The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-02-06

The same might be said Of Superin-
tendent Of Education. If he is the
man he ought to be, he is the leader Of
the educational forces of Lexington
county. He is not only capable to
thoroughly examine every class III
every school in the county on any
and every branch of it's studies, but is
capable of inspiring the people of his
county with lofty ideals along ed1 a.
tional lines. If the man he ought to
be, he is capable of creating within
the minds of the pupils of the public
schools an aspiration for things true,
! beautiful and good; aspirations for l
the best of the past and all the posi-
bilities of the future. If you have
such man now in your employ on
the meagre salary allowed him under
the law, it must surely be that he
now occupies this position because of
an intense feeling that woe is me if I
do not lend my aid to the educational
development of my county. Nothing
short of this could induce man with
the proper equipments for this high
Office to accept the position to which
is attached such meagre compensa-
ton. Tsay this to you not because I
think you have the fixing of these sal
aries, but because I recognize in you
leaders in your several communities
and would beg you to exercise your
great influence to have their salaries
raised to such extent as would be in
some degree adequate compensation
for the work of man competent for
such positions. The reason we have
only girls from the ages of IS to 25 as
teachers in our public schools, is be-
cause of the meagreness of the COM
pensation of our teachers. There is
not man who is properly equipped
for thorough teaching that cannot in
numerous other callings and profess
sions earn from three to five times as
much compensation. Therefore, the
result is that save@or the few college
bred men who teach for a few years
while preparing themselves for other
work, we have no men in the school
room. About the time a woman be-
comes thoroughly efficient in her
work she relinguishes the teaching CT
the many to devote herself entirely to
the training of one. I am not criti-
cizing the teaching of the women, for
the Lord knows I do not know what
would become of these public schools
if it were not for these dear girls,
many of whom are very bright and
very efficient.
eff we would promote the highest
educational interests of our State, We
must raise salaries to such an. extent
as to make it an inducement for both
men and women, who may have spe-
cial gifts in this line to adopt teach
ing as life work.
Referring to the matter Of education
he emphasized the fact that it was
the duty of the grand jury to investi-
gate the affairs Of every school dis
trict in the county; to look into the
school buildings and their equipments;
and to see whether Or not the trustees
had. so located those buildings as
would afford every white child in the
county an opportunity to attend a
properly managed and equipped pub
lie school.
1T should be the duty Of the grand
jury to inquire to what extent the
children OF school age are il our pub
lie schools. Candor compels me to
say that you need not concern your
self much with the children of the re
groes, for you will evidently find
every little -ninny in the
county in some school, while be it
said with shame to the white race,
there are hundreds of white children
in every county in South Carolina
who are not only not now in school,
but who has never been allowed by
their parents the privilege of attend
ing school for even day. This must
be stopped, as white people we must
have due regard for the best interests
of our State, and of it's future pros
perity and glory. We must see that
every white child in South Carolina
has an equal chance with every other
child in the State to properly develop
all of it's faculties, intellectual and
moral. 1t is only in this way that
the dominance OF the white race can
be rightfully and legally maintained.
Thus you will see that I am trending
to compulsory education. If white
parents are either too ignorant or too