The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-12-24
DAVE TUCKER
On the Free School Nystem.

The following letter vas received few
days ago. end rs it affords so much food for
reflection on the subject under discussion I
answer it in this publicl manner:
''DEcEMBER 4, 1880.
Mi. D. Tucker-Dear Sir: Can you in
fosm me why it is that in the State Of South
Carolina. SO prolific in educational talents,
With few exceptions our colleges and schools
are equipped with professors and teachers
who are non-native South Carolinians?
Yours truly, WILLIAM H"
No, William, can't tell you why it is
There seems to be streak Of some kind of
educational reform going on with 'the pow
> ars that be" in regard to the educational in
tsrest Of the State. which consists princ;-
pally in the employment Of alien or non-
native teachers in all Of our institutions Of
learning Of the State, with large salaries at
Ltachedr ispezsEss entirely "aScnso talents.
Why it is thus cannot see. It seems to me
that as the people pay the taxes that sup
port our colleges and schools, in the selec-
ton of teachers all things being equal
preference should be given to home talent.
Whist sad commentary upon our boasted
university and other colleges almost unlim-
tied ID number that they turn out graduates
w S4AC S1ia& SSS VA SO4 o$ASO4S-
What inducements .Sre offered to students
who after laboring fer years preparing
themselves as teachers. to know that the
avenues Of the profession are closed against
them by unemployment because of the
Stigma Of being native-born attaches to
them. Such state Of facts makes one al
most curse the land Of birth. This, how
ever, is the sad. lamentsble facts, and really,
William, I cannot account forit. The why's
and wherefores thereof is beyond my COM
preheasion.
When the Clemson college matter was be-
ing agitated last year, its advocates claimed
that besides being pure and simple farm
ers' boys training school. it would be pre-
sided over by home talent. But 10 and be-
hold, what have we? Il seems that the
trustees of the institution have secured the
whole four winds of the United States to get
professors, and poor little South Cardinals
home talent got only the scraps" left after
she s.ioares and fishes" had been shared out
among others than of the manor born"
Ia this right I, is it just to those deserving
applicants Of the manor born who have no
doubt spent the best years Of their lives pre-
paringthemselves to hll just these positions?
Yet it is evident that the trustees acted
co0bOll2ut Will SAS O4u . pIOpuGL
is not without honor save in his own coun-
Well, may be it is night, but some how I
can't zee when and where the right comes
In. Eow moch of the large salaries are
spent OF invested in the State? Very little,
II any. On the contrary it is carried with
out the State and spent or invested at the
respective homes Of these alien or non-native
professors and teachers, thereby impoverish-
ing the State just that much. 1haye no quar-
rel with the trustees, neither do I impugn
or question their motives or actions in the
matter, nor am envious of the recipients
OF their {Stste) bounty. They are all hon,
est and conscientious gentlemen, and no
doubt with the lights before them acted in
good ftita and for the best, but can't help
thinking that these positions, OF at least
majority Of these, could and should have
been filed by natives Of the State.
Now, am done with the 'b!g fish" and
viii arraign the small fry"
The mode and manner Of governing our
Common free schools now in vogue is CO.
lonial farce. In the FIRST place the salaries
paid competent teachers would beggar o
gnat, and good teachers cannot be procured
Of such salaries: 'hs futile to expect it. The
result is that -oid hacks" who just squeezed
through an examination are employed.
whose chief concern consists in doing as
little teaching as possible. and drawing
their salaries with promptness and dispatch.
and sad to say it is invariably the case. The
applicant from abroad" if only from an
adjoining county is given the preference in
selecting teacher, when abundant home
talent abounds in our vSA midst.
Then it seems to me tsz& our teachers are
given to "foreign ideas" about this mode of
tesching. There are more maps. charts.
and new-fangled apparatuses used IN teach
ing than when attended school, and
don't sec that they make any smarter schol-
srs than in the days Of long ago. See that
baker as spelled in Websters blue back
speller is the same as in these hlgh-faluting
spoilers that cost so much to buy. 1t al
most bankrupts poor man to buy school
books now, to be changed for new set
with change Of teacher. 1t is attempted
now to cram orthography, etymology, syn
ts1, and prosody all at once and from the
same book into ba, be pupil. Why this
system beats the sausage suffer all to smash,
With the cutter thrown in. When went to
school in the good old days Of long ago We
had our lessons TO learn at night for the
next day. and many the happy hours Eve
spent ct the dining room fire after supper
Studying my next days lessons. How is it
now? Why by this new.fangled way the
scholsr has to write out his next days les
sons the evening and night previous, and
hand them in to the teacher the next day
for correction if necessary, thereby making
Che child's parents aid in teaching without
sax Whist bedlam I'm having around
;5 ENH&Mo Rnhbie wants the square