Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-07-27
WALIIALLA, s. G.:
I TgIUIssDAK, JULY ~, sSOD.
.|:'U| SCHOOL PROBLEM.
HOW THE SYSTEM CAN BE CHANGED AND
81 BETTERED IN THIS STATE. f.'.".
ADDRESS or SUPERINTENDENT McMAHAN
Several Things, Including Intelligent Teaching,
N@ Needed More Than Longer Terms.

superintendent of Education Nc
Mahan, at Harris Springs, on tn
country school problem
The country school problem is tn,
most important problem of our civil
zation to-day.
1. 1t is the problem of our agricul
tural emancipation, of our industrial
prosperity. If the truth be told, We
are in bad way agriculturally. The
country is being deserted, planta
tions are being eaten up by mort
cages, dwellings and barns built be-
fore the war are going to decay, and
if destroyed tomorrow could not be
replaced. We are living on the AZ,
cumulations of the past and fast
using up the little capital of our pos,
sessions. This is true Of many
neighborhoods. | am thankful that
is not true Of all. But men now
farm without hope. The way out
must be throug more Intelligent
methods, better education.
2. The country school problem is
the problem of good government.
The terms "ward politician" and
"city boss" have acquired a meaning
Chat tells of some of the evils of GOV
ernment in cities. Although "cross-
roads Politician is also term of
dlsrcspect, it has no suggestion of
vicious purpose or of vcnality. The
crossroads politician is charged with
narowness, mistaken zeal. lie is a
patriot, and all he needs is education.
There is among the people in the coun-
try an independence and an individ-
uality that are a safeguard to the State.
1t will be bad day for us when we no
longer have this sturdy constituency
to appeal to. We must, therefore,
by education solve the problem of
how to make living in the country,
and we must provide adequately for
the education of children reared in
the country.
3. The country school problem is
the problem of diversified life, of all
round interest. Thus far, nearly all
of our city people have had relatives
in the country whom they at times
visited. Hence all our people have
some experience of country life
there arc none but have been brought
under the influence of this contract
with nature. This can no longer
be so if the exodus from the country
continues, if we continue to have
.pocr country schools that fail to fit
boys and girRl%aQ live prosporously
and happily in the country--such
poor schools that parents see no
hope for their children there and 90
to town, to live from hand TO mouth,
at uncertain employment, in search
of schools.
4. The country school problem is,
moreover, the problem of our ma
tional vigor. The majority of the
leading business men of our cities
were reared on tho plantations. SO
it is in each generation. The city
seems to require n back country to
draw upon for rcinforccmcnts. When
these can no longer he supplied the
end is at hand.
The country school problem is in
deed the problem of the prcscrya-
tion of our Caucasian civilization and
purity Of blood. If the country be
abandoned to the negroes then that
which makes a people great will be
theirs and not the white mans. The
hardihood, the independence, the
courage that country life develops
will be lost to the Caucasians, who
will have gathered into congestcd
ccntcrs, where strength and vigor of
mind and body arc at last sappcd.
Tho country will supply the men
that dominate. Who shah these be ?
But | am expected to point out
what may be done for the improve
mcnt Of the country school. The
special proplcm of the schools in the
country is due to the sparsity of
population and the poverty of the
people. The chief difficulty is the
distance apart. The school money
is apportioned according to enroll
mont, and each school is attended
by so small number that its share
of the public fund supports it only
pitifuily. There arc many needed
improvements. What are they
| would not if | could, present to
you a finished theory of how to sorvc
this problem Of tho country school.
You would distrust any theory. All
Improvement must be growth. My
theory might need to be modified as
conditions develop. In aspiring to
tho pntno ,rl,:al 4 $1,000, l,o1i + -,