The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-09
ARnEv111E. 8, c.. november Is, is

ABBEv1LLE, s. c., november Is, 1895.
I desire to offer few words to those who are
interested directly in the Improvement yer OF the
compish the good we have in view, and which
is 80 much needed. We desire to infuse more
life and vigor into our languishlng public
school system, to arouse the torpid energies OF
teachers, to correct, as far as possible, the
carclessness and indifference of parents, and,
so to administer the school laws as to gain Q
vantage ground which will insure the greater
efficiency of all our educational forces II the
present condition of our public free schools,
upon which our people mainly depend for the
education of their children, Is not improved,
cords Of iliiteracy and ignorance will startle
us with just fears of our freedom, safety, ana
tranquility, and bring blush of shame to all
intelligent and patriotic citizens 9i snis Crane
past have been SO justly proud.
| It is an APPALLING fact that large portion OF
the patrons of our public free schools are
hopecssly deuded IN suPposiIng that, that Their tbs
truth is, incompetent teachers are absolute
ly wasting the public money, and what is In
finitely worse, the precious time and mind OF
their might and Indignation and demand Of
those who administer the school laws, that
higher qualifications should be required of the
teacher than that he should be some6ody, nke
Plato's man, "with two legs without feathers
to "keep' school from sunrise TO sunset. Inc
people of Abbeville county do not want, at
any price, ignorant men and women for teach
ers. "Poor teachers are curse to community,
worse than the frogs and lice of Egypt, for
where they prevail to a considerable extent,
they degrade mind, deprave morals, and cor
rupt religion" we 90 not want W IL, g,n.nt simpy
hHighly educated" is, generally, better re-
commendation than "highly connected" We
do not want recruits from the ranks OF those,
in war, have failed at everything else they un-
dertook.
"Bettcr far
That Heavens lightning blast his very soul
And sink it back to Chat s. lowest depths,
Than knowingly, by word or deed, Re SEND
A tl hit upon the trusting mind OF youth"
Let ME quote and endorse the language Of
recent Issue Of the Lining Church, published IN
Chicago:
awe employ policemen to watch our houses
at night, lest Il thief entering In may steal q
dozen silver spoons, but who knows Wndt
amid the promscuous crowd Of boys and girls
in the public schools OF our cities? farents
and pastors should not only instruct children
at home and IN the sunday-sTfhhoo uo Tho1 sbnng anT
know what they do on the way. They should
be perfectly informed as to the social sanitary,
and moral influences or the school-room anu
the play ground. Granted that the State has
no right to impose upon our children any form
Cf religious observance or any type OF religious
belief: has the State any right TO SUBJECT Cur
cn.lUren 10 llllllOltl nS StseS
docs not propose to encourage or allow the
children Of its citizens to be surrounded by
such influences, yet they are on the increase.
1t rests with the moral sense OF the coInmun-
ity to tolerate or to eradicate them. Teachers,
pastors, and spiritual masters must work TO-
gethcr to guard cur children in the pubic
schools ~
of the public schools to provide for the chill
drcn entrusted to them, first and finally, IN
trllcctual training, it is the right and duty OF
those who have the good of the chlidrcn most
at heart to insist that this training shall Ee
the best that can be had. ANY one who has
knowledge of the condition Of cur public
schools over u large section of our wide do
and and discipline are not the best. Ina great ma
iority of cases the intellectual work, for which
the public schools exist, is poorly done. The
results are mcagre and mean. The money or
trlvcd, poorly-ventilated imperfectly warmed,
ostcntaious architectural mOntrOsities L:
building: and the time and health of the pu-
pills arc wasted, to say nothing OF character,
under the incompetent tutelage of tyros who
are "hired" by the month. In majority OF
our public schools, 1t Is safe to say, the schol-
ars are not taught anything thoroughly and
WELL areMt ta nave no ass 1aes OF OF one a
schools. They are not only throwing away
their school-taX, they are hlighting the pros
poets of our children, by submlttlng ing 10 tnls
than one experienced teacher IN our schools
of higher education, that not enc in hundred
pupils coming to them from the public schools
has been fairly trained in the common Eli
glSl branches.
"Ihis is not to say anything against the pub
lie school system, as such, but to protest
against the abuse of it. The people pay for
the best and they have right TO insist upon
having the best. They pay the state for secu-
lar cducat:on, and they should demand re-
suits commensurate with the outlay. Wig.
ilunce is as much the price OF education as OF
| (jNfl reform
cd in school boards as in the higher depart
ments of public administration"
GEO. G.. HODGES,
School Commissioner 4. c.