The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-17
NEWBERRY, S. C,
THURSDAY, OCTOBER Il, lss9J
QUESTION OF 1mpoRrANe%

It would be unwise to atteXpt to
orce public sentiment on the sAbject Of
Traded schools.s><Wbat is desirable aud
soper in matter of su26a grave i'm
rt, is i careful anAl6oughtful con-
deadon OF the subject from every
lt of view.
Yet every citizen of the town read
snd study the report Of the committees
appointed by the Board of Trade and
the trustees of the two academies, let
. each one ponder the arguments for and
against the movement, discuss the
question in fair and impartia! man
2iler;7 aside all personal and selfish
consideratfeSs, and make up his mind
whether or not be heTfEsssssa:S this enter
prise. Newberry, above any sssSssa in
the State, is conservative and cautioSEN
and to this is largely due the fact that
while our progress has been slow, it has
En- sure and substantial, but it Is
Characteristic of Newberry that when
is conyinced that a thing is good and
lesirat,le, it goes unanimously forward
# TO attain it,
- OF course the movement to establish
graded schools will meet with some op-
position. No good measure was ever
carried to success without opposition,
but coming before the citizenship Of
the town endorsed by two such repre-
sentative and influential bodies as the
Board of Trade, and the Trustees of the
Academies, we feel sure that the meas
ure will secure the respeetfui considera-
ton Of the whole community.
The chief and strongest objection
which will be urged against the estat-
liShrnent of graded schools is that it
will necessitate an increase of taxation.
This is true, and is indeed a serious OBJ
lection, for the municipal tax is already
large and burdensonle. But in inn
posing any additional tax upon our
Il selves We must inquire whether or not,
as a community, We get an adequate
return for the increased outlay. five
get value received for our money the
tax is not burden, but Il profitable
invest ment.
There can be no question as to the
Z advantages in every RESPECT of the
3 graded school system. Hundreds and
5 thousands Of cities and towns all over
the United States have tried the sys-
tenn for years past, and if one city or
town that had once adopted the sys-
= tenn ever abandoned it, we would like
10 know where such city or town is
situated.
In the last five or six years many
towns in this State, some of them
smaJler than as1e@5efSy, have estab-
lished graded schools, and wherever
3 sestablished upon the plan of taxation,
30 far as we can learn they are still in
So acessfhl operation.
Fhe history of the movement almost
siversally is that at first it is much
6posed, but the more the people learn
of the workings of the system, the
more it grows in favor.
Four years ago Greenville after much
opposition voted tax of I mill for
graded school purposes. Every year
since that time the tax has been III
creased without opposition until low
Greenville is levying tax of two mills
for this purpose, and has issued $4,000
worth of bonds for building purposes.
The experience of Columbia was the
same. The system was inaugurated
with much difficulty, but the second
year its operation the tax was easily
doubled.
We feel sure that if this movement is
successful it will prove the best thing
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