The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-01-27
The GiSpensarv

| OF the State, ana as long as our pres
ent Constitution remains intact II IS
the duty OF the Governor to see that
laws governing it are enforced, and
It's the duty fall law abiding citizens
to labor for the same end, or e less:
to submit to the provisions Of the law.
I believe the dispensarv comes nearer
10 the solution OF the liquor problem
than any other scheme yet proposed
by man. It nsy be necessary to mo-
dify the law. out constant changes are
to be deplored. The dispensers should
be honest men, selected without re-
gard to party affiliations, and when
convicted of crime, should be handled
like other criminals The chief dis
penser, the board Of control and all
the higher officials should be men
whose honesty cannot be REASONABLY y
questioned and who should hold their
places on account Of fitness and not
Tor political reasons. An Institution
is known by It's fruits, and it's simply
question whether. prohibition or the
dispensarv system will do most to d.
n2;;aisn Drunkenness and its accom-
panying ills. Upon moral grounds
and only upon moral grounds the dis,
pepSary Iust stand or fail. The profit
feature is Of secondary consideration.
EDUCATIoN-THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
That it is the duty Of the State tc
provide for the education OF her chill
dren is now almost universally con-
ceded. He belongs to the past, and
not to the present, who hopes to cneck
the growing demand for popular edu-
cation. The enemies OF the public
school will fnd the entire drift Of
modern civilization against them. All
the leading nations of the earth have
founded and are still endeavoring to
perfect systems OF popular education.
Witness Germany with 19 per cent.
and France and England each with
16i per cent of their population IN the
schools. To be relegated to the rear
is the fate OF every State that fails to
provide for the training o: her chill
dren.
Witness Spain, once the leading
Power of Europe. with cnly 10 per
cent; Italy, once the nome of art and
science and culture, with 9 per cent;
Turkey. at once the shame and dis
grace of Europe. with D per cent;
Mexico, with A, and Brazil, with
only per cent Of her population at
school.
The whole history OF modern civil
zation teaches that IN the Struggle for
supremacy the sceptre of conin'on
passes not to the State most richly
blessed by nature, but to the State
that best succeeds IN training its citi-
zens for all the duties of life, both
public and private, in peace and IN
war. In comparison with cold and
bleak, New England the South is
paradise And yet it must be cenfess'
ed by all fair minded men that long
before the desolating cyclone Of war
had swept over our fair fields power
and dominion were already rapidly
passing to the North. We were al.
ready approaching condition OF in
tellectuaI bondage in the South. It
mas been estimated By eminent anthor-
ity this section paid annually to the
North, for many years before the war,
not less than five million dollars for
books and education. When New
England established her free pubkc
schools and strengthened her system
OF popular instruction she armed her
self with the power to wrest suprema.
cy from the South, which was content
with private and parochial schools, and
to make good her claim to leadership
far more efectually than she subse.
ouently secuied in the surrender OF
Lee st AppomattoX.
This is said in no harsh criticism of
the generation Of men now rapidly
passing from the stage. whose cour-
age and fortitude were tested in nun
dred hard fought fields, whose ''ener-
gy made bricks without straw, and
spread splendor amid the ruins OF
their war wasted homes" but for the
purpose of emphasizing truth which
cannot be 100 deeply impressed upon
tie minds OF the men into whose
hands is committed the solemn respon-
sibility Of moulding the destiny of the
State and of making her future not
unworthy of her proud, Inspiring
past. To see our own shortcomings
and to rise with firm will to correct
past mistakes is the part OF wisdom.
Vain conceit in q State is no more to
be admired than in an individual.
Our schools are not what they ought
to be. In the opportunities they offer
their youth for education the Northern
and Western States haye left US far
behind, and this for reasons beyond
our control. The war left US con-
fronted by the most serious education
al problem ever thrust upon q free
people-tne problem, it has been well
said of educating three times the num-
Der of children with one.third the
money. The war not only robbed US
of more than 50 per cent Of our taxa.
bic property, but it added, at single
stroke, to our school population hun
dreds of thousands of illiterate ex
slaves. In spite of desperate odds we
have been moving forward, but the
battle is not yet won. South Carolina
has not yet regained her once proud
position in this great Republic. she
can never regain it until her people
rising above all partisan hatred, unite
in one heroic effort to make our sys-
TEN Of public instruction inferior to
none.
1t is thus, and thus only, that we
shall triumph in the end. We should
develop our mines, build factories and
improve the fertility of our soil, but
our highest, our most sacred duty,
now and evermore, must be to i'm
prove the quality Of our citizenship,
TO develop The minds and hearts OF the
rising generation, for upon their in
telligence, virtue and patriotism the
destiny Of our State depends.
In monarchy in an aristocracy, a
few great and good men may govern
the State wisely and well, but, in a
government OF the people, for the
people and by the people, illiteracy IS
? shame and q disgrace, and con-