The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-18

having appointed all the Trustees from the
same locality, and say:
I'VE were not aware. nor are we as yet that the
School Law required the School Districts to be SUBJ
divided and the trl,stee to be appointed with on eye
to local representation" ,'--.t5
This whole Government Is constituted on
the principle OF local Representations" It is
the very foundation principle OF all Republic
can Governments. Politically; tho country IL u
divided into States, the States into Co1nues: .
and when we come TO schools, even the coun.
ties are sublivided into township ps-this couu-
ty having slXtcen-each entitled to reprcsen-s5
tation, but II seems that the township repre-
scntatiOn shall be confined to the narrowess
limit possible In White Hall township. II
these trust ees were not Immediately interest:
ed In the White Hall school is 1t not likely.
they would become convinced that other IL: ;
calities within the township needed schoolt
Does not this very crowdiug of trustees to-
gether account for the extreme sparseness Ol
school mmodatons for white children In /.
that township? We think 80. 4
we venture to suggest that there are very
few persons IN Ahbcyille County, outside the
trustees Of the White Hall school, who are :,
ignorant of the great importance or "local
representation" The friends OF the New
School are sure OF "local representations
HI when the taxes are collected to support tho
public schools.
When the public roads are to be worked the
white "renters' OF East side OF Hard Labor !;
have mover. so far as we are Informed, beet
~ Of the opinion that the White renters" OF !.
the East side Of Hard Labor have "lOcal re-
presentation" III everything except the ben
sats Is. Sd OF the public SCHOOLS: They seem to
spect. -
NUMBER. q
The Trustees, in their final and last shot at
US, say: 3
I'VE submit that no one Is dsbarred from attending
school by our action." ~
We have no doubt Of the sincerely Of these
words and we disclain any intention OF cast
ing any imputation whatever upon these !:
gentlemen. They are good men. But humah :
nature Is frail and sometimes blinded. by per:
sonal interest y.
The official reports show that the average
attendance at that school last year, including
all the children that may have crossed Hard
Labor, was not over sixteen In any month.
twenty. If the crossing of Hard Labor Is such i
an easy matter, and il the distance ia so short,
why not let the few children ut White Halt
Cross roads come to the school on our side Of {
tho creek, where Il much greater number of
children reside. Without 'local representa-
tion" OH our school Boards OF Trustees, even Z
the best Of us are too apt to believe that we
are acting for the greatest good to the great
est number. and are also too apt to fall into
the error OF thinking that the greatest NUM-;
As an offset to the misleading argument OF
the two intei ested members of the School
Trustees, We have the straightforward and.
fair-spolien affidavit Of Mr. d. w. Jay, the on. Z
y disinterestcd Trustee, who says the Hard
Labor school was best for the educational in. s
tereSts Of the township.
THE TRUSTEES SCHOOL AGAINST THE NEW !.
SCHOOL.
The people of the East Side of Hard Labor
Creek think they need school; A school
unsn oct fun tSh ShInt n hLa ri = 4 =
was established where 1t would be most CON- q
venient to the children. About twenty chils 4
dren are now and have been daily In atteti:I.
donce since II was opened. They deem tue
distance and bad road II bar to their atten-
dance at White Hall, and hence q school for 3
their accommodation Is kept open Ut private {
cXpcnce.
1t is unnecessary to say that there Is feeling 5
in reference to this matter. 1t Is also unnec! :
essary to say that II is deemed q hardship to
be compelled to pay from private funds, tho
teacher Of these poor children, when neigh Z
boring teacher, with much smaller number
OF richer children is in the pay OF the govern:
have been urged against them as a reason for N
refusing their school, that they are "ren ters, !"
and We presume in the history Of public
schools that this is the first time that any Z
such reas.n In writing. IT Is true that MANY
of the children are not rich, but they think ts
q poor reason to urge against their education. :
because they thought he was the proper per =
SON to hear their complaint, and TO reclify
their wrong. These poor people are not amli
liar with the forms OF law, aud they are eng
tire!y dependent upon the officer OF the Gov
ernmlent whose duty 1t is to hear their COM :
paint and to settle among them oil matters
pertaining to the education Of their children.
They fully realize that they are poor They
need not be told OF II. They also fully realize
another fact that the School Commissioned
remained in his office during oil the weeks Of
this contention, aul that he did not go to tho :
ncinhbOrhOOd that he mi cht be fully inform.
ed as to the Justice of their petition. They nj;
so feel that because Of their lack Of 1anlliarli
ty with such matters that they were not able
to present their case in writing as fully and
as clearly Us they could have done II the
School Commissioner had Given them .that
personal attention which they think the law :
would warrant him In giving. The law saysti =
"He shall acquaint himself as far AS practiI
cable, with the character Of each school" and.
yet without going among the people,: and
acouaintlng himself with the facts and the
merits of their case, he orders their school to
be discontinued