The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-07-27
4 PLEA FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
INTERESTING AND AN ABLE Ex.
HIBlT THE SUBJECT
Won. W. j. Montgomery in His Ad-
dress to the Alumni of Wofford
College.

CaQt pQrllOQS OF lne ouUTcSS 10 tdS
alumni Of Woffor,l College recently de-
hSered at Spartanburg by the Hon. W.
J. Montgomery, of Marion. S. c.:
Tt will be conceded no doubt by
every thoughtful and patriotic citizen
that at no time in the political history
sof the American Republic has there
been greater necessity for careful
examination of the standards of princi-
pie upon which the Government is
founded than the present. This is
necessary in order that correct idea
OF the relation of the citizen to the
Government may be formed, there
being On evident tendency in the
frenzy of political partisanship to dis
segard the simple tenets laid down by
tie fathers and to ignore the fact Chat
every citizen is an integral part Of the
Government, making the measure of
public duty the amount of money which
may be made ont of the Government
by hol'ling public Office or otherwise.
In other words this may be correctly
styled the mercenary period in the life
of the Government.
The speaker then went on to explain
in detail the antebellum School Policy,
and also education since the war, and
proceeded as follows:
Under its present laws the State has
but two ways of raising money for
public schools, viz: The poll tax and
she constitutional two mill tax. Many
of the more wealthy and more popu-
lous communities OF the State, recog-
uizing the fact that an illiterate citi-
zenship means degraded and corrupt
citizenship, have imposed npon them
selves extra and additional burdens OF
taxation in order that their children
nay have the rudiments Of an educa-
tion. This is no part Of the States
: educational policy. and for it she de-
Eecves no thanks. These schools are
local, and have sprung up from abso-
lute necessity.
4 In the s532, 200, reported by Mr..
Mayfeli as raised for public schools
last year, the amounts arising from
these special tax levies in the graded
school districts OF the State areinclud-
ed. When they are deducted one
fifth OF the amount raised is taken
away, and the comparison becomes
: sill moEestartatng.
It is legitimate to iuqnire why the
State from its earliest history to the
present has pursued such liberal
policy towards higher education and
has given comparatively such small
consideration to public or common
school education May it not be an
swered in word, that wealthy, cul-
tirated, slaveholding element domi-
mated the affairs OF the State from the
earliest days of her Statehood until
-: after the war, and that her educational
policy was shaped in accord with their
taste and conceptions of what was the
'sproper education Of youth, y as stated
in the preamble to the Act establishing
the South Carolina College.
Since the two mill tax provision be-
came law, nearly twenty years ago,
the public school system as such, has
had no favoring legislation from the
State Doubtless in the temper Of
political sentiment as it has existed
since that time any scheme that might
have been proposed would have met
defeat at its inception because the
negro population would share its bene-
fits. While this short-sighted political
sentiment has ruled to the ends Of the
State for the past thirty years, the
pubic School system has been On &C
krowledged farce, and Large percent
age Of the poor white children, mute
and helpless have been, and are still,
cropping in the black darkness Of hope
less illiteracy. 1t is submitted that by
this course of action nos only great
wrong to these children is being per-
petrated and perpetuated, but their
vested rights ignored, the great princi-
pies upon which the Commonwealth IS
founded set at naught, and its high
mission threatened with defeat on ac-
count of an ignorant citizenship. While
: thus being stabbed to the heart over
the shoulder of the unfortunate negro,
the white illiterates of the State might
we'll say to both factions of the Demo
cratic party in South Carolina, in the
language OF Mercutio: eve are
hurt" 'tA plague on both your
houses
Higher education, however, has not
been dealt with so unkindly. 1t has
had and still has friends in the halls of
Legislature and on the hustiRgs, When
the white people returned to power IN
1876 the South Carolina College and
the Citadel we're re-opened and money
flowed freely out of the State treasury
for their support The South Caro-
lins College took on tho university sys-
TEN, and an effort was made to popu-
larize it by making its curriculum en-
brace every duty that it was thought
would run current with popular favor.
It had at one time, as [ remember, 26
professors for about 200 students. It
then became an issue in politics on ac-
count of the free tuition feature, and
because the farmers contsnded they
wanted o college Of their own, where
applied agriculture and mechan!ca
might be taught. A new order OF
things came about. The South Caro-
hnu College was emssculated, but its
appropriations continued. The Citadel
was criticised and threatened, but Its
appropriations continued. The be-
quest of Mr.. Clemson was made the
nucleus, the name of Mr.. Calhoun was
used to conjure with, the prejudices Of
the farmers appealed to, large appro'
priations of money, including the
\ phosphate royalty and unlimited mum,