The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-01-15

IN its Administrator. AS tHe Id" ~ "
stands almost every county IN the
State has a different law from every
other county. or if the law is general, |,
a number of counties are excepted
from it's provisions. There should be
more uniformity. OF course conditions
in regard to certain matters may Dc
different in different counties, but
there could be more uniformity in re-
gard to many subjects than at present.
The Constitution requires it
Anything that you can do to :'ii1l-
plify and unity as far as possible
the County Government Law will be
Of benefit to the people and should
have your efforts.
LOCAL LEGISLATION.
Your attention has been called 70
this subject a number Of times. ;n1
though special legislation on certain
subjects is inhibited by the Constitu-
ton. yet every session OF the General
Assembly finds a number Of laws re.
lating to local or special subjects.
Though these special laws have ire
cuently been declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL
by the Courts it seems almost impos-
sible to keep them of the statute
books. In several Of the counties the
past year there have been no Courts
on account Of the uncertainty Of the
constitutionality of the jury law, and
the question is now before the Supreme
Court for adjudication. This law ana
the laws in regard to corporations
need your special attention. They have
caused more trouble during the past
year than any other question with
which the administration has had to
deal and largely because OF the uncer-
tainty as to what the law is. Such leg
islation should be carefully watched
and avoided. If possible.
EDUCATION.
Public opinion depends for its en-
lightenment very largely upon the free
common school system; and the efforts
of the State should be directed to the
Improvement Of the system OF common
school education, where the majority
of the children must look for their ed
ucation. The ideal system is one prop
erly articulated from the common
school to the high school, the college,
and the university. No child should
be allowed to grow up to meet the
high duties and responsibilities OF cit
izenship without at least having &C
auired the rudiments Of a good educa-
ton. The question Of compulsory edu-
cation has agitated the minds OF the
best educators throughout the State
for the past few years; and it would
seem that the majority Of them iavor
such a system. The objector will urge
that every parent has the right to de-
termine how much education his child
shall have, and the State has no right
to interfere. When a contagious disease
invades the State, it takes measures
to stamp out the disease, and asks for
no permission to establish a quaran-
tine. ignorance is the worst of dlseas-
es, and the State has the right to re-
quire that the children shall be
brought up SO as to make the best pos
sible citizens. AS to the cost-the State
is now spending more than a million
dollars on the education of its chill
dren, and it desires that every child
should reap its share. But the greatest
objection that is urged to compulsory
education is the fear that the ever
present negro, If educated, cannot be
controlled. The negro is here to stay;
and to educate him rightly is but 10
teach him his position and be OF benefit
to him and to us. To leave him without
an education is but to make him tool
in the hands Of the designing and a
curse to society. 1t is a suicidal argu-
mept to let the white children grow
up in ignorance for fear that the negro
children may receive the same adVan-
tage. A compulsory law at the begin
ming would probably have to encoun-
ter difficulties in it's enforcement; but
the time is ripe for such a measure.
All the principal countries in Europe
and throughout the whole civilized
world, and two-third Of the States and
Territories Of our own country, have
adopted some system Of compulsory
education, and in many other OF the
States it is being agitated and urged.
The Governor here strongly recon-
mends an additional tax for the sup
port Of the country sch hools, thus fur
nishing them competent teachers for
longer terms,-Giving the children ele-
nentary and preparatory training at
home, and tending to check the abnor-
NAL influx Of population from the
country to the town. He also advo-
Gates the County Superintendent be-
ing paid salary sufficient to allow
them to devote more time to the
proper supervising Of the School.
County Boards should also be elected
by the people Off long enough term
to insure less change in the employ
ment of teachers. The most careful at
tention should also be given to plan
for securing better school-houses, he
cause the best results in training chill
dren cannot be obtained in shabby and
uncomfortable school-houses.
STATE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
The present session of Winthrop
College promises to be the most sue
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