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

HAVE THE PEOPLE REASON TO COM
PLAIN OF THEIR SCHOOL OF
FICERS7
Remarks by the "Press and Banner"
on the Wonderful Document
which Emanates from the State
Board of Education.
The State Board of Education say:
ut seems to be assumed by the Appellants
that under the School Law, 1t is the duty of
the County Board of Examiners, not only to
sit as q tribunal for hearing and determining
any matter of local controversy in reference
othe construction or ADMINISTRATION OF the
school laws but to advise and direct the par
ties in the preparation of the controversy,
hunt up and select their witnesses and sum-
mon and examine them."
The School Commissioner did assume 10 d.
rect the appellants to reduce their appeal to
writing, and, although they offered to come
and testify before the County Board Of Ex-
aminers, the School Commissioner told them
it was unnecessary for them to do so, as the
case would be decided on the papers. He
therefore denied them the right to summon
witnesses.
1t is not true, rs the State Board of Educa-
tion assert, that the Hard Labor school ex-
pected the County Board of Examiners to
"hunt up and select their witnesses and sum-
"mon and examine them" The very oppo.
site is true. The friends Of the Hard Labor
school complain that they were not allowed
to bring their witnesses before the Board Of
County Examiners The School Commission
er seemed totally ignorant of the proper
mode of legal procedure. AS proofof this, the
following from the School commissioners
letter of March %, 1886, is cited:
ave made the fullest and freest investiga-
tion of everything that should come before
on appellate tribunal tas our Board was) '0it'l-
oo1 original jurisdiction"
The State Board of Education say:
"The action of the Board of Trustees can,
before the County Board of Examiners, ,ehich
is the County Court of original jurisdiction, Tor
the hearing OF all local controversies arising
under the administration OF the school
Laws"
The School Commissioner or the State
Board Of Education are clearly mistaken as
to where the original jurisdiction lies. Their
statements are diametrlcally opposite.
The State Board say:
"No mode is prescribed for the hearing be-
fore the County Board. The Pleadings need
not be in writings and no formali ties are ne
cessary except such rs may be imposed. by
the Court for the purpose of having the issues
distinctly stated, and a fair and impartial
hearing had"
No fair and impartial trial could be had,
when appellants were not allowed to answer
the incorrect statements of the Board Of Trus-
tees. Particular reference is had to their sys-
tematio underestimate of distances. The
School Commissioner refused to give the
Hard Labor school O ro-hearlng, notwith-
standing the fact that the State Board of Ed
ucatlon have no doubt that he would have
done SO, If application had been made to him
The Board of Education say;
"The purpose to be accomplished would not
be attained If the judgment of the Board OF
Trustees were not upheld and protected from
the assaults OF mere differences Of opinion, VI
Under this ruling the people must submit
to the decision of majority Of the Trustees,
even though they refuse to establish needed
schools, and though they may keep their own
school open for five months, while other
schools are kept open for three months.
None are so blind as those who are deter
mined not to see. The State Board says:
1--WE see nothing In this case, either in the
taken by the Appellants after the hearing to
lead us to believe that there was abuse on the
part of the Board OF Trustees of School Dis
trict No. 8 Of the discretion vested In them by
the law, In declining to establish a school on
the East side Of Hard Labor Creek"
We proved that the Hard Labor school had
more scholars than the White Hall school,
and we believe the sworn statement Of the al.
ten ndance at the White Hall school is not less
Ixyf fI,a nf ha Toh
We proved that some nineteen or twenty
children were accommodated by the Hard La.
Dor school, while the highest number accom-
modated at White Hall was sixteen. We
proved by official statements Of the School
Commissioner that the Trustees kept their
own school open for five months while they
kept others open for only three months. We
have the authority of one Of the purchasing
Trustees for saying that the allegation that
the school property would would be "loss II
abandoned" is not true. We proved that the
only disIntested Trustee favored the opening
of the Hard Labor school for the reason that
1t would advance the educational interests OF
the township, and yet the State Board Of Ed
ucatlon sees nothing in this case TO lead them
to believe there was an abuse of the discretion
invested in the Trustees. But they say:
"The school fund is so small! that 1t is i'm.
possible. perhaps in any School District to To-
cate school in easy reach OF every pupil, and
at the same time to keep t he schools open for
term long enough to make them Of substan-
tial benefit to the pupils"
And yet in the face Of this fact, the School
Commissioner ordered an increase Of twenty
five per cent. in the salaries of teachers in.
volving loss Of from ne-fourth to one. third
of the school term, at q time when cotton was
lowest, and when the people were harder
pressed than at any time since the war.
The State Board say:
at is certainly better that some children
should have q long distance to travel to
1t impossible to attend-than, by q muitipli-
cation Of schools to make the term so short as
to become mere waste of the public money
without real benefit to anyone"
The declaration that some children should
be excluded from school privileges in order
that others might enjoy longer terms at school
is an evidence of the arrogance which Is be-
gotten of official power, and is offensive to
every instinct of Justice and common sense
1t was bad enough for little local school
Trustees to urge the fact that they are
"the children OF persons who rent land"
as reason for refusing to grant the school.
but when the State Board of Education
sustain that action on the ground that 1t
is better that they should not be allowed
school privileges-if 1t shortens the Trustees
school term-then the offence Is rank and
must stink in the nostrils Of all justice.lov-
Ing people.
But, aside from all this "Tlme about is
fair play" 1t was in proof that the people
Of White Hall had enjoyed school privileges