The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-28

timely step in the right direction, and
vet in order to reach the richest bene-
fits from this institution our boys
should be efficiently trained in the
rudimentals before they matriculate,
and then there are so many thousands
of the youth Of the country who will
never have the opportunity of attend
ing there, that the good arising froM
it will be confined to the preparing oY
competent instructors for such institu-
tions as we may have for the exercise
of their pedagogical powers, and right
here it might as well be said, that if
the schools of the State are conducted,
as at present, 10th as to time and re-
muneraticn, that other places are wait
ing with open arms to receive the pro-
duct of our Farmers College,"
No more forcible argument could
have been adduced to prove the imme-
diate need of better or more thorough
course of instruction in Newperry
County than the result of the election
of teachers for the graded school last
week, when, out of lot Of nearly forty
applicants, only one out Of possible
eight had the privilege Of calling them
selves Newberrians. Strange! do I
hear you say? No, not strange, but
humiliating; for, the gentlemen who
occupy the position Of trustees, were
actuated by principles which raised
them above the promptings of favorit-
ism aud indicated a line of procedure
which must find remedy elsewhere
than in blame.
How many efficient teachers are
tempted into the county by the three
months terms and parsimonious pay
of the "old field school? A name char
acteristic of their true condition, ii. e.
turned out to grass, and allowed to
grow up in such species Of scrub and
sedge as the winds of adversely may
blow into them "
The excuse so often changed into our
ears that "we're obliged to have our
children to help US in our farms' goes
off into mid air on account of its own
featherweight worth, for there are not
a half dozen days between the lst of
November and the 1st to the 18th Of
May, when they can be profitably en-
ployed on the farm. So you see here
are six months straight that they might
be at school; and, again, from the 1st
of July to the 1st of September, there
are two more months devoted to the
arduous duties Of doing nothing that
might be thrown in to make up total
of eight months of intellectual culture
without the least disparagement to the
family resources. I. speak from the
standpoint of a small farmer, and do
not have to cat about for facts to es-
tablish this assertion.
In conclusion. Unless We wish our
children to be "hewers Of wood and
drawers of water" we must educate.
Unless we wish them to treasure
against US in after days a sense Of
wrong, We must educate.
Unless we wish to be recreant to the
trust imposed upon US by the God who
gave them, and give them back to him
at maturity, splendidly constructed,
but tenaptless temples of humanity,
we must educate. ii We wish them
to be an honor to us, profit to them
selves, stay to our declining days, a
bulwark of safety to the land Of their
nativity, and repository of such ex-
celleneies, physically, mentally, So
ciaIly and spiritually as will do homage
to the likeness in which they are Gre
ated, we must educate.
F. w. HIGGINS.