The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-24
The graduating class OF 1888 was the first

The graduating class OF 1888 was the nrst
since the reorganization OF the Academy. II
eighteen puy Cadets. Leaving the institu-
tion with It's course of applied science thor.
oughly acquired. and imbued with the les
sons Of discipline, method and self respect,
these young gentlemen nre valuable con-
tribution to the citizenship of the State.
Most Of them have already taken their places
their future win vindicnte the wisdom Of the
State IN the preparation she has given them
to discharge their duties.
Two of these beneficiary graduates, on &C
promoted by the Bonrd of Visitors to the dis
charge of duties on the Academic Beard-not.
withstanding the provision of the law that
"Benefciary Cadets shall be required TO teach,
public schools Of the County from which
they respectively received their appointment
in the snid Academy" This action the Board
Of Visitors would not have taken, and In this
action the Cadets would not have acauieSced.
but for the Lellef that the General Assembly
would relieve tie two young gentlemen from
the obligation thus Imposed. The Board oi
Visitors recommend the passage OF such an
Act, aud In this recommendation l concur.
| I respectfully call your attention to the re-
tcommendation Of the Board of Visitors In
reference to the requirement OF the law that
"Bencficary Cadets shall be required to
teach, after graduation, for two years In the
| free public schools Of the County from which
they respectively receive their appointment
Many embarrnssmentsw VIII be experienced
and much injustice may be done, In the ell.
forcement of this requirement.. 1t may ofte.,
happen that such graduates " I'LL be unable to
discharge The obligation thus imposed, with
The selection OF teachers, by the General
School Law, is entirely In the hands OF local
Boards OF Trustees; the benehciaries will be
powerless 10 perform their obligation If the
them employment. The State Superlntend.
! ent Of Education also calls attention TO this
important matter. A change Is here recon-
mended.
| The eartheuake OF 31st of August caused
considerable damage to the Citadel building
throwing down the towers and parapets, par
TALLY deranging the ROOF, cracking and bulS
ing the walls of the East Wing, loosentnG or
throwing down all the overhead plastering
together with other minor injuries. The
building was left In condition unfit for oc.
cupancy. and with further damage from the
propriaied five hundred dollars FROM the civil
contingent fund. The Board Of Visitors fell
the obligation imposed upon them to meet
and avert blow so serious TO an Institution
whose interests had been confided to them by
the State. They, therefore. In order to restore
| the building, and prepare'for the resumption
of The exercises at the uSrrll time, established
Of removing the debris and repairing sisee
building. M expenditure was made bcyonc
the point Of renderingt the building safely and
comfortably habitahle- The debt thus In
| -
the passage OF n Joint Resolution providing
This Institution has mcritcd the continued
confidence Of the General Assembly, and
recommend such appropriations as may bt
necessary for its maintenance.
South Carolina College.
The prosperity which has attended the Col
lege since It's reorganization continues un
abnted.
largest attendance yet recorded. The number
of matrIculateS for the present academic year
1873, Is already larger than Tor the correspond
Ing period of any year except the last. IL
view OF the general business depression, ant
the multiplied disasters which have for tli
| last few years befallen the asrcpitnral inter
ests of our State and section, this liberal pa
tronage To- az encouraging rs IT is rcmarkable
tuition has met a want recognized and felt
and That our people nrc alive U the snPor
tunce of a thorough education OF their sons
and to a~@ by he s
/ High cunlnse ndation is made of the charac
ter and improved preparation Of the matricu
lates, anu the diligence and department o
4 the students.
The authorities have been unremitting II
their efforts to give the College the utmost de
velopment possible, with the limited mean
ut their command.
During the past year the existing courses o
study were still further extended ana i'm
proved, and new course in mechanical en-
gineerlng added The institution DOW oner
eight courses for degrees. and hve for certi1
Gates, In addition 70 lis electlEe anu posi- Srau
uate cOnrSes.
Under the energetic and efficient manage
mcnt of the Professor now In charge, the ney
departments in mechanics gives promise q
becoming one Of the most important and pop
ular in the College; more th,n thirty stu
dents are already enrolled In the sevcr;l
classes. With the appropriation spec9ll.
granted for the purpose, by the Lass Genera
Assembly, n ten-horse power engine, turnin :
lathe saws, woodworking tools, drawing tn
bic and carpenters benches have been pro
fylded. 80
The aim In this, rs in the other scientifi
departments, Is 10 combine theory with prac
ticc-to illustrate and enforce the principle
taught in the class room by applied work II
The laboratory, the workshop, and the field
1t Is a fact highly significant Of the chang
wrought in Southern thought and opinion
Will in the present generation that nossbf
and steadily increasing proportion OF the stu
dents OF this historic old College, which man
of our people believe to be set exc lusively dt
voted to classical and literary instruction
pass IL large portion Of their time In worl
which Is In the highest sense OF the term IN
structive; which ut the same time trains III
eye, the hard and the head; which require
) long hours of laborious practice; She use .
the balance and rule, the level and transi,
ihe knife and pencil, machinery and tools
chemical analyses, dcterm!nat'ons or m1nel
nIs, the examinations OF seeds, fertilizers an
Calculation and tabTIating Of results.
Such training Is certainly practical; ant
when combined with thorough mystery q
the underlying prinsipi.s. invaiaanie, .,o,,,,ro
actively engaged IN enargSns the operation
of The AgricuIt ural Departments OF the Co
lege. He has prepared report OF the eXperl
mental work carried on lor tne past nv
between 100 and 2O experiments, Is OetnS put
lished and Will be submitted To you as
part af the Report of the Board OF Truetees.
In the numbcr and character or It's student u
and teachers, It's courses, methods and stan
dards, the South. Carolina College can nov
challenge comparison with any other Stat
institution of higher learning in the south
Its conduct and management receive M
hcartiest commentator, except IN tho mat
ter Of free tuition of this policy cannot ap
prove, 1t is, In my Judgment, opposed to III
wishes of u majority of the people OF Tn
State, ami Is injurious to the highest lnteresl
of the institution itself It Is certainly no
essential to its success; for prior To loDO, !ohei
tuition fees pere charged, the College was deep
n ly embedded In the affections of our people
and held II foremost place among Southern
The recent history Of similar institution
would seem to show that the attendance q
students Is not materially Increased by IN
offer Of free tuition or diinln'sneh @ ny !.
fact, but an iucOnsiderabie element III III
necessary expenses of a collegiate course.
From the opening OF the College down t
1873, tuition fees were charged: ana the Ac
re.establiShi.Ig the University certainly con
templatcd the continuance or these charges
In Section 10 Of the General Statutes II !
provided that "there shall be admitted int
each College OF the University one Studen
from each County Of the State. who snail
entitled TO tuition free of charge" In Sectio,l
lOl2 It is provided that "the tuition fees shal
"no, exceed the sum Of forty dollars per an
"num for all the branches taught III eithe
"C'nllerr. which fees shall be deposited IN til
'Stale Treasury and reported to the Lesisla
"tuic annually" -,
Neither the Gederal Assembly nor tn