The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-10

Of hOuOred Years which has marked the
| life and worth OF this institution.
| l shall not attempt 10 do more than
10 briefly direc, your attention to some
| Of the weighty reasons governing my
recommendation in this matter. AL
most every State in The union has
State university, and this is true Of
every southern State except South
| Carolina. We must provide such an
| institution sooner Or later, or allow
our educational system TO remain in
complete. 1t is Il fact that for the
| lack of such an institution q number
! Of young men now go to other States
/ for the instruction which should be
furnished them at home The demand
for university facilities is further
shown by the statement that large
| number Of the students Of the college
are now outside Of the regular courses,
and thus the faculty is forced by the
actual demands of the students to do
university work. A university organi-
cation would offer far greater facilities
for expansion and growth, to keep pace
with the rapid advance Of education,
and with the growing demands Of the
people Such a change would give
larger power for service, with but small
additional cost.
1t is also the purpose of the board
Of trustees, in changing the organiza-
ton of the college to that Of a univer-
| Sity, to increase the facilities for i'll
struction in the law department; to
add commercial department, and to
make such other additions as may be
| required.
TO effect the necessary changes "a an
| additional appropriation of only S10.-
900 is asked for, and this is, 1 believe,
a moderate amount when measured by
the results it will accomplish. I urge
this appropriation, and under the cir
cumstanceS it should reasonably be
hoped that the united appeal Of the
alumni, the faculty and the trustees
will receive the favorable consideration
of your body.
Compulsory Education.
The people of this State have, for
some years past, shown an increasing
disposition to tax themselves for the
support of their educational institu-
tions. Especially is this true where our
| common schools are concerned. By
| this willingness is shown a growing
! realization Of the fact that State
can do nothing better for the protec-
tion of its highest and truest interests
than by educating its children. Ignor-
| ance has ever been, not only serious
| incubus to any people, but MANAGE
to it's very civilization. This is truer
question forces itself upon our consid-
GRAFTON, whether or not we can afford
! to allow any number of our children
to grow up in ignorance. AS near as
can be estimated from United States
| census figures and from the reports of
| the superintendent Of education, there
are today about 25,C00 white children
| in South Carolina between the ages Of
| 6 and IL years who do not attend
| school, though schools are easily
accessible to most Of these children.
The question then, and a vital one it is.
presents itself to US: can we, for the
sake not only of the State, but for the
sake of the children themselves. longer
allow this deplorable condition to con-
tinue?
| More than 80 States have adopted
compulsory education, and we should
| now seriously consider whether We can
| longer afford to postpone taking such
a step. Have our common school
facilities reached such a point as will
warrant this action? I believe they
| have. provided that the proposed law
| be not too burdensome in its practi-
cal operation. By this I mean that
children should not be compelled to
attend schools so far from their homes
that attendance would be a hardship.
nor should the age limit for compul-
sorry education be too drastic. This
would cause the law to become un-
popular and thus fail to accomplish
the purpose for which it was intended.
I have given this matter much care
ful thought, and I am convinced that
a conservative beginning should be
made at once. Later on, as our school
conditions advance and the law grows
in popularity and it's necessity is more
fully realized. needed improvements
can be adopted.
I recommend that you adopt a COM
prlsory education law, making it oblig-
atory for all children between the
ages of and u years to attend school
for a certain number of months
during each year. The distance from
the school house to which this law
should apply is a matter for your
wise consideration. But, gentlemen,
school house should be within the
reach of every child in South Carolina.
The passage of such a law as + most
earnestly urge upon your attention
would, feel sure, be Of material bene-
fit from every standpoint. The duty
to train and educate our children, to
prepare them for lives Of influence and
usefulness, should be as binding upon
the State as it is upon parents, and is,
beyond all question. an obligation we
ctN no longer aIOrQ TO eEaQe or post
pone.
Department Of Agriculture, Commerce
and Immigration.
1t is with great deal of pleasure
that I commend to your careful con-
sideration the full and admirable re-
port of the commissioner Of agri-
culture. commerce and immigration.
This report shows, beyond any ques-
ton, the urgent need for such a de-
partment. Among many most inter-
esting statistics, the all-important
statement that. of the 19,30S,SO0 acres
Of land included within the area of our
State, only 5,71I5,741 acres are under
cultivation-this one pregnant state
ment should awaken your zeal and
stimulate you in supporting this de-
partment, which already shows a
record of work and results
In advocating the establishment of
this department in my last annual
message, / did so after the most care
full consideration, being prompted to
do so because Of the belief that our
State. with it's great undeveloped re-
sources, was sorely in need of an off,
cial move in this direction.
South Carolina, by the establish
ment of this department, has become
the pioneer southern State in develop
ing its agricultural and CO. mercial re-
sources by means Of immls. .ation froj:.>
,+-f --t-fs; and fnasaa lElornadA z
fact has all Won ftFNQ spread
recognition. bugh this department.
was only established at your last ses-
5cs-So ~,