Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-03-06
CORRESPONDENCE
Pedagogne Writes Again.

Mr.. EDITOR: You have recently
had two articles on the school
question from two educators, and
we suppose it was their intention
to provoke discussion.
Theories are nice when formula
ted in the study, but when applied
in practice are often very disap-
pointing. We have long been an
advocate of special districts and
educational centres, but our opin-
ion in the last few years has been
somewhat changed as we witness
their practical application. Our
school system, with its special dis
tricts, may be suitable for a very
thickly settled country, but in our
thinly settled country it is mis-
erable failure. Competition is
necessary to the, success of any
thing and all pursuits, withoutit,
degenerate into a mere routine
without life or success.
A district is laid off, trustees
elected, and applications are sent
in by teachers with as many dif-
ferent prices. The trustees may
have a favorite, especially rela-
tive, and he will be employed.
Sometimes it is left to a vote Of
the patrons, and they will certain
ly elect the cheapest teachers-all
without regard to merit. What
then is the consequence? Those
who have just cause to be dissat-
isfed cannot have a school, be-
cause the trustees will only allow
one school in the district. They
either keep their children at home
or send them off, being generally
men of property. The ignorant of
the district do not realize their
loss. If I had my way I would de-
stroy every school district in the
State and throw the system into
the Atlantic. The people, not the
system, though, may be to blame,
but it is more merciful to destroy
the system than the people.
We were glad to learn that the
Professor has gone from an hum
BILE home to opulence and distinc-
tion; but when he has taught as
loug as 1 have be will do like me,
go from a home of opulence to one
that is very humble.
We endorse Prof. Crouch's sug-
gestion with regard to a library.
We were never more impressed
with this than the other day when
a class in Tarbell's primer had
to write a short biography of Clay,
Webster, Caesar, and Capt. John
Smith. 1t was a puzzled class I
can tell you. They thought they
had heard of Clay and Webster,
but of Caesar they had never heard.
They wrote a fair sketch of Capt.
John Smith, we suppose because
his life was so romantic, and.men-
ton of him is made so often il
school readers. If every school
had good Encyclopedia, it would
be wonderful help in our coun-
try schools, if we could get no
other books of reference. Prof.
Crouch will have to join US in
pleading for good school buildings.
We cannot have a good library un-
less we have somewhere to keep
the books. Some one goes into
our school buildings now, and
steals the children's books, and we
would not have any books in orr
libraries very long unless we had
a secure building in which to keep
them.
There Is another evil affecting
or at least threatening our schools
besides the want of system or IL
braries, and that is, sectarian
prejudices. 1t has divided the
schools of our towns, and is grad
ualiy spreading in the country. 1t
will not only break up our schools,
but it will undermine social order
and destroy good government,
through this spirits showing it.
self in every form of our society.
The Roman Catholics claim that
Protestants are incapable of pre-
serving social order, or insuring
permanency to forms of society.
It is proposed to be carried into
the States high institutions of