The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-15
EDUCATIONAL MANIFESTO.
The Conference al Columbia An-
naunees a Policy.
UNIVERSAL EDUCATION NECESSARY.
Defects Of the Present Education
al System of South Carolina

Columbia, April 12.-The Educa-
tional Conference for South Carolina,
which was organized here yesterday,
has promulgated its declaration of
principles, which definitely Announces
the purposes and scope of the organiZa-
tion. The declaration reads:
DECLARATION ADOPTED BY THE
EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.
Regarding it as beyond discussion
that universal education is absolutely
necessary for the true solution OF
those problems which will forever con-
front free government; recalling that
the faith of ourState was pledged by
our fathers to the support of schools
for all the people by the Act of the
Assembly of ITO, which declares that
sit was necessary that a free school
be conducted for the youth of the
province, afording instruction in the
arts and sciences and useful learning;"
reahirming that as the people of the
past owed a duty to US, so we owe a
duty to all WHO follow u.s." that
ssthe Commonwealth exists chiefly for
the children of today, and those of
the future.:'' and that the principles
of the Christian religion, as we'll as
of humanity and of sound economics
demand that We recognize and meet
this obligation when taken In its wild
est form of expression:
We, as an Educational Conference,
assembled in the city of Columbia,
this April II, 1903, do make and ad-
dress to the people OF South Carolina
the following declaration:
l. No free Government can long
exist without an educated citizenship; !;
this condition cannot be secured ex-
ceptv by system of education which
shall provide free schools for all the
children Of the State: a system which
shall furnish such training as will
prepare every child intelligently to
perform all the services demanded of
him in his relations to family, society,
Church and State.
2. The people of South Carolina
have made noble effort to meet this
obligation, but the actual facts of our
educational conditions show that the
battle for popular education has not
yet been completely won, and, there
fore, demands renewed and organized
effort on the part of all wEo love the
State. Some of these facts are; ~
the length of our school term is So
40 days per annum, the average in
the United States is 145, ~ the aver
age salary of teachers is, per month
in South Carolina, s3l. .25 in the Unit
ed States, S4S; salary per annum in
South Carolinaa, s1aS. 12, in the Unit
ed States, 1888; 81 average cost of
education per capita for enrolled
pupils in South Carolina, S. 65: in the
United States, 5000 a. the stats
tics also show that 35 9-10 per centHof
the entire population, and IS Of every
100 whites over 10 years of age, are
elassed as ilGterate.
To remedy this state Of affairs Is
clearly cur duty now, and the remedy
lies in hard, persistent work for those
schools which alone can offer an op-
portunity for an education to that
great mass of our deserving and
patriotic citizens who live in the rural
districts
In view of the supreme Importance
to the Commonwealth of better
schools in these rural districts, the
Conference invoking the aid of the
two great agencies, the pulpit and the
press, and the cooperation Of all good
citizens, declares itself in favor Of:
] l. Local supplementary taxation, as
necessary alike to the moral and the
financial support of efficient public
schools, and the persistent agitation
for the general extension of this plan,
already adopted in our Staate by one
fifth of our school districts.
2. Better training and payment OF
teachers, expert supervision, longer
school terms, and courses Of study
adapted to the economic conditions and
wants Of the people.
8. The consolidation, wherever
practicable, Of weak schools into larg
er and stronger organizations.
4. Tie improvement of school houses
and grounds, with better equipment
for teaching.
5. A systematic campaign, not only
with these aims in view, but also tor
tie purpose of arousing popular in
terest in education.
The Conference, therefore, recon-
mends that cam mpaign executive COM
mittee of three be appointed to oragnize
and conduct the campaign for carry
ing out the purposes Of this declara
ton.
The conference elected Governor D
c.. Hayward, State uperintendent Of
Education, O. B. Martin and Presi-
dent D. B. johnson, Of Winthrop Col
lege, as the campaign executive COM
mittee.
Indianapolis, Ind, April 12.-Nath-
an Morris, one of the best known at
torneys of Indiana, and Frank Haas,