The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-11-18

school is endangered. The matter
has been taken up by friends, and will
be aired at the next meeting OF the
board Of school trustees. Confeder-
ate Veterans and the Daughters OF
the Confederacy have been aroused,
aud already the agitation has resulted
in the possibility of reopening the hsnt
against the teaching OF civil war
history in the public schools, because
of the alleged unfairneSs OF the So
called popular histories:
1.-The little REBEL Miss Laura Tai
bott Gait. is the granddaughter Of
Mrs. Laura Talbot Ross, a member Of
the Daughters OF the American Rev
olution, and an ardent AMI unrecon-
srructed member of the Albert Sydney
Johnson chapter Of the Daughters Of
the Confederacy."
Of the incident Miss Gait is quoted
as follows by the above correspondent:
I am too loyal to my parents and
my ancestors to permit the South or
the cause for which her sons fought
to be slandered or misrepresented, and
I will not sing. nor will 1 listen to
the singing Of such songs as March
lug Through Georgia, which hold
are unfair to the South, and are re-
sented by all true Southerners. AS
to my defense of Admiral Semmes, |
had perfect right to do so, and was
backed by other histories every bit as
good as Barnes. He was a good ad-
miral, loyal Confederate, and is en-
titled to all that can be said in his
behalf. l hope will be promoted to
the high school. My record mas been
good in all my studies and surely all
nv good marks cannot be taken away
lust because refused TO hear song
which is an insult to my ears"
NOT SPOILED A BIT.
Another detailed account Of the in
cident is the following, clipped from
the Lost Cause, Confederate maga-
zine published at Louisville:
The father and the grandfather OF
little Laura Gait were Confederate
soldiers. Both of them are dead.
Her grandfather, DR.. Gait, was the
first surgeon Of the First Kentucky
calvary, which regiment was COM
manded by the late Ben Hardin Helm.
There are those who remember DR..
Gait when be wore Confederate uni
form and defended the cause Of the
South. There are others who remem-
Der DR.. Gait when he was an honoreo
citizen of Davies county, Kentucky,
and both as citizen and soldier we all
respect bis memory.
His granddaughter, little Laura
Gait, who declined to sing Marching
Through Georgia. is pupil in the
public school of the city of Louisville,
where she lives. She is obedient and
respectful to all those who are set in
authority over her. But when her
teacher requested her to sing that
song she declined to do so, because its
sentiments are a reflection on the
honor and integrity Of her dead an
cestors."
Little Miss Gait is a gracious little
maiden who seems not to have been
spoiled by all the attention and noto-
riety given her.
THOUGHT 1T A SHAME.
a reporter asked her few queS-
tions and her responses, put together,
make the following explanation Of her
school girl conduct:
Il have received many letters from
old soldiers from all over the country.
When / think of what those dear old
Confederates suffered for the cause
they loved SO dearly, I feel how unde-
served is all the praise they give me
for the little act Of duty Of mine. l
always keep these letters among my
treasures. had read other histories
of the war and knew the truth about
the battle between the Kearsarge and
the Alabama. For this reason 1
would not say, as my teacher tried to
force the class to say, that it was a
breach of honor in Admiral Semmes
to escape on the Deerhound instead Of
giving his sword to Captain Winslow
when the Kearsage had fired broad
side after broadside into the Confed-
crate cruiser after the white flag was
raised. AS for putting my fingers
in my ears, I did that because l
would not listen to song that de-
clares such a tyrant and coward as
Sherman and his disgraceful and hor-
rible march through Georgia and the
Carolinas to be glorious. did not
think at the time that my teacher
would think it very bad. I felt that
forcing the Southern girls who were
in the room to sing or listen to such a
song was an insult that l could not
stand"
Can't Stop Boil WeeYil.