Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-26
CORRESPONDENCE
Logic and Philippe SemphrOni-
Gus Replies to Pedagosue.

some novel notions on higher edu-
cation. His "simlin head" has
managed to get filled with some
of the qaeerest, quaintest ideas as
to the school system that ever
exercised a human being. Like
Don Quixote, a few weeks ago be
sailed forth on his fea-bitten gray
and attacked windmill in the
shape of the special district. He
met valiant knight, MIR. Crouch
who battered up this same "sim-
lin head" drove him in hurry
away from this windmill and put
him to flight. This 40 year old,
simlin headed "Pedagogue never
raised his hand to fight in the
whole affray. After the pangs of
defeat and failure had about died
out, this 18th century Don Quixote
essayed his hand on the question
of reading the Bible IN the public
schools. Being called to account
by one not much over q years of
age, he turns his scanned cadaver-
Gus face to one side and snarls:
"A nan has not got good sense till
he is forty years old" Why bless
your life man this has been the
crysof the old fogy and ragged out
old wreck of a man ever since Sa-
tan was foul.d "haming head
long" from the realms Of Bliss.
Mr.. Crouch (who will please par
don me for using his name in this
connecticut is not yet forty, yet he
cleaned up Pedagogue ''hoof and
horn;" if this promising SCH of
Saluda comes under Pedagogue's
sweeping assertions. what shall we
say of the mental capacity of one
whom Mr.. Crouch so completely
used up! l will answer this taunt
of Pedagogue's by a noble outburst
from Mr.. Pitt in reply 10 Il sneer
from Walpole: "The atrocious
CRIME OF being young man, Whlch
the honorable gentleman has
charged upon me, | shall neither
attempt to palliate nor deny; but
content myself with hoping that l
may be one of those whose follies
cease with their youth, and not of
that number who are ignorant IN
spite Of experience. Whether youth
can be imputed to man as a re-
proach l will not assume the pro-
vince of determining; but surely
age may become justly contempti-
Bile, if the opportunities. which it
brings have passed away without
improvement, and vice appears to
prevail when the passions have
subsided. The wretch, who after
having seen the consequences of a
thousand errors, continues still to
blunder, and whose age has only
added obstinacy to stupidity, is
surely the object either of abhor-
ence or contempt, and deserves not
that his gray hairs should secure
him from insult"
"Not able to discriminate be-
tween public and private schools"
Is there any essential difference
between these two kinds of schools,
save that one is kept up by taxa
tion and one is not? Ought not
the same general methods of in-
struction be pursued? Would not
hook hurtlul to one be hurtful
to the other also? Pedagogue lays
down some strange doctrine about
sectarianism (his pet word) in
colleges. This in itself is enough
to show that be doesn't know what
he's talking about. He says if he
sent his son to a college supported
by a particular denomination, he
would expect his son to be chang
ed into the belief of that church.
He would be sadly disappointed.
Our colleges in this State do not
instil the doctrines of their
churches into their students, and
1 am surprised at any man being
foolish enough to think so. 1t
would soon break down their local
patronage. No; The Bible is taught
at Newberry, Wofford, ETC., and a
Baptist can 90 TO Newberry or
Wofford, study the Bible four
years and be as good Baptist at the
end of that time as he was a. first.
I know whereof speak. Sectarian
influence is carefully avoided by
the faculty of Newberry College at
least, members Of :he faculty art
sometimes Baptists or Methodi, SIS,
| suppose the same is true Of other
colleges.
Pedagogue wilfully misrepre-
sents me in another place, when
he intimates that | said only those
who pay tax should send to school.
l said no such thing. My state
ment was nearly this: Some one
might say that if the Bible were
read in the public schools that
this would be an injustice to the
Chinese w1o didn't believe the BIZ
BILE yet who had children to edu-
cate. | met this argument by
saying the Chinese paid no tax to
keep up the schools, h=rce 10
right Of his would be infringed by
teaching the Bible; for he could
claim none of the money as
right but as bounty. | said not
a word about non-taxpayers not
getting part of the funds, but
beggar's mustn't be choosers l
defy any man to find fault with
this on moral urOun1s If Chris