The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-02

OF the school term, but the Trustees of White
Hall are lauded for refusing the necessary
number of schools, in order That their own
and other schools may enjoy the benefit
of all the school money which has not been
squandered in the increased pay of teachers.
The Board OF Education defend the Trus-
tees and School Commissioner in these
words:
"The fact tha,the Trustees all live on the
Western side Of Hard Labor Creek, and the
further fact that two of them are patrons of
the White Hall school. are manilestly not, of
themselves. grounds sufficient upon which to
sustain charge OF improper selfish mo-
tives."
But ii they keep open their own school for
five months while other schools are kept for
only three months, and If they refuse to open
other schools for fear their own school would
be sooner closed, is there not at least ground
for complaint? The Trustees were honest
enough to gtate that the Schools would be
closed a month sooner If the Hard Labor
school is op encd. The State Board Of Educa-
tion did no.. have the candor nor the fairness
to notice tie fact that there are only two
schools for white children in all OF White
Hall township, and that the Trustees own
tice the fact these same Trustees have for
years kept four or five schools for colored
renters. Has 1t come to this, that the negro
renters shall forever receive from the Demo
cratic government, school privileges which
are superior to those which are granted 10
white renters? Let the honest voters of Abb
heville county answer this question, even II
cur school officers continue to shut their
eyes to the .act, and try to deprive honest
white men Of school privileges for no other
reason than that they are RENTERS
In conclusion the Board says:
"Such charges should not be lightly made
against men who are doing for the Public, de
licate, difficult and important service with.
out pay.
Following the example OF the Board o1
Trustees, this was, and can be nothing more
nor less than ar official reprimand to humble
citizens who believe they have been injured
and denied their rights by the local Board Of
Trustees, and who appealed to higher au'
thority that the evils of which they complain
might be corrected These high and mighty
officials would deny "the children o.
renters" any consideration whatever They
are dismissed with q sneer. Reasons are as
signed WHICH dTo OllcuSlS6 W sOON te&olS
which are contrary to equity and justice
and which are repulsive to every instinct tt
proper sentiment. The Government must In
deed have lost something of its Democracy
when its school trustees boldly assert that th'
"children Of renters" should he denied
a school, and 1t seems to us that South Caro-
lima is in danger of losing some of her PROUD
prestige, when her officers support and sus
tain the act, which discriminates against tn
children Of our own men and brethren
merely because they are not able to own tn
farms on which they live, or because they ar
not men Of education and influence.
rhe Chairman OF the White Hail Trustee
has special reason for congratulation in tn
fact that he would have been sustained b.
the State Board OF Education, even though
he had not changed his mind, after havinl
given consent to open the Hard Labor school
The decision virtually says that the Stat
Board of Education would sustain the trus
tees, no matter how it may have affected tn
"renters" OF Hard Labor.