The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-03

anxious to remove illiteracy from the
people of his State, but he thought that
that illiteracy and its consequences had
been exaggerated, and in any event he
could not consent to remove the Difficult.
ty by means of measure of this charac'
ter. His State needed money, there was
no doubt about that; they had had
desperate struggle to confer even such
educational advantages as they had been
able to confer, but he believed the future
was brighter for them. For one he pro-
posed 10 put the past with all its horrors
behind him. He had no desire to charge
mistakes on his political opponents, al.
though he believed they had committed
very grave ones. "And, perhaps, MIR.
President" said he, II am as responsible
for that condition of things as the most
extreme of them, but for one l would
only recur to the past in order to guard
against mistakes in future" He predic.
ted that if this bill passed ten years
would not roll around before the school
system of the States would be in the
hands of the National Government. The
Senator from Ohio (Senator Sherman)
had said, though not offensively, for MIR.
Butler did not think he meant to be
offensive, that he could not trust the
South to disburse this money. That
Senator would pardon Senator Butler for
saying in the same spirit that he (Butler)
would not trust him (Sherman) to con-
tribute it. He would not discuss with
that Senator or any other whether preju-
dice in the South against the colored man
was stronger than it was in the North.
He did not believe it was. But" said
Senator Butler, when the Senator says
he will not trust me with money TO edu-
cate the negro, I say l will not trust him
to give it. 7tmeo Danaos ct dona .feren'
tes." He preferred on the whole to trust
the pluck, endurance, manhood, courage
and humanity of the people of his State
to do justice by all meu, white and black,
than to accept aid from the Federal
Government.
Senator Hampton addressed the Senate
in favor of the bill. 1t was with sincere
regret, he said, that he found himself
unable to agree with his colleague )Sen-
ator Butler) in regard to a matter of so
much importance to the interests of their
State as the measure now before the Sen
ate. He most fully agreed with all that
his colleague had said of the pluck and
energy of South Carolina, of her recu-
perative power, of her earnest efforts in
the cause of education, and of the great
result which she had achieved under the
most disheartening conditions. His col.
league could utter no expressions about
South Carolina too laudatory to find full
echo in his heart. No one could have
higher appreciation than he had of the
heroic courage, sublime fortitude, silent
patience, untlinching adherence to right
which his State had manifested during
the time when bad men were throttling
her to death. But she had secured her
place again where she had once been,
among the great sisterhood of free aud
sovereign States. Knowing and appre.
ciating all this he sympathized fully with
the ringing words in which bis colleague
had recounted the efforts of bis State in
the cause Of education.
Senator Hampton then proceeded to
add to the recitals of Senator Butler,
with respect to the educational achieve.
ments of South Carolina. He showed
that the administration of the State gov
ernment cost $4,000 year, while there
was expended for public schools and
charitable institutions 100000. He
animadverted with great severity on the
"carpet.bag" regime in South Carolina,
| characterizing it as period when fraud,
corruption, vice, aud crime ran riot
throughout the State" The public
schools of the State, he said, cost more
than twice as much as the administration
of The State government, and those
schools, maintained at 80 much cost,
were opened to all alike, no distinction
being made on account of race CT color.
Might he not ask what State could make
better showing than South Carolina,
under difficulties than might we'll have
appalled, the most sanguine and coura-
geous?
AS an instance of magnificent munich.
pal achievement Senator Hampton cited
Charleston, which had spent on its
schools one. third more than the prosper
Gus and classical City of Boston, and did
this while pressed down with a debt of
Sc, 100000.
But after all this was told, and after
hearing all the facts which had been so
ably and eloeuently presented by his
distinguished colleague, he had been
obliged to come 70 conclusion directly
the opposite of that reached by bis col
league on the pending bill. He had no
doubt there were 100000 children be-
tween the ages of 10 and 16 in the State
requiring education, and this could not
be given to them at less cost than five
dollars per capita annually. This would
involve an expenditure If 81, 100000.
The amount thus far spent on schools
had been $600,000 annually. How was
the State to raise that increased sum IN
her present exhausted condition? In
the face of all the facts the people of
South Carolina were authorized to ask
the aid of the General Government in
behalf of those whom the Government
made citizens and adopted as its wards.
Important as he deemed this matter
for the preservation of good government
throughout the whole country, he would
not advocate this or any other measure
that in his judgment violated the Con.
stitution of the United States. Like his
colleague he had been trained in the
school of strict construction, and had
never learned to look beyond it. lie
could not, however, see that the measure
under consideration was more open to
objection on constitutional grounds than
was the measure introduced at a previous
session by his friend and colleague, and
he did not believe that so able consti.
tutional lawyer as his colleague wou!d
introduce or advocate measure volative
of the great charter of our liberties
When that measure had been introduced
he had felt himself on safe ground in
following the lead of his colleague in
invoking the aid of the Federal Govern
ment for the purpose Of education in his
State. He felt compelled to occupy the
same ground now, for the IN yst careful