The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-05
THE EDUCATIONAL FEATURE OF
TIE DISPBNSARY.

Hon James l.. Tribb!e, of And crson,
recently contributed the following arti-
Gle to tho Anderson Intclligcncer, ana as
the dispensary advocates are constantly
harping upon the aid given to the com
mon schools by this great moral institu.
tion it would be well for the voters who
are being duped by this specious claim
for the continuance OF the dispcnsary TO
investigate the facts and figures given by
DIR. Tribble, and they will sec for them
selves whether or not the claim is lust
and reasonable
From the Comptroller Generals report
for the fiscal year ending December 81,
1899, the mill constitutional tax and
poll tax for educational purposes aggrc-
gated S714,2iG 20. This much was cx
pended on what is known as the common
schools. What else did we do in this
direction From the State we got from
the special State dispensary school fund
Tl3O,OOO,ol. The enrolment of pupils
for the scholasi ic year 1897 9S was 215.-
7S9 pupils. Anderson County furnished
1l,S44 pupils in that enrolment, which
leaves for the rest of the State 2G3, ,945
pupils.
For Anderson COunty's pupils the
treasurer received 81 ,SGG 33 in Decem-
Der, 1879. Upon the basis of our enroll
mcnt that was n fraction over Is cents
per pupil. Fifteen cents for a whole wear
If we apportion the remaining 1928, 1873 GS
among the other 2G3,0i5 pupils in the
State each would have fraction over 4S
cents towards his education, which at
ten cents per day would give him four
days in school. In Anderson it is cx-
pectcd that we will be able to improve
on this since o3,5O7.7G up to May, 1900,
has already been paid into the tr, asu1y,
and II the receipts for the remainder Of
the year is in the same ratio, we will
h, 20 about $40 523.3S to help on the
cause of education If, therefore, the
| enrolment in 1900 does not exceed what
it was in the scholastic year lS97-gS,
Ql ,Si4) the school children will get
about 80 cents per pupil towards his
cdu alton in 1900. Wonderful
HOW do we manage to do so much to
for liquor to be sold through the dispcn.
sary 81 l,593,240. Democrats Of South
Carolina, will you spend 81 ,503,240 for
hquor that yc may boast that yc arc cdu.
eating the poor children out of the pro.
tits at the rate of IS cents per pupil per
annum Who has got that 81 SOB 24C
spent for liquor? You bought the liquor
but what has it added t0 your wealth ;
The people of Anderson County contri
butcd from $GO,O00to 800, 900 per annum
to keep the institution going. What
dld you get in return? Answer: | ,SG6. .33
why will yc spend your money for that
which is neither bread nor wealth ? II
you desire TO see the poor children of the
county educated, then why don't YOU
take the 100000 you spend for liquor an
| nually and educate them
Let us illustrate Jones has two OF
three, perhaps u dozen children. Says
he: My children need education.
must and will educate them" AN idcs
strikes him. He puts on his hat anG
rushcs down the street to Smith who
has great stock OF liquor. Says Jones
smith, | have decided to educate m,
children. need your help Now max,
you this proposition II you will Civ,
Il certain amount of profits towards the
education of my children, | will purchas,
and drink 100000 worth of your liquor
The bargain is closed. Jones gets hi.
liquor, Smith gets the money, and b,
and by he SENDS his check to Jonc.
amounting to SO cents apiece for each o
his children towards their education.
You say "Ioncs is fool. What
drink 100000 worth of liquor that hi
children may get SO cents year to
wards their education. or course he i.
| fool"
Well, what Jones did the people OF
South Carolina did in 1899 on a larger
scale, arc doing in 1900, and what they
are asked to continue doing to wit
spend 81 ,503, ,24O for liquor that the dis
pcnsary may take out OF the pronts l>
cent per annum per child towards cdu
eating 215,0O0 or $4,000 children, ant
yet they hurrah for the dispcnsary.
The Ephcsians could howl in oil,
iauls cars great is Diana of the Ephc
slams for the gain Dcmctrius got out o
1T, but the politicians of South Carolin;
can go them one better: to the political
power and cmoluments they get out OF
the dlspensary-it helps educate the
poor mans children.
That the people may study the oues
tl@n from dispassionate standpoint let
them take the figures. In his annual
report for 1899 the Comptroller General
puts down the receipts from the dispcn
sary at 81 ,593,2i0 In the disbursements
he puts down $l30000 as distributed in
the forty counties from the disDcnsary
special school fund. Upon the school
enrolment of275, ,7S9 pupils in the State
that would be less than 4S cents per pu.
pill per annum. Suppose we make it 4e
cents and allow 40 cents to pay the
tuition of one pupil for oue-half month
Then if you could raise it to SO cents to
give him whole month, it would be nc.
cessary to double the consumption of H.
quor; that is TO say, if it takes the sale of
Si,59324O worth of liquor to get profit
| OF Sl3O,OOO for the special school fund, or
4S cents per pupil for half month tn II
at the same ratio, to IA sc to SO cents per
| pupil, for n whole month, the people
would be compelled to buy twice as
much liquor, that is 2X$i SOB 2IO 49,.
| l0G,4SO. This sum would represent the
amount of liquor consumed in order to
| give one months education to each
pupil on the basis of JG cents per month.
For five months education the people
would have to consume 5X$3, 1876, $40
Ylo,9S2 400 worth Of liquor. If the
iliends of the dispcnsary think they can
stand 1t and will make the experiment,
the final result will furnish food for
reflection for years to come.
j. l.. TREBLE.