The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-01-19

Condition OF AGGirs ?ithln the State
The Elaauces CT ths state IL Very Un-
satisfactory Condition.
| The following is the message of
| Governor EiIerbe resd in botn houses
OF the General Assembly last Wednes
Day:
Assembly: In this frs! annual Il es
sage regret that I cannot congratn-
ls:e ycu end the people Of tee State
upon the condition Of affairs Jnat
faces you today. But while we have
no. had the predicted return OF pres
perity, we should recall With thank
fulness the good health, peace ard
happiness we have been permitted to
enjoy. Without further preliminary
I proceed to discharge cne OF the most
important ; duties imposed upon the
| Chief Executive by the Constitution.
The finances Of the State ara II q
very unsatisfactory cor6ition. During
toe session OF the General Assembly.
for 1896, levy OF four and half
mills was laid TO meet tie current eE
penses of the fiscal yesT, beginning
January 1897, and ending DScsm
/ her 81, 1897 Tna sun raised oy this
| levy proved insufficient te meet the
ex oeuses; and we have, therefore, 8
deficit of 500, coo TO BE- providel Tor.
by using every dollar from every
(; available source and by eyerdrawing
smal! amounts upon banks in whicn
large sums of the States funds have
been deposited, we have met promptly
all current obligations without Dor
rowing dollar. The books were OPEN
ed for the collection of taxes October
i15, sno since that time we have used
money thus collected to pay current
expenses. This money now being col
lected, however, belongs legitimately
10 the current app! opriaion for 1898
by refusing to borrow $l00, 900, as IS
often done, though I have not saved
the Stale any great amount II the way
Of inte! est charges, I have refused 70
sanction what appears 10 me 10 be 2
bsd policy-the policy OF borrowing
money at interest.
The levy for State purposes will os
. high, but you must remember that we
have deficit OF 500, ,000-not OF your
making-to Be provided for, ard That
the State will no longer receive any
revenue for current expenses from cls-
pensary profits, for under the provls
ions of the Constitution all profits
from the dispensary must hereafter go
to the school fund. During the past
year the general fund has been aug
mented By s92, eco received from the
6ispensary the year previous this aug
| mentation amounted to SlOQ. 600. The
Governor then takes up the dispensa-y
ard what he Soy ) about the matter Is
! fully reported elsewhere.
| TIE STATES EDUCATION SYSTEM.
| The Constitutional three mill tax for
school purposes yields on the present
assessed value OF property something
over S5O0,00O. This is large sum TO
collect from a tax burdened people,
and this money should be so expended
as to secure the best possible results.
With this increased expenditure Of
money on the public schools the peo
ple have the right to expect better re.
suits than have heretofore been secur-
| sd. II the cities and in majority OF
| the towns the schools are well sustain
ed and meet the demands upon them !;
but in the country the results are gen.
orally very unsatisfactory. With bet
ter school houses and better equipment
! and better teachers, boys and girls
could be prepared for college al the
common schools in the country with.
out needing to take course IN lifting
schools preparatory to entering col
lege. The States educational system,
lincluding all schools, high and low,
primary, secondary and collegiate
looks to one end and aim-to correct
iiliteracy, to dispsl ignorance, 10 train
intelligent and patriotic citizens. It
is sustained b. public appropriations,
gathered by taxation from every class
of citizens. 1t exists for the oenefs OF
all the people of the commonwealth,
and all are interested in its economi-
cal and efficient administration.
The system is a body composed OF
various capacities and functions, to be
exercised, not Independently, bat eaca
in conjunction with the others; with
constant reference to common cur
pose, and upon common plan. Aar-
mo1 ious cooperation is necessary and
his implies organization, embracing
in well balanced order, every part O.
the system and supervised By intelli
gent and etficien: officers. At present
such organization and supervision ara
wanting and the whole sys en- IS split
into departments working each to
wards the supposed common end, but
with 40 clear understanding cr appre
citation cf each others needs, methods
and aims. There is, therefore, "a un.
intentional but Inevitable lack Of sym
pathy and understanding, which
makes q separate system Of each
branch of the States educational plant,
and stands in the way OF that unity
and cooperation which are the prere
ouisites of economy and efficiency.
There is no headship, no Leadership,
no intelligent policy, no common p0r
pose. Necessarily, the resuI: IS d.
plication Of work, lack Of connec-
ton, an uneconomical, because unSys
tenatic, expenditure Of fluids, an IN,
excusaole waste OF energy, and, above
ali, an unsatisfactory effort to forward
TIE cause Of popular education. Ar
ideal plan would be the combination
of all higher Safe Institutions i2to a
sin,le co educational university, but
at present this is not practible, ard the
next bes. measure is the organization
OF these now diverse elements into one
system, properly directed By compe.
tent othcisl', who should be, as far as
| possible, separated from Political en-
| tanelemsnts and whose duties aad re-
sponsibiiities should be carefully de.
| fined by statute. The common coun.
Try schools, the more hourishing town
schools ana the various S.ate colleges