The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-11-20


tee.
COLUMBIA, Nov. 13.-The conven-
ton this morning commenced the
consideration of the article entitled
Education" The first section went
through without debate, in the follow
ing form:
! Section /. The supervision of pub
lie instruction shall be vested in a
ste &c superintendent OF education, who
shall be elected for term of two years
by the qualified electors of the State,
in such manner and at such time as
the other State officers are elected; his
powers, duties and compensation shall
be defined by the general assembly.
SECTION TWO.
When section 2 was taken up, Mr..
EErd offered this substitute:
Section 2. The general assembly
shall provide by law for the election
or appointment of such county, town
ship or principal school officers as oc-
casion may require.
Mr.. Patterson then offered the fol-
loving SUBSTITUTE:
Section2. The general assembly shall
make provision for the election or ap-
pointment of all additional school Of
fcers.
Mr.. Efrd was willing to accept the
Patterson substitute if he would strike
out the last clause.
Mr.. Mitchell, the chairman of the
committee, asked that the amendment
be tabled. The article left to the leg
islature the selection of all officers
save the school commissioner These
commissioners had never been paid
properly. The commissioners should
be paid an adequate salary These
men had to visit over 1000 separate
schools. He thought they should be
careful and provide good system.
Mr.. Ragsdale thought the commit
tees report was superior to either of
the substitutes. The office should be a
constitutional, elective one. If any
thing had been taught by the gentle
man from Edge6eld in the last few
years, it was that they should do away
with appointive offices and allow the
people to elect their officers. There
was no use in talking about appoint
ing them. 1t was not Democratic. He
wanted the people to choose their Of
fcers from the highest to the lowest.
There was further debate, by Mes
srs. Perritte, Field, Sheppard, Parrott
and Prince.
Mr.. Efrd inquired whether Mr..
Patterson's amendment did not con-
hict with section 4.
Mr.. Patterson said he would move to
strike out those sections when heca
to them and leave the appointment of
all these minor Offices to the legisla-
ture.
The motion to indefinitely postpone
was lost-nays SO, yeas SO.
Mr.. Patterson then withdrew the
latter part of his substitute reading
land also for system of free public
schools throughout the State. Z"
Mr.. Patterson's substitute was adopt
ed by a vote Of 73 to mo further
count demanded" :"
SECTION THREE.
When section was called up, mr.
Patterson offered the following sub
stitute, which was adopted:
Section 3. The salaries of the State
and county school officials and COM
pensation of county treasurers for col
lecting and disbursing school moneys
shall not be paid out Of the school
funds, but shall be otherwise provided
for by the general assembly.
SECTION FOUR
was, after brief discussion, passed
over for the present.
SECTION FIVE
was taken up, reading as follows:
Section 5. The general assembly
shall provide for a liberal system of
free public schools for all children be-
tween the ages of 6 and 81 years, not
mentally disabled, and for the divis-
ion of counties into school districts.
Mr.. Ragsdale moved to strike out
on lines 2 and 8 the words mot men
tally disabled"
Mr.. Patterson thought the conven-
.tion was on section 6 and he sent up
substitute which he withdrew.
Mr.. Ragsdale amendment was adopt
ed.
Senator Tillman then offered to
amend by inserting after the words
school districts" on line 3, the words
''as nearly square as practicable, not
to exceed 49, nor be less than Is square
miles in area; provided, that in cities
of 10000 inhabitants and over the
limit shall not apply.
Senator Tillman spoke in favor. of
the amendment.
There was further debate by Messrs.
Rogers, Otis, Perritte, Smith, T. E.
Johnson, Hamel and Woodward.
Mr.. Breazeale then offered the fol-
lowing amendment to the amendment.
Provided: That school districts may
be established with q. less area than IL
square miles in which there is located
an incorporated city or town which
has erected school buildings for free
school purposes by the issuance of
bonds, or by taxation, or by donation
by citizens, thereof who may desire to
do so.
The further consideration of section
was continued till The night session.
SECTION SIX.
This section, as reported, was then
taken up.
Mr.. Mitchell, the chairman Of the
committee, made strong speech ex
planning the features Of the plan en-
bodied in the section. He then, by
permission, offered the section as
amended by his committee, as follows:
Sec. 6. The existing county boards
of commissioners of the several coun-
ties; and the county school commits
sioner hereafter be vested with the
same or similar powers and duties,
shall levy an annual tax of 3 mills on
the dollar upon all taxable property
in their resp ective counties; which tax
shall be collected at the same time and
by the same officers as the other taxes
e. IL. L. IL Il