The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-08-20
Free Tuition Again.

tuition compromise" that we had got " ON the
fence" upon that subject
Not at all, friends. We recognize o great
necessity for higher education among the
masses Of the people Of this State, and knowing
that very large majority of the masses are
poor, we are decidedly in favor Of placing that
necessary higher education within the reach of
every boy in the State, so that the worthy aud
ambitious sons of the poor may stand upon the
same vantage ground as the sons Of the rich,
in the great battle of life. 1t is o peculiar
fact that this great hue aud cry against free
tuition in the State College, did not originate
with tho largest and most prosperous taxpayers
of the State; nor do we find many of them
joining in the cry nov, outside Of those who
arc graduates, or are directly interested, by
being bondholders or otherwise in the dcnomi-
national Colleges.
All the denomnational colleges have free
tuition feature in them but they confne that
high privilege solely to the sons of ministers
of their respective denominations; they offer
it to no other class and they ask the people to
abolish free tuition for their sons in the South
Carolina College in order that the denomna-
tional colleges may be better able to maintain
free tuition for their minister's sons, who may
or may not, after graduating, embrace the holy
calling Of their fathers-very few of them do.
Now, we are decidedly in favor of paying the
ministers of the Gospel we'll, and of giving them
every advantage possible, including free tuition
for their children, but see neither justice nor
sound public policy in selecting their sons as
a. In, -, tha tl,,t
in the higher branches Of education.
1t may be said that this is taking an ex trcme
view of the question !; but we do not think it is.
The UNCONVENTIONAL colleges offer free tuition to
limited class, and the State college opens its
doors to all classes of people, the rich and the
poor alike, standing upon the same plane of
privileges and advantages but close its doors
to free tuition pupils and you close its doors to
more than one-half the young men of tho State,
and coniine the benefits of free tuition to min
listers sons only,in the denominational colleges,
for which the pay-pupils will, OF course, have
to pay. 1t will bo virtually taking free tuition
from the masses and bestowing it upon class
few. That would be the inevitable result of
destroying the free tuition feature of the S. c..
the State College is unjust, because it compels
ono taxpayer to pay the tuition of another,
comes with bad grace from the defenders of de-
nominatonal colleges that depend upon the
money of pay-pupils-perhaps poor toys-to
deffay the tuition expenses of favored few.
Has it ever occurred to the voters of this
State what it would cost TO obtain fall Col
legiate course, if free tuition was at tolshed ?
Well, the regular time required is years, and
the price, $50 o year, making $24O for the
course and if there are Two boys in family,
it would amount to $3.50. Now, we ask any
candid man if he thinks there is one in
every fifty of the families in Union County that
can afford that amount TO give tho o,-su-Src
daughters also to cd ucate:
Again, there ore thousands of pa EN- in this
State who pay taxes upon from $500 to $4,000
worth of property, but so encumbercd are they
with debt that they could not possibly pay SEC
year for tuition and upon their death they
would leave their families poor indeed; but
with good educations, which no Shylock could
take from them, the sons would have a better
foundation for independent, honorable and
prosperous lives than land and money alone
could give them. Rain could not wash it away
frost could not kill it, fire could not burn il up
1--WE except whiskey) and it is a solvent bank
upon which any young man can draw without
discount.
1t cannot be denied that the two great factors
in the present unrest and depressed condition
OF the people arc ignorance and poverty The
hrst and most efectual sep toward removing
these evils is to educate the masses of the peoples
but how is that to be done? Certainly not by
putting education beyond the;r ability to reach
it, by reason of their poverty! Then, how can
they reach it The denominatonal colleces
don offer to help them. But the State proposes
to do it, by opening the doors o. her College and
inviting every boy in the S,ate-rich and poor
upon the same standing-to come in and enjoy
the blessing of higher education, free Of cost.
Lift thc yell of ignorance from the eyes of
the poorer classes of the people, and you n
spire them with that self-confdenco ID sell
respect, which will enable them to see think
and act for themselves TO repel bigotry and
d'scci. the sophistry OF political demagocues
who o"e continually crying in the ca 8 of "thc
dear people," wolf! wolf when there is no
wolf near.
What the rising generation wants, az much rs
any.h lg else, is education, and the. poverty
demands that they get it as cheap as possible
If they do not get it cheap they Will not le
able TO get it all, but viii remain the dupes
and tools of that favored few whose education
~ G'ways command the higher positions, So
cia y, politically and every other sphere m
life
Instead Of pulling down or crippling jrsti-
tutionS for the diffusion of higher education
among the people Of the State, in the name OF
oil that is true and patriotic, let us strengthen