The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-10-14
Fight Wholly GroundIess.
The S. c. College a Christian
Institution.
To rho E3i,or Of The State !:


seco 10 to.day's State indications Of a
disposition again to aotagouize the
State college of South Carolina 1t
has had long aud hard s'r.gg'e With
the 9oeful co.aicts of partizau politics
aud personal prejudice. aad having
passed successfully through a crisis
ubich tried its very existence. seemed
at length ~ be entering into career OF
assured prosperity and sphere Of en-
larged usefulnes f; there is something
uuspeakably sad and depressing to see
another contest invited. and saddest of
all 70 see it initiated uoder the name of
religion. DO not purpose at this time
to enter into any elaborate aud detailed
defence Of this venerable aud honorable
institution, though the grounds Of
such defsnoe are ample | wish simply
to present my personal testimony. baced
upon seven years. residence IN this
oitv to the fact that the South Carolina
college is dominated BY religious iuaa-
ences aud to assert mos. positively that
there is 20 atmosphere. hasg or other
wise, of sguos,icism, still less Of dowo-
right -ia6delity, about it. II proof is
demanded. I bold myself prepared to
give abundant evidence to sustain the
testimony and establish the assertion,
While / cannot .speak from personal
knowisage OF other ins'otioas IN the
State. am inclined to doubt if there
be aog college IN South Carolina more
,hrougaiy reder religious icauences;
a. State institution / believe it to be
-sse- en;oen,ly and peculiarly 50.
I have observed instances of its rigid
discipline, vigorously administered; it
exercises a supervision over the student
boay rare 10 these advanced times, and,
50 far az my observation extends. Ut
terly uokoown at State institutions 10
other States
Iwould commend the following re-
Aec,icn to all thoughtful readers: The
college is uuder the government OF
body of emineaens men. high 10 the
confidence aod the honors of this COM
mon wealth; it has an executive COM
mi,see charged with the iotimate and
practical administration of the iostitu-
ticp; it is under the immediate control
of faculty selected BY the body above
referred to; this being the case all
charges against its religious character
are charges against these met; iosinu-
a.ions of agnosticism or downright To-
fidelity are .insiouations against these
honorable and bouored gentlemen.
against all of them; sor each is ID bis
measure responsible for the character
of the college; more particularly they
are :auueudoes against the faculty more
directly; however vague and indefinite
the icsicuatiou, this is the effect; the
more vague apd inde6uise, the worse
the case; such course tends lnfaliiblg
10 cast cloud Of suspicion over the
fair fame a.d character Of these gentle
man all Of them, aud 'ois without
Specification Of any individual or charge
Of any definite offeuse TO be viDdicated
or disp-oved. Such a course leaves
uan to STUART uoder imputa,ion With 20
recourse, aud ii doo, in the oame OF
relig;oe it canno, but discredis religion
wi,h all refecsiog persons who love
justice aud fair play
Let me say in conclusion that soms
things ought 10 be considered as settled;
and if there il anything that is settled
it is that every State should have its 10
st:tu.ioo of learning. the crown ct Its
whole edacasioua system, the university
or State college; any other policy
would be simply to roll backwards the
wheels of progress one hundred years.
1t is not question whether South Caro-
lioa ia to tage college or 90, it is SIM
ply whether or no she Is to have one
worth: her past aud 'qlal % her fu:
ture. There ought to te 10 c"mpet'
tion between this college AID any de
uomiaat;onal college in the State; all
parsons familiar with the history o;
sach institutions know that the prosper
i.y Of the State college has always
sire g.heued the others and increased
their patronage If the South Caro-
lima college were disbanded aod dis
msu,led 10 day. within Eve years every
denomioatioual college 10 the State
would suffer
L. is &c boped tha, 20 religious de-
nomination in our State will be mlsied
into auy fight" against our State col
lege. Such course will never dignity
or csmmecd religion, it will 90 the
other haua tend to discount the credit
of religions, to weaken it's influence
and 20 belittle the church that engages
in it SAMUEL NJ SMITH
Mause of the First Presbyterian
Church, Columbis, s. G.