State, and named some Of the great men
it had furnished to politics, to theology,
to literature.
In conclusion, he snid : II charge
you to be true to your duty and loyal
to your State, and by every means in
your power sec that this Republic has