The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-19

Sical Institution, should De opened TO
J Young women from the freshman to
the senior class. If our women desire
TO enter literary fields, there is no just
reason why they should not be given
the advantages Of our highest literary
institutions, aud not be compelled to
leave the State on account of foolish
aptiquated sentiment. Co-education has
proved success in the civilized nations
of the world, and the best and highest
institutions of learning both in Europe
and America are now open to young
men and women alike. Gamoetta has
truly said: THAT in order to make
hearts beat together, souls must be
brought together" The present law of
allowing women only in the junior and
senior class is absurd and ridiculous,
and while intended to satisfy demand
for such education, it is 4 makeshlft
and amounts to prohibition. The bright.
est jewels of any State are ner literary
and intelligent women, and they should
not be deprived of the States bounty.
Our common school system is far
from satisfactory, but under our present
Constitution it is impossible to improve
upon it. 1t is encouraging, however,
to nste that under the operation OF our
separate school district law the average
free school term for the State has been
increased from two and half months to
a fraction over four.
THE NEGRO AT SCHOOL.
We have performed our duty to the
negro possibly too literally, as study
of the reports will show. There are
nearly $4,000 more negro children than
whites now enjoying the public school
fund. This is stinging rebuke to
those who criticise our treatment Of
this unsortunate race. Our General
Assembly has done all in its power for
the protection and elevation of the
negro and while lynch law has not been
entirely stamped out it remains for the
constitutional convention to provide
suitable courts for the speedy trial and
punish ment Of criminals who are ln-
variably the victims of this menace to
i civil government.
GIVE US SPEEDY TRIALS
Under our present system of trials it
| is absolutely impossible to restrain the
| people who become convinced of the
guilt of the ravisher. This comes from
an honest conviction on the part of our
| people that the best interest of society
| that the victim of the prute should be
spared the humiliation of testifying in
criminal court, where her refined SEN
sibiities are lacerated by vulgar cross
examination required from the nature
of the case and from being the cynosure
! of the eyes of the blackguards who at
k,;o L., "a 1rth hor
notorily of modern newspaper enter
| prise. This may be all erroneous view,
but it has grown up with our civiiiza-
ton and springs from that high regard
in which South Carolinians have ever
held the innocence, virtue and purity
of their women. There is no difference
in principle between the lyncher aad
| him who violates any other law upon
our statute books. The poor w.etch
who converts bis house into oar--oom
aud gam bling hell to evade the law and
seduce our youths is far worse.
THE DIsPENsARY LAW.
T am thoroughly satisfied after an
active canvass of the entire State that
| the Dispensary law is now written on
the hearts of the people. Fully IS per
cent. of our people uphold and respect
the law and it is my duty and shall be
NV pleasure to see that the remainder
do respect and obey it. There are GER
tain municipalities which have refused
| to cooperate with the State authorities
in enforcing this law but this comes
from the fact that they have regarded
themselves as sovereign powers and &C.
tually in one instance have openly de.
fed the State. 1t may be important
lust here to know what is a municipal
corporation and its relation to the State
government. Mr.. billiard in bis work
on municipal corporations thus defines
it: "a municipal corporation in its
strict and proper sense is the BODY
polite and corporate constituted by the
incorporation of the inhabitants of
city or q town for the purposes of local
government thereof. Municipal cor
porations as they exist in this country
are bodies polite and corporate of the
general character above described,
established by law partly as an agency
of the State to assist in civil govern
meut of the country; but chiefly to re-
gulate and administer the local or in
ternal affairs of the city, town or dis
trict which is incorpo1ated.'
The principle Of local self-goveFnment
is peculiar to our republic and is the
very foundation of our Constitution,
State and national; but it must not be
contended that in forming subordinate
powers and agents the State releases
entirely to such subordinate the right
to say what laws shall be enforced
within their limits and what shall not
te. They would in such cases no
longer be the agent of the State to as
sist in civil government of the country,
but absolute enemies of the State.
THE STATE AND THE MUNICIPALITIES.
"The usefulness" says this learne'
author, "of our municipal corporations
has been impaired by evils that are
either inherent in them or that have
frequently ranied their work
ings." Some Of these may be briefly
indicated:
l. Men the best fitted by their in
telligence, business experience, capacity
and moral character for local governors
or counsellors are not always, it is
feared, it might be added, are not gen.
orally chosen. ThIS Is especially true
! Of popular cities.
2. Those chosen are too apt to merge
their individual conscience, if they have
any, in their corporate capacity. Under
the shield of their corporate character
men but too often do acts which they
would never do as individuals. The
Influence brought to bear upon the
elections for mayors and aldermen have
heretofore been most corrupt and de-
grading. In fact the decent property
holding and intelligent vote is avoided
as without influence, while the bar
keepers, paupers and ignorant negroes
are catered to. They control elections
and thereby secure pledges from the
successful candidates to see that Sun
day laws and liquor laws are not en-
forced. Policemen are warned not to
interfere with these favorites of the
municipal government under the severe
penalty of losing their official heads.
The recent exposures in the metropolis
of the nation of such practices are suf-
ticient to open the eyes Of our legisla-
&c x,,b,t -, i'm ot,r nitioc