The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-08
Down With Education.

Down With Fducation.
The Abbevillc Press and Bdnncr holds
that education has no moral effect upon
the individual" and it prints, as con.
elusive evidence of the truth OF this
proposition, letter from the Supernten'
dent of the Penitentiary showing that
80 of the convicts now. in prison have
at some period Of their lives attended
school, while PSI convicts never went TO
school. The Press and Banner infers
also from this statement that the lite
rary negro much more easily finds his
way to the Penitentiary than his less
cultured brother"
We do not propose gravely to combat
these remarkable propositions. The
Press and Banner, like other great dis
coverers, probably cleaves too closely to
it's faith to be moved by argument. But
we will follow the theory uf our Abbe-
vile contemporary to its logical result.
AS TO THE NEGRO:
Deduction 1st. As education huTries
the negro to the Peniientiary, then it is
only necessary to close all the schools
and to forbid private instruction to re-
duce enormously the rate of crime among
the negroes.
Deduction I'd. On the same premise,
tie native Hottentot-who has no edu.
cation-should be the most honest of all
negroes. That no African explorer has
recorded this fact is evidence of the
criminal carelessness and inattention OF
a much.yaunted class Of geographers,
It stands to reason, by the Press and Ban:
aer's rule, that the Hottentot is possessed
of much more honesty and Integrity
chan the graduate of Claflin College.
Deduction Sd. A knowledge OF read.
ing, writing, spelling and arithmetic
makes the negro steal. Acquaintance
with geography makes him lie. Famll-
iarity with history induces him to com,
nit forgery. The ability to study and
understand the Bible sends him TO the
Penitentiary.
Deduction 4th. AS education has q
disastrous effect on the negro, then OF
course the more education be receives
the more deprayed he becomes. The
Press ant Banner will therefore lind,
upon further inquiry, that the negroes
who are immured in the Penitentiary for
simple thefts and robberies are those who
have received merely rudimentary in'
struction, while the burglars and house
burners and murderers have at least at
tanned knowledge of moral philosophy
Greek and Hebrew.
As TO MANKIND IN GENERAL
Deduction 1st. AS education has no
moral effect upon the individual
George Washington would have been
quite as good and great man if be had
been reared in the slums of some city,
and had never learned his alphabet the
editor of the Press and Banner would be
quite as we'll trained, morally, if be
could not write his name; Sunday
schools are worthless institutions and
th Biological seminaries wastefui extrava:
gancies; ministers of the Gospel would
be quite as powerful moral agents if they
did not know the Book of Job from the
Acts Of the Apostles.
Deduction I'd. AS kpowledge-whicb
is education-does no moral good, the
State should close, not only the public
schools, but the State University as well
The Press and Banner is friendly to the
University, we know, but this friendship
should not deter it from insisting upon
the demolition of an institution which
costs the Commonwealth a great deal oil
mouey, but whose course of study does
nothinp to improve the moral character
of its beneGciaries. Not only this! The
State should insist upon closing the Due
West colleges and other educational
agencies. and by SO doing protect the
pockets of the deluded people who now
contribute to their support under the
mistaken belief that they are advancing
the moral interests of our youth by edu'
eating them.
Deduction Sd. The Abbevile Press and
Banner is of no value whatever as a
moral agent, becauye it dispenses to its
constituency certain amount of educa'
ton, and Education has no moral effect
upon the individual"
We hope that our contemporary recog'
nizes the faithfulness and force of oul
very logical deductions from its premises
and that it will be encouraged by this
view to persevere in its broad and liberal
course.
Postscript l. Education has no mora
effect on the individual" and yet educa:
ton Injuries the morals of the negro and
sends him to the Penitentiary
Postscript 2. We are surprised to see in
another editorial of the Press and Banne'
of the same date as that from which We
have quoted, this sentence: They 1.-THE
negroes) should assert their manhood in
securing houses, furniture and education
by their own commendable exertion and
wholesome economy" After proving
'conclusively" that the educated negro
naturally gravitates to the Penitentiary
| is it possible that our ordinary humane
contemporary can be so cruel as to urge
the colored people to educate themselves
thereby increasing their criminal tenden'
cies and ensuring their own imprison'
ment? We are compelled to reach this
shocking conclusion but it is with
infinite regret that we announce it.
News and Courier.
Hurds Greatest Effort.