The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-06-02
money in proportion to their wealth

the census OF 1871, had only abOu'
double the population of Georgia, but
Ohio appropriated, in round numbers
eight times more money for her public
schools than Georgia. The statisticl
of 1890 show that the wealth of Ohio
in round numbers, was only four anc
one half times that of Georgia, bu!
her public school appropriations were
eight times that of Georgia.
In other words, the State Of Ohio
appropriates four dollarSin proportion
to her population, and two Icflara in
proportion to her wealth, for her pub
lie schools, where Georgia, the EN-
pire State of the South, appropriate!
one dollar. And most of the South
ern States are in the same category as
Georgia is, as compared with Ohio ant
other States north of the Ohio anc
Potomac rivers.
6. Mr.. Jones says: "He is unalter
ably opposed to such public schools
as we now have" and says Georgia is
now appropriating nearly $4,000. DOT
annually for public schools, and thai
''they arc getting there with both feel
now" If Mr.. Jones is dissatisfied
with the public schools, as they now
are what kind of public schools
would Georgia and the other Southern
States have, if she and they appropri-
ated less? The reader knows from
past observations.
The trend of public thought and &C.
ton over mere in South Carolina is tc
educate, to educate. And the same
trend, so far as I am able to observe.
is the same throughout the South,
South Carolina had embodied in her
last Constitution, which was adopted
in this State in 1895, this provision.
viz: "The general assembly shall pro
vide for a liberal system of free pub,
lie schools for all children between
the ages Of six and twenty-oue years
\ n M
And Anderson county, the banner
couaty in South Carolina, and An
derson city, within the past few years,
have made long strides and have been
forging ahead in an educational and
many other directions. Anderson
city has one of the handsomest, most
commodious and convenient, and one
of the best furnished graded school
buildings in South Carolina, and one
of the most proficient corps of teachers.
But the white teachers salaries in
Anderson County, to say nothing OF
the negroes, do not average more than
$500 or $4,000 per month. And
schools in the South do not run more
than six to nine months in the year.
Before we can secure and retain the
best teaching talent in our schools, we
will have to pay u teachers as much
as they can command in other avoca-
tions or professions. And then, and
not till then, will our public schools
be what they should and ought to be.
Why do so many Of u young men
abandon teaching for something else?
Because they can command more in
other spheres.
Z. Again, Mr.. Jones says; ut is no
more of his business to educate Bill
Smiths boy than it is his duty to
clothe him and spank him and put him
to bed" Let me say right here that
"Bill Smiths" boys are the wealth
producers in this country, and is it
not right and just that Mr.. Jones and
the other wealth owners should help
educate "Bill Smith" boys?
Again, Mr.. Jones, 1 am told, hous-
es, feeds, clothes and educates a little
band of orphans in Gainesville by
and through his own efforts. Recon
cile this, if you can, with the last
quotation from his article.
8. Again, Mr.. Jones says: "He
doesn't want any office, and doesn't
want any school to teach How
many politicians and teachers all over
our country, if they could make the
money in lecturing and preaching that
Mr.. Jones does and can, would say in
Mr.. Jones closing words, "them's our
sentiments"
In conclusion I will say that I am
an admirer of the acknowledged gen.
Jus, the gifted and eloquent divine,
and the instructive lecturer, the Rev.
Sam P. Jones, of Gainesville, Ga. l
admire his pluck and get-up in boldly
speaking and writing his thoughts.
When a friend of mine here some time
ago suggested that if I would go out
to hear DR.. Steele from Nashville lee
ture as he thought l would like him,
l remarked to him that I wouldn't
mind paying a dollar to hear "Sam
Jones' lecture. And | say the same
now.
But Andrew Jackson "said" the
great John G. Calhoun went off on a
tangent on the question of "nullifca-
tion;" DR.. James Woodrow went off
on a tangent on the question of "evo-
lution," and the American people have
said the advocates of the sub-treasury
scheme went off on a tangent. And
will not the American people say that
the Rev. Sam P. Jones has gone of
on a tangent in opposing the public
school SYSTEM" the "greed of the
public school teachers" and in his
prediction that ''within a few years
the public school teachers will form
the most gigantic trust Of combination
the world has ever seen?
Respectfully submitted to the think
ing public. j. +. RICE.