The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-02-04
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
The State Senate Passes a Bill To
That Effect.

The Raysor compulsory education
bill, to require all parents or guar
dianS to compel their children OF
wards TO attend school .Cr eight weeks
In each year." vas taken up in the
Senate on Thu day and after pro-
tracted debate which consumed the
great part of the morning session was
with the addition OF two amendments
hi all y passed to third reading. The
b'h had been carried over from the
previous day when at the conclusion
OF Mr. Brice's argument to strike out
the enacting clause it was agreed to
resume the arguments Thursday.
MIR. Raysor, in opposing Mr.. Brice's
motlon, spoke at length and held the
undivided attention OF the senate
throughout. He said that the mat
ter had been boiore the public long
time and had been discussed i'm all it's
phases. 1t had the endorsement of
all the leading educators of the coun-
try not only in this State but else.
where and in addition to this the gov
ernor and the superintendent of educa-
tion had earnestly pressed it upon the
general assembly. The most abiding
good that can come to people is the
uplifting OF the masses. Conditions
in the State are rapidly changing,
competition is becoming sharper every
DAY and 1T is the duty OF the
State to do all in its power
TO improve the mental as well as
the physical well being of her peo-
pie. The children of today are the
material out of which our future
statesmen are made, who IN after
years will come into these legislative
nails to enact laws for the government
of our people. The argument of pa
ternaliSm has nothing to do with the
| fulhllment OF the conditions in this
| proposed measure. 1t is a matter OF
| record that no State wb .ciI has ever
enacted compulsory education law
has ever repealed it. He drew com
parison between the State Of South
! Carolina and Massachusetts where
the law had been enforced for a num-
ber OF years. He spoke OF Germany
! and .'C.nted TO her as the leader OF all
! the nations, today the strongest com
mercial competitor OF the United
! States. In South Carolina there are
$4,000 white childre and the sta
tiSticS show that only 5S per cent. Cf
them attend the schools and - per
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
-she discharge ~ 81 tlffrfrr ei
nbtg @tlopS- bill is intended to
represent the rights OF the child. The
state undertakes To defend his phySf-
cal condition and it is nothing but
right that his mental condition be also
cared for il we expect To take orr
proper places among the siSterhood of
states. The constitutional conyen-
tion, he said, fixed tax OF three mills
upon all our people whether they be
parents or not and under She law we
have an educational qualification for
voting. AS To the negro, he is here
and here TO stay. Nolaw is necessary
To compel him TO go to school. His
parents are willing TO make any sacri-
fice to send him and will do SO even if
they have TO steal from their employ
erS to buy books and pay contingent
expenses. 1T is the white people who
are indifferent and he believes if
necessary the strong arm of the law
should he used 10 compel them to take
advantage of the opportunities ex-
tended
Mr.. lIough thought the proposed
measure beautiful in theory but thor
oughly impractical. I'VE can open
the school doors, declared Mn Hough,
but we cannot drive the children
into them without violating one of
the fundamental principles of the
constitution. The child labor bin
embOdieS all that is necessary to give
the children opportunity to attend the
public schools.
Mr.. Sheppard expressed himself as
being in favor Of the bill except that
he is utterly unwilling to impriSon
any man who has committed no crime
but whose financial conditions are
such that he could not possibly com
ply with the conditions OF the law.
lie said that if the penalty OF i'm
priSonment in the county jail for not
less than ten days nor more than 20
days be stricken out, he would cheer
fully vote for the measure.
MIR. Goodwin and Mr.. Brice opposed
III; Mr. Johnson and MIR. Sharpe favor
ed it and Mr. j. W. Ragsdale stated
that he had promised his people to
favor and vote for the bill and ne was
now perfectly willing to fulfill that
promise.
Mr.. Sheppard offered an amendment
to strike out the words 'or imprison-
ment in the county Jail for not less
than 10 days nor more than % days."
The yeas and nays were demanded and
resulted as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative
were: MeSSrs. Brce., Brown, Davis
Dennis, Forrest, Gaines, Goodwin,
Hardin, Hood, IIough, McIver, Nc
Leod, Mower, Peurifoy, RagSdale, G.
W., Sheppard, Talbird, Won Kolnitz,
Walker, Warren
Those who voted in the negative
were MessrS Aldrich, Blake, Butler,
Carpenter, Douglass, Hay, Herndon.
Hydrick, Johnson, Manning, Marshall,
Mccall, McDermOtt. Ragsdale, j. w.
KaySor, Sharpe, StackhouSe-IS.
Mr.. Manning offered an amendment
which was adopted TO reduce thr ape