The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-03-11
TIE NEW sCH00l BUILDING.
The Daughters of The confederacy Re-
fuse the Request of School Board.

Education addressed letter to Dick
Anderson Chapter, =. D. c., request
ing them to call meeting in the
Graded School building, for the pur-
pose Of considering the proposition to
erect school building on Monumental
Square.
The President of tee Chapter prompt
ly acceded to the request by ordering
meeting for March 3rd, at which
the Board of Education might present
it's proposition and retire when the
Chapter would consider the proposal.
A ground plan drawn which shows
the appearance of the square with the
proposed building thereon was prepar-
ed and taken to the meeting and sub
mitted with the following document
To Dick Anderson Chapter, U. ID.
Ladies: The City Board Of Educa-
tion hereby respectfully requests the
privilege of erecting building for high
school purposes on the Northern side
of the lot now occupied by graded
school building and Confederate monu-
ment.
The Board is conscientiously of the
opinion that building erected there
will not render the monumental square
unsuitable as resort or as play
ground for the pupils Of the school.
To this end the Board submits the ac-
con1panying drawings.
The Board, on the contrary, belleves
that another building erected accord
ing to its plans and at the place indl-
Gated on the drawing will serve only
to beautify the square and to show the
monument off to advantage. The mem
bers of the Board hold too sacred the
cause and traditions of the Confeder-
acy to make any request derogatory to
its interest.
The Board makes this request not
for the convenience of the management
for the Board has already under its
control and supervision, buildings IN
different parts Of the City; but the
request is made in the interest OF the
patrons and for the convenience OF the
pupils. It is not the purpose OF the
Board to extend the school-course-the
completion OF the present course ao-
mits the pupils without examlnatlon
into the highest colleges OF toe South :
but the Board wishes building into
which the higher grades may be trans
ferred. so that the present bullolng
may be reserved solely for the pupils
of the Primary and Grammar Grades.
Since these buildings are to be for pu-
pills of different scholastic advance
ment, it is very desirable for the con-
venience of the pupils that the scnool-
houses be in the centre OF white pop9-
lation. The site asked for would,
therefore, be entirely suitable tor tne
convenience of the pupils and through
them for that of the patrons: Ine N,
terest of the whole community Woula
be conserved by the additional schoo!
facilities resulting from donation OF
site. -. ~ Doo~a
begs leave to repeat its request Tor the
use of the N. ". corner OF the Nortn,
ern half of the monumental square ana
in consideration of such donation as
sumes the following obligations:
l.. To keep the grounds OF the wnole
square in good condition. 49,
2. To continue to impress pr upon sne
pupils the sacredness of the Confeder-
acy's traditions and to teach them 70 70
have reverence for all things tnas
memorialize the heroes OF this cause.
3. To give to these two buildings !ne
names of Wade Hampton and DICK
Anderson respectively, or the name
of others that the Chapter may sug-
gest. thus emphasizing and perpetu-
ating the purposes of the organlzation
of the U. D. C. by a just recognition
of two of South Carolina's greatest
heroes.
4. To place upon the cornerstone
of the proposed building an lnscrlp-
tion suggested by Dick Anderson
Chapter. -, of
$50 in beautifying the grounds upon
which the monument and school o1ldo, 10
mos are situated or will pay S2,0Oo
for the same purpose. -.
In conclusion the Board expresses us
confidence in the belief that the Chsp,,
ter will give this matter most careiuI
consideration before decision is
reached.
After presenting their request ana
offers the Board withdrew from tne
meeting. Ihe Subsequent aG'ioH - ~
Chapter is shown in letter TO the
Board as follows:
Enclosed you will ind the resoau, 5
tions passed by the Dick ANDERSON
Chapter of the u. D. c.. at the meet
inc held at the Graded School, Marcn
3rd. 1903, by request of the Board OF
Resolved: That we believe that we
have a sacred trust committed to our
care, cal which it is our duty to guard :;
that that we have neither the moral nor
the legal right to use the property en-.
trusted to us for other purposes than
that for which it was given-that is
for monumental purposes. We, there
fore feel it our duty to refuse the re-
quest of the school board.
- -~-<-sz---
To show that the government mas