The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-02-06

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
The State senate Passes n Bill TO
That Eject.
The Raysor compulsory education
bill, ito require all parents or guar
dams to compel their children. or
wards to attend school for eight weeks
In each year," was taken up In the
Senate on Thursday and after pro-
tracted debate which consumed the
great part Of the morning session was
with the addition Of two amendments
finally passed to a third reading. Tie
bill had been carried over from the
previous day when at the conclusion
OF Mr.. Brice's argument to strike out
the enacting clause 1t was agreed to
resume the arguments Thursday.
Mr.. Raysor, In opposing Mr.. Brlces
motion, spoke at length and held the
undivided attention Of the senate
throughout. He said that the mat
ter had been before the public a long
time and had been discussed in all its
phases. 1t had the endorsement or
all the leading educators Of the coun-
try not only In this State but else.
where and in addition to this the gov
ernor ind the superintendent Of educa-
tion had earnestly pressed it upon the
general assembly. The most abiding
good that can come to Il people is the
uplifting Of the masses. Conditions
in the State are rapidly changing,
competition is becoming sharper every
day and it Is the duty of the
State to do all in it's mower
to improve the mental as well as
the physical we'll being of her peo-
pie. The children of today are Tile
material out Of which our future
statesmen are made, who In after
years will come into these Legislative
halls to enact laws for the government
OF our people. The argument of pl-
ternalisn has nothing to do with the
fultillment Of the conditions in this
proposed measure. 1t is matter ol
record that no State which has ever
enacted compulsory education law
has ever repealed it,. He drew a com
pariSon between the State Of South
Carolina and Massachusetts where
the law had been enforced for num-
Der of years. He spoke of Germany
and pointed to her as the leader Of all
| the nations, today The strongest com.
mcrcial competitor of the United
States. In South Carolina there arc
$4,000 white children and the sta.
tistics show that only 5S per cent. OF
them attend the schools and 20 pei
cent. go to school only two weeks in
| the year. The great question now is
| to arouse the parents and make them
take advantage Of the opportunities
which the State has given to aid them
in the discharge Of their God given
obligations. The bill is intended to
represent the rights Of the child. The
Estate undertakes to defend his physi-
cal condition and 1t is nothing but
right that his mental condition be also
cared FOR II we expect to take our
proper places among the siStcrhood Of
Estates The constitutional cunvcn-
tion, he said, fixed a.taX OF three mills
upon all our people whether they be
parents or not and under the law VIC
have an educational qualification for
voting. AS TO thc negro, he is here
and here to stay. No law is necessary
to compel him to go to school. Ills
parents are willing to make any sacri.
flee to send him and will do so even ii
they have to steal from their employ
crs to buy books and pay contingent
expenses. 1t is the white people who
are indifferent and lie believes II
necessary the strong arm OF the law
should be used to compel them to take
advantage OF the opportunities ex
tended.
Mr.. Hough thought the proposed
measure beautiful in theory but thor
oughly impractical. I'VE can oper
the school DOORS" declared Mr.. Hough
but we cannot drive the children
into them without violating one 8
the fundamental principles Of, tai
constitution. The child labor. Bill
cmbodicS all that is necessary to Civ
the children opportunity to attend tn
public schools.
MIR. Sheppard expressed himself a
being in favor Of the bill except tina
he is utterly unwilling to imprisol
any man who has committed no Grim
but whose financial conditions ar
such that he could not possibly com
ply with the conditions OF the law
He said that if the penalty OF sim
prisonment. in the county jail for no
less than ten days nor more than 9
days" be stricken out, he would cheer
fully vote for the measure.
i Mr.. Goodwin and Mr.. Brice oppOsct
it; MIR. johnson and Mr.. Sharpe favor
cd it and Mr. J. w. Ragsdalc state
that he had promised his people t
favor and vote for the bill and he wa
now perfectly willing to fulfill tina
promise.
| Mr.. Sheppard offered an amendmcn
to strike out the words ''or imprisoI
ment in the county Jail for not les
than 10 days nor more than 90 days.
The yeas and nays were demanded an
resulted as follows:
Those who voted i'm the afllrmatiy
were: Messrs. Bricc, Brown, Davis
Dennis, Forrest, Gaines, Goodwin
Hardin, Hood, IIough, McIvcr, Nc
I4eod, Mower, Pcurifoy, Ragsdale, G
w, Sheppard, Talbird, Won Konit2
Walker, Warrcn--19.
Those who voted in. the negativ
were Mcssrs. Aldrich, Blake, Butler
Carpenter, Douglass, Hay, IIcrndon
Hydrick, Johnson, Manning, Marshall
Mccall, McDermott, Ragsdalc, j. w.
Raysor. Sharpe, Stackhousc
MIR. Manning offered an amcndmcn