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

ment sound, however. lie WAS very
anxious 10 remove iliteracy 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 q measure OF this Charac.
ter. His state needed money, there was
no doubt about that they had had Il
desperate struggle 10 confer even such
educational advantages as they had been
able to confer, but he believed the future
%as brighter for them. For one he pro.
posed to pu. the past with all its horrors
behind him. lie had no desire to charge
msta kcs OH his political opponents, al.
though he believed they had committed
very grave ones And, perhaps, Mr..
President" said lie, II am as responsible
for that condition Of things as the most
extreme OF them, but for one | would
only recnr to the past in order 10 guard
against mistakes in future" lie predic.
ted that If this bill passed ten ycar.
would not Tos! around before the school
system OF the State, would be in The
hands Of Tie National Government. ] he
Senator from Ohio (Senatpr SlcrmanI
had SAID, though not oiien-ively. for Mr..
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 uBullcry
would not tr,lst him (Shermau) To con.
tribnte it. He would not discuss with
that Senator or any other whether prcju.
dice in the South against the co!orcd man
was stronger than it was in the North.
III Il, t,,i; 3 Il
Senator Butler, when the Senator says
he will not trust me with money to cdu
cate the negro, say will no, trust him
to give it.. 7imeo Udnnos ei donu ft,rn
tcs." lie preferred on the whole TO trust
the pluck, endurance, manliooh courage
and humanity of the people Of his state
to do justice by all men, 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 lie found himself
unable to agree with his colleague sen.
atOr Butlerj in regard to Il matter Of 80
much Importance to the interests Of their
Stale ~ the measure now before The Sen.
ate. lie most fully agreed with all that
his colleague had said Of the pluck and
energy of South Carolina, Of her rccu.
peratiyc power, Of her earnest efforts in
the cause of education, and of the great
result which she had achieved under the
most .lisiicaTieHiug conditions His col
league could utter no expressions about
South Carolina too laudatory To iind full
echo in his heart. No one could have "A
higher appreciation than he had of the
heroic courage, sublime lorltu.c, silent
pnlience, untlnching adherence TO right
which his State had manifested during
the time when bad men were throlting
her to death. But she had secured her
place again where she had once been,
among the great si.tcrhood Of free and
sovereign States. Knowing and appre
ciating nli this he symrathlzcd fully with
the ringing words in which biz colleague
had rccuunted the efforts Of his State in
the cause Of education.
Senator Hampton then proceeded to
add to the rccitals Of Senator Butler,
with respect to the educational achieve.
mcnts of South Carolina. He showed
that the administration of the State gov.
crnment cost S240, 900 year, while there
was expended for public school. and
charitable institutions 100000. He
animadverted with great severity on the
"carpet bag" regime in South Carolina,
characterizing it rs n period when fraud,
corruption, vice, and crime ran riot
schools of the State, he said, cost more
than twice as much Is the administration
of he State government, and those
schools, maintained at 81 much cost
were opened to all alike, 10 distinction
being made OH account OF race or color
Might he not ask what State could make
n better showing than South Carolina,
under difficulties than might well have
appalled, the most sanguinc and COZ
geous?
AS An instance of magnificent munci.
pal achievement Senator Hampton cited
Charleston, which had spent on it's
schools one third more than the prosper
Gus and classical City of Boston, and did
this while pressed down with debt of
$G,000,00O.
But after all this wns told and after
hearing all tine facts which had been 80
ably and eloquently presented by his
colleague, he had been
Obliged to come TO n conclusion directly
the opposite of that reached by his col
league on the pending bill. lie had no
doubt there were 100000 children be.
tween the ages of 10 aud 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 Of $i,25O 900.
The amount thus far spent on schools
had been 100000 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 it's wards.
Important Gs he deemed this matter
for the preservation of good government
the whole country, lie 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 constru ction, and had
never learned to look beyond it. He
could not, however, see that the measure
under consideration was moro open to
objection on constitutional grounds than
was the measure introduced at n previous
session by his friend and colleague, and
he did not hclic7e that go gl!e eaHsii.
tutional lawyer IS his colleague would
Introduce or advocate measure violalive
of the great charter of our liberties.
When that measure had been introduced
be 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 st careful
md serious reflection had brought him to
The conclusion that the greatest danger
that threatened the permanency of our