The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-08-19
Referred to the Trustees.
Editor The Manning Times

EdI.4r The Manning Times
| have decided that now is an oppor-
tune time TO give expression to some
thoughts in regard to The Moses Lew
Memorial Institute. and | will address
them to YOU as you were made the
spokesman Of the board of trustees be-
| fore the school bond election.
At the outset will state that, IN my
opinion. it is entirely wrong in principle
to employ public. funds raised by taxa
ton for memorial purposes OF any KIND,
for as the Standard Dictionary states,
i tax is a compulsory contribution, :.
and a memorial should never be erected
except on voluntary contributions.
This principle has recently been rec
oepized bv the Grand Lodge Knights OF
Pvthias. for at the last convention 1t
was decided to raise g memorial 1uno 10
perpeJuate the memory OF DR.. j. II.
! Thornwell. the interest to be used to
| care for and educate needy Pythlan or
phans, and in the communication to the
subordinate lodges it was expressly st.p-
ulated that no appropriations should be
made from the general funds OF the
lodge. or which were raised by assess
ment, but oaly money raised by volun-
untary contributions, by lndlVldual
members. would be accepted.
When Prof. Daniel first came to me
for my signature as a free holder to as
sisS in having an election called to vote
on the bond issue, I told him l would
only sign on ondition that the name
should be changed. He told me quite q
number Of the signatures were obtain
ed on this condition.
Before the date of the election you
stated in your paper that you had been
authorized to say that the name OF the
school would b changed if the citizens
would give majority vote for the bond
issue. This statement was also publish
ed in the daily News and Courier and
the correspondent informs me 1t was on
authority of one OF the school trustees.
AS these statements were published
broadcast over the county and state ana
were not denied by the board OF trus-
tees. the board is now firmly bound
by them and we, the voters. who ac-
cepted them in good faith and voted the
bonds. now expect them to be carried
out as promised, and want an absolute
lv clear and unconditional title made,
to the y inning School District, for the
land on which the new building is erect
ed so that in future the school will be
owned and controlled by the Manning
School District, and the school can be
called by an appropriate name. 1t is now
graded school and should be called
the Manning Graded School but OF
course when the high school grades are
added the name should be the Manning
High School.
In YOUR statement no conditions were
mentioned except that the bond issue
be carried but it would be nothing but
right that the thirteen hundred and
fifty dollars (Sl350l originally paid for
this property before it was donated to
the town, should be returned to the
donors, provided a fawless title IS CIV
en- to tie Manning School. District.
This donation was in the nature OF a
perpetual endowment, and of course the
interest is supposed to have been earn,
ed in allowing the school to be used all
these years according to the terms OF
the deed. and the donors are now entlt-
led to and should ask only for refund
of the principle $3.50. 1t looks like
some additional bonds will have TO be
issued in order to erect the proper kind
of a school building, and it seems to me
the prooer course would be Tor the tfus-
tees to pay back this amount from tunos
now in hand and consider it an eNpen-
ture to procure site for the new build
ing. and add this amount TO the short
age, and have the necessary BOND issue
authorized. for we can do nothing bet
ter than provide comfortable, sanitary
place for our children to receive IN
struction, and no one thing else could
be done that would attract more good
people 10 the town and help US to build
it up.
Some time ago you stated in your pa
per that there was some objection to
to the name of the school, but it seemed
to be principally by those who had oo-
iected to the new building from the be-
ginning. You are certainly mistaken
in YOUR view, for if I remember correct
" only five votes were cast against the
bond issue, and if there is any doubt II
the minds Of the trustees, that my opln'
ion is shared by practically all the cltl'
zens Of the district, they can oe easily
ba convinced otherwise by ordering ar
election to determine the matter.
Ihave written this article with Mai
ice to none, aud charity towards all,
aud hope no one will be. offended by, 1t 1t
but it is q business matter, the public
business, and mistake made now l:
liable to cause trouble even when all
the present generation of the schoo
district are dead and forgotten eXcep
those whose names appear in the lega
documents regarding the transactions.
Yours for the public good.
J. F. Geiger.