The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-06-10

little log cabin school house should
not be forgotten.
The speaker quoted statistics show
ing the startling average OF illiteracy
existing among the white voters IN
South Carolina-an average OF near
lv 200 illiterate white voters to each
county. Be it said to the credit Of
Newberry county, however, she had
but 1o4. By comparison it was
found that with only three exceptions
there was more illiteracy in South
Carolina than in any other southern
state. and more illiteraey in each OF
the southern states than any other
state in the union. To what could
be attributed these facts if not to the
lack OF interest in public education:
The greatest need OF the state. he
said. was money. and how and upon
whom il should be used; thorough
system Of education having been es-
tablished. how liberal attendance
upon its sessions might be had. The
speaker noted that in discussion OF
any question OF universal public good
to the state we were necessarily con-
fron.ed by the omnipresent negro
problem. In the state there were tour
colleges for the higher education OF
the negro and common schools in
every district. for which they paid
about one-fourth the amount neces-
sary for their maintenance. 1t was a
mooted question whether the effort
to give the negro higher education
was for his good and the welfare OF
the state. or whether it was not bet
ter to give him an industrial educa-
ton and make him a trained workman
and better citizen. Until the fifteenth
amendment OF the constitution shall
have been repealed. said the speaker,
and the privilege OF the ballot denied
the negro. the north and south would
never come together in the solution
OF this question. Disfranchise him
and let him work out his own saliva
ton.
There were today in this country,
continued the speaker, school houses
fit only for the owls nest, the mill
villages with a population OF several
thousand people and the school
cared for on account OF its slim at
tendance by only one, two or three
teachers. It was said that the rea-
son why the southern mills were SO
populous was that labor was much
cheaper here. and the people live on
less money, this being mild climate
with short winters. See to it, friends,
he said. that it does not prove an ex-
pensive experiment. The little ones,
were earning their own support by
their own labor. What of the next
generation and OF the next: He was
told that AZ per cent. of the white
children of the state were not attend
ing school. This was due either to
carelessness. inability or downright
OF superiors. And there
were 10000 more negroes than whites
in the common schools OF South Car
Dina.
The speaker referred TO the "Og-
den movement" saying that il pro-
perly conducted. and with the right
motives behind it. it would be OF great
benefit to the south and OF help to her
people. {
He referred to the strenuous efforts
now being made by the state to en-
courage immigration, and to the as
sertion that in the public schools
where attendance was voluntary the
foreign portion OF the population took
advantage OF the tuition more gen
orally than the native population,
making it necessary tha: our people
be universally educated that our in
stitutions might have their integrity
perpetuated.
The rural free delivery was also
adding much to the convenience and
.o.,,fo-e ~ country life and would