The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-17

Fellow citizens that the greatest need q,
our school system is Industrious. con.
scientlous. and skilled teachers. male
and female, in our country schools. In
many OF our schools the teachers have
the crudest and most erroneous idros
about schoo government, clas%sificntiou
and the methods Of imparting the sim.
plest instruction. The parents have no
idea Of the inefficiency Of our public
schools. These incompetent TEACHERS
are absolutely wasting the public mon.
ey, as well as the precious time and
mind OF these precious children Of our,
and our neighhors. | have studied inc
matter profoundly and | know whereof I
speak. l speak acknowledgements | feel
u deep interest in the educational pror.
ress Of my native county.
1t IS my conviction that the best wa
to increase the efficiency OF the present
school system is to increase the cficicn-
cheney OF the teachers. If any man can
suggest II better plan, | would thank
him for it. The progressive thought Of
TINS progressive age has endorsed
TEACHERS Institutes, as the hest
means of increasing, the efficiency of
the teachers. They are now establish
ed all over the civilized world, in al
most every State in theUnion and in al.
most every county in every State. Rea-
SON., experience and common sense at-
test their incalculable value,
A few people in our county at n
time objected to this Institute. Let
me say that opposition is rapidly diving
out as the people arc becoming to IN
that the law OF South Carroll
M authorizes the School Commissioner
to appropriate not more than 5000 to
defray expenses Of these County Insti-
tutes, m as they are beginning to real
lze that the best interests Of the chill
dren demand their establishment. Their
cost compared with the good accomp-
llshed weighs as q grain Of sand against
q mountain. 1t cost the county last
year Sl43.1O, which is a little less than
$500 per township. Now take out of
that sum what the negroes would have
gotten, and We see that it cost tho
whites about $500 per township. Di-
vide this sum among the schools of each
tow hip and it wonld not run the
schools of the county three hours. Yet
1t IS the testimony Of every teacher and
almost every trustee and visitor who at
the Institute, that %inculculahle
good was accomplished. And it is the
testimony of those competent to Judge
all over this county and State, and all
over the United States, that these In
stltutes are a necessity in any we'll reg
ulated system Of common schools.
In other counties of the State the
money allowed for expenses Of Insti-
was given to the faculty and thew
naturally pocketed it and left none of It
the county. But those noble and
self. sacriticing men and women OF the
two colleges at Due West, who have
done SO much for the cause Of education
IN the South. and especially in Abbeville
County, generously took the money
the law allowed them for their
and gave it to the poorly paid
teachers Of the county to pay their board
attending the Institute. The chill
dren, the parents, and the teachers of
The county should thank the faculty Of
the two colleges at Due West.
AS to the pay of teachers, l cannot
that the sober second thouoht
the people Of this noble and proud
DID County will indorsc any scheme to
put the teacher Of their children on n
Ievel with the bootblack and the ditcher
the shoemaker. But the School
commissioner has nothing to do with
king the pay of teachers. So fur as I
concerned whatever the trustees de-
tide upon am compelled by law to
.gree to 1t. If the pay is SIS or 800 or
S25 | cannot help the matter. Let mo /
cad what the. Supreme Court in school
matters says F.: 'sThe County Board hns
to do with fixing teachers, nav.
That is a matter of contract between the
and the teacher. No other in
expectation Of the law is possible. ~
This disposes of the objection to US on
he score Of salary Of teachers.
There is one other matter which T re.
ret to mention, but justice to myself
nd others demands that | speak Of il
t has been foolishly and falsely charged
hat am opposed to "poor white rem
That is the cry of the damagogue
Who would lake this unfair means Of
rushing an opponent by appealing to
our prejndices. LIDO not believe that
many are influenced by such stuff. Let
nc say that know there are hundreds
# men oil over the County who remem-
'er gratefully and pleasantly Capt. Sam
lodges and it WILDE hard to make them
that any Of his sons have any
nch nonsense in their heads or hearts.
{ you will pardon q personal allusion IL
ill say that obtained my own educa.
ion with money which l borrowed nv
elf and paid every dime of it back by
~ own efforts since l left College.
lence fully sympathize with the poor
oy or girl who is struggling for an ed
cation. / say it boldly and boastfully
it is a matter of which any man NAV /,
e proud, that during the 8 years of my
fe as teacher I.believe I educated more
of "poor white renters," free
{ tuition than any man, in Akharille