The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-21
Auaesspl, gutellige'tetr.
F|7Et;A6HERs'GoLUMN.
j. G. CLINKsCALEs, EDITOR.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

j. G. CLINKSCALES, EDITOR.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In closing the public schools we had
not the least idea that our course would
receive the appreciation of every body.
We published Col. Coward's letters that
the readers of the INTELL1GENcER might
know something OF the embarrassments
that surrounded US, and find therein a
sufficient reason for our conduct in the
premises. We based our action in the
matter upon instruction from the State
Superintendent of Education, our supe.
rior in Office. We were shut up to that
course; there was no other for US.
Last week, the Editor of the INrELL1-
GENcER did US the kindness to state the
difficulties by which we found ourself
surrounded, and the justice to state that
they "presenta a problem that is difficult
Of solutipn," and afirms that "for this
condition Of things the Legislature is to
blame.n Our esteemed friend, it seems
to US, is a little inconsistent, however,
when he speaks Of ga problem that is
diflicnlssof solution" and then,; after
speaking. of how @The School Commits.
sioners have approximated the fund and
apporsioned it out" he adds, "and we
see no reason why this might not bedone
now" Surely if there is no reason Why
this might not be done now, the problem
can not De so difficult of solution as our
friend at first supposed. But whether he
sees it or not, just here is where the diff
Guilty lies. The School Commissioners
have invariably had the assessed valua-
! tion of the property in the County and
ths numberof polls, as reported by the
Auditor, to base their calculations upon,
even when they approximated the apper-
tionment. These we have not, nor can
have sforseveral months yet, as has been
stated bysthe INTELLIGENcER. This is
mol question Of expediency with us,
sbnt a question of right But let us look
for a moment at the consequences of the
solution suggested sor hinted at by the
INrELLlGEscER. Our friend would
have us TO strike boldly out to sea with.
oat chart or compass, guessing at our
bearings and .oblivious of the conse.
queuces. Heretofore we have had some
tbiog to stand onsomething to guide
! us; now, We have nothing. To run the
{ schools now would ..be. to guess at the
school fund and take upon ourself re-
sponsibilities which we do not think the.
conditions warrant US in assuming.
Hs says, something ought to be done
to keep them open as usual" He is mis-
taken; something ought to hare been done
to keep them open as usual. The diff
Gully could have been removed, as the
Superintendent Of Education suggested
in his letter, by an Act of the Legisla-
B ture authorizing the School Commissions
ers to base their calculations upon the
1 school fund as last reported by the Coun-
ty Auditor. But such an Act was not
/ passed, aud the Commissioner has no
rightsto proceed upon that line without
the sanction of the law.
The INTELL1aENoER knows that the
law plainly states that any claims drawn.
and approved in excess of the Town
ships superintendent are worthless. Are
boards Of Trustees always so prudent as
never to overdraw their. amounts even
when they have the figures as reported
by the School Commissioner? What if
left to run their schools ad kbitue E
Have We any assurance that the schools
! would be stopped in time, or that all the
school claims wonld be paid7 Is it rot
rather more reasonable to suppose that
more teachers would suffer in that event
than in this?
Our friend does not agree with the
opinion We expressed in previous issue
that this closing of the schools tempora-
rily would work out well in the end. He
thinks such course will prove a hard
ship upon GONE teachers. In matter
-of,this kind, We can not be influenced
By the temporary financial embarrass-
ment such course would bring upon
few teachers. Again, he thinks such a
course will prove injurious to the cause
of education in our midst. We can not
agree with him, for we see no ground for
such an opinion. We have expressed
the.opiniop, and we do not hesitate to
repeat it, that it were better for theedu.
cational Interests of Anderson. County if
the schools could not be opened again
before next December. Every one who
is familiar with the workings of the free
schools and the way free school teachers
are paid, knows that the tendency is to
drive out efficient teachers and bring in
inferior ones. That is perfectly natural
aud q legitimate result of the present
plan. Allowed small salary at best,
they are compelled to hold them for
months or sell them at discount of 10
per cent. Can efficient, progressive
teachers survive that kind Of treatment
very many years? And is there any
thing in it to stimulate man to develop
himself into any thing more than COM
mon pedagogue? If the schools could
be stopped for a whole year, the very
large amount made by the purchasers of
school claims would be saved to the
teachers, and they would be enabled to
get the money due them at the end of
every month. That would certainly
give stimulus to the cause of education
such as it has not had for years. Again,
our friend thinks eve ought to get ahead
with the collection of our taxes, and it
might not be bad idea for the schools
:. ,t,nd st;,l ond thna catch mn at some