Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-01
RALLY DAY AT BETHANY.
Biq Crowd Enjoys the occasion-Ad'
dress by Hon. T. B. Butler.

Correspondence OF tne ioEhFihe HhouAAS''
Rethany. November 2S.-In spite OF
the weather, which was very threaten
ing during the morning, more thal
three hundred people from the sur
rounding country, gathered mere Ihurs'
dav on account of the Rally Day eX-
ercises. and between the social pleas
ureS, the splendid educational address
of Hon. II. B. Butler and the good din
ner that was served from the baskets
of the visitors, the day was delightfully."-
interesting and profitable to all.
The principal object Of the occasion
was to gather in the cotton ana otnei
gifts that had been promised about 9
year ago to help pay the debt on tne
school property, and when these offer
ings were all gotten together the ag'
gregate was something close to $l30.
The exercises Of the day were open
ed with prayer by Rev. r. M. Steven
son, D. D., after which Hon. L. b. But
Ter was introduced by Prof. Neal A
Ransom. the principal Of the school
as the speaker of the occasion.
Mr.. Butler made an interesting ano
impressive speech. He began by ex'
pressing his pleasure at being at the
rally and extending his thanks tc
prof Ransom for tending him the
Opportunity He had been at Bethany
on q previous occasion when he was
very much gratified to note numerous
evidences of progress in the handsome
ly painted houses, the large substantial
barns, and the sleek, well fed cattle
and farm stock. He was able to see
still more signs Of Improvement since
his last visit, and. with these handsome
school buildings as a rallying point, ne
was sure that the Bethany country
would continue to 60 onward and up
ward.
From the evidences everywhere ap-
parent. he did not consider that his
hearers stood in great need OF eXhor'
tation on the subject of the Importance
of education. This. however, is mat
ter that cannot be too strongly empha-
sized, and however, great the progress
that may have been made, 1t is moi
safe to look upon it as more than be-
ginning. All of these young people are
growing up into the men and womer
who are to govern this great country
of ours. and what kind of a future is
there in store for us If these young
people are allowed to grow up in ig'
nOrance?
Even if we have this country to our
selves there could be no minimizing the
importance of education. But we have
not got the country to ourselves. Thert
is living with you here another race
that has aspirations that will one day
present serious problems. The key to tht
situation is education. Whether the
negro understands that fact or not
there is no question that he is striving
for all the education he can get. There
are more negroes in the schools of this
country than there are whites. The
trouble with the whites is that many
of them are deferred from sending
their children to school by reason OF
poverty They have too much pride
That will never do. The government
has so arranged that any child may &c
to school without cost, and all white
parents must see to it that their children
GO to school The negro has no pride
about the matter. The one great point
about him is to learn something. he
is not deferred by his rags or his hun
ger. He is satisfied with anything thai
will cover his nakedness, and a potato
will serve him for food. There is ne
hardship and no discomfort that he is
not willing to undergo for an education
and you my friends must not-yor
cannot afford to misinterpret the sig
nificance Of this situation. What vii
be the result when there are more ne
grOeS than whites, who can read anC
write?
Mr.. Butler also discussed at consid-
erable length the trustee and teacher
question. He urged the folly of keep
ing children out of school because OF
Objectionable trustees, and he strongly
condemned the too common practice
among trustees of selecting teachers or
a basis other than of competency OF
efficiency He argued that as genera
rule it was best to select teachers from
neighbOrhOods other than those ir
which they We're to teach.
In conclusion, Mr.. Butler said some
very pleasant things about the Bethany
High school, things that were all the
more pleasant because they were true
and said that he would like to have
such an institution in some one of the
rural districts of his own county.
His speech was listened to with great
interest throughout and when he sat
down he was most literally applauded.
There was an abundance of good
dinner for everybody, and the social
features of the occasion were most en-
iOyable.