The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-27

liSh such a curriculum as 1t should
have. If you tear them down again,
You can never hope to have college
of high standing. You must let them
alone. On account of the condition
of the primary schools, it is impossi'
BILE to get students prepared to enter,
unless you raise the standard from the
bottom upwards. At the University
of Virginia and Johns Hopkins you
don't require any standing for en-
trance. The question is can the stu,
dent stay there. What is the use OF
talking about an impracticable matter
when we have here concrete matter
I would be willing to vote for an issue
of bonds, but what else would be ne
cessary? -.
Take the Citadel. I saw some time
ago where a major in the United
States army said it was the finest
school in the United States and In ma
nv respects touched West Point.
Mr.. Floyd-LeXington, Virginia, al
ways stood much higher.
Mr.. Hutson-I am only repeating
what this inspector in the United
States army said about it.
Would you have it destroyed? As to
Clemson college, she provides an edu'
cation that no other institution pro
vides. Would you destroy her just as
she has been organized9 There are
acts to require the maintenance oi
Clemson. -,
We all know that Clahin should be
supported. The colored people are en-
titled to it. As to the matter Of the
enforcement from Clafin university,
I am not here to discuss that.
Then who is ready to pull down the
girls school at Rock Hill2
Then the question is, shall these In
stitutions be maintained by Constitu
tlonal provision2 He could not see
an iota of wisdom in the arguments
that had been advanced on the other
side.
DIR. SMITH.
DIR. Smith of Barnwell then took
the floor and spoke as follows:
Mr.. President: [ deem it unnces
sary for me to say, in discussing the
question of higher education that all
passion, sectional or factional feeling
should be laid aside, for I believe it is
the earnest desire of every member OF
this convention to get all the good
possible from the small amount OIL
money which South Carolina is able
to appropriate to this noble object, and
we only differ as to the amount and
the manner in which this money
should be used. The older colleges
in this State are far from being in an
ideal condition and it is our duty to
look at them as we find them today
as they have been in years past and
not as we would have them. | am
surprised that the most enthusiastic
friend of the South Carolina college
should ask that this convention should
perpetuate that institution without any
guarantee that it will be worthy OF
its fortering care. I claim that it is
best for the South Carolina college and
for the people that the appropriation
should not be guaranteed by the Con:
stitution. Let the professors and
friends of that institution know that
when it falls below a reasonable aver,
age attendance in the collegiate depart
ment, not the freshman or preparatory
then the appropriation
shall stop, and this provision. should
be made mandatory.
What I say of the South Carolina
college applies with equal force to
Clemson college. If the farmers DO
pay the privilege tax they do not wish
to be compelled to invest in an enter
prise that does not pay. In my opin-
ion Clemson college is doinga noble
work and filing a long felt want, but
at most it is an experiment. ! hope
and believe it will be successful ex-
pertinent. If it is the people will sup
port it; if it is not they should not be
compelled to do so. I would repeat
Just here, that at one time the State
of Kentucky had an agricultural and
college that cost the State
about a half million dollars, with
about 800 boys in attendance, and yet
in less than Is years there was not a
boy on that farm and the sound of
the hammer and saw had ceased to be
heard in it's work shop and foundry,
and yet Kentucky is great State.
In my opinion the appropriations to
the South Carolina college and the
Military academy should cease now
for the following, and to my mind,
reasons: There are sew
eral literary colleges in the State, the
equal of the South Carolina college,
where young mencan be educated at
a cost to themselves little. if,any above
that of the South Carolina college and
these colleges are getting no State aid
while Clemson college is doing all the
work and more than the Citadel aca-
denny claims to do for less than half
the cost per student. Besides should
the South Carolina college and the
Military academy be abolished, the
efficiency and prosperity of the other
institutions would be increased. Then
1 ask, why should they continue to be
a burden to the State2
I agree with Mr.. Jervey in saying
that the brain and Drawn of South
Carolina is equal to that of any State
in the Union, but do not agree with
him when he says education should
begin at the top and necessarily among
the few. That has been the system
practised in South Carolina for more
than a hundred yaers, and while she
has always had a few great men, she
has a greater proportion of illiteracy
than any of the older States of the Un.
ion and as a direct consequence, in
science, art and manufactures we are