Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-31
FRIDAY, JULY, 81, 1908.

conduct of the affairs Of the sinking
fund commission, and the audience Is
left in doubt and confusion as to What
it is all about, whether Mr. Brooker Is
q common scold, whether Mr.. Jones Is
as frank as he might be or what. The
flavor Of the whole business seems bad
rather than good.
Superintendent Of Education.
Mr.. E. c. Elmore of Spartanburg,
was the first speaker for this office He
made some pleasant remarks about the
progress TO be seen on all sides. he
was proud of the state and or her In
stitutions. He had devoted many years
Of his life TO educational work In Un-
ion and Spartanburg, and now had an
ambition to manage the states pup
lie school system. He was for the sup
port Of all the educational institutions
of South Carolina; but especially de-
sired to develop a system that would
give country boys and girls the same
advantages that are enjoyed by the
boys and girls Of the towns. He claim
ed to have done a great deal Of good
work in the development Of the schools
Of Spartanburg.
Mr. Styles R. Mellichamp of Or
angeburg. was the next speaker. He
was glad to meet the people of York
county. for he had formed a good i'm
preston Of them in advance. A can
didate. he said. necessarily has to
speak Of himself, to at least give
synopsis of his record as a basis for
inquiry and information. After grad
uating from college. as a mere boy he
Immediately entered the Confederate
army and remained there for four
years doing the best he could for his
country. But he did not preesnt his war
record az a qualification for the Office
Of superintendent Of education. He pre-
sented, however, his qualifications as
a man and educator. Teach your chill
dren at home and in the school
houses that your fathers and grand
fathers did no wrong In following the
flag of the Confederacy. After the
war, he said, he took up teaching as
profession. Practically all Of his life
has been spent as a teacher and as
superintendent of education. Has
taught in private schools and graded
schools. and for eight years was prln-
ripal Of the preparatory department
of Furman university at Greenville.
Served twelve years as superintendent
of education and is now in line Of
promotion. He advised the people to
select the best man for state superin-
tendent. Favors building up all the
way from high educational institu-
tions to common schools. The latter
is the foundation Of all, and he there
fore insists on building up the coun-
try schools. He alluded to the states
progress in educational matters TAX
ing his own county, Orangeburg, as
an example, he said 1S years ago 1t :
raised only 5000 for school pur-
poses, while now $4,000 is expended
annually for education. AS many as
As school districts In that county now
levy special taxes for school purpos-
es-that's progress. Education Is the
solution of all other problems.
Mr.. JnO. F.. Swearingen was the next
speaker. and because Of the fact that
he Is blind and his remarkable history,
he received unusually close attention.
He began by reciting his history to the
effect that he lost his eyesight as the
result of a gun accident when only Is
years Of age, and In consequence suf-
fered much disadvantage in his efforts
to prepare himself to play the part Of
man in the world. In modest, but
very clear and comprehensive manner,
he told how he had entered the South
Carolina university and been graduated
from that institution with honors. The
certificate he got there, says that he is
able to perform any task that is to be
expected OF any other man. After leav-
ing college, without solicitation on his
part, he was offered q profesSorship In
the Cedar Springs institute and he has
held the position for eight years. He
argued that in spite Of his inability to
see with his eyes, he could perform the
duties Of state superintendent Of edu-
cation as we'll as could another. The
work he said was altogether mental,
The superintendent has stenographers
and typewriters to do the mechanical
work and he can do this work by this
means we'll as another; but he de-
clared with some show Of pride, II need
be, can operate the typewriter myself,
and can do 1t as we'll as anybody else,
who Is applying for the place. He
said also that the state superintendent
does not deal in original information to
any considerable extent. He directs
and superintends the work through
data furnished him from the county SUI
perintendents, and knowing the needs
of the schools, he could do this as we'll
as another. If elected superintendent Of
education, he would demand better
schools. He wanted the people to un-
derstand that from the beginning. To
have better schools, 1t Is necessary to
have better teachers. 1t Is fact that
may not be pleasant for some people to
hear; but one thing the schools need
most, Is to get rid Of incompetent
teachers. The incompetent teacher is
the most serious drawback to the
schools Of the state and he or she Is
the most outrageous imposition on the
children. In a way that indicated that
he meant 1t, he said that II chosen to
fill the position of state superintendent
Of education, he would improve the
standard Of teaching.
Adjutant and Inspector General.
Col Henry T. Thompson said he had
been connected with the militia Of
South Carolina for thirty years and
during that time he had filed every
grade from private to senior colonel.
He is the only man in South Carolina
with similar record. Everything that
was to be had through his own efforts
and through the confidence, esteem and
appreciation of the militia he has got
ten. The only position remaining to
round out his career Is that Of adju-
tant and inspector general. This posi-
ton belongs to the people and can be
had only by appeal to them and that is
why he is here He was captain Of the
Darlington company at the time OF the
famous dispensary riot. This company
Immediately obeyed Governor Tillman's
orders to report for duty, and remained
at the command of the governor during
the whole trouble, protecting the dis
pensary and the threatened constables.
He read letter written by Governor
Tillman at the time commencing him
and his company for their faithful and
loyal service. He said also that his
company was the first company in
South Carolina to volunteer for service
at the outbreak Of the Spanish -Ameri-
can war. He stated that Gen. Boyd
had said that he could not get the sup
port of the officers Of his own regiment.
He asked Col. Boyd what officers would
not support him. Col. Boyd named two
He afterward saw both Of these and
they had told him that they expected
to support him. Col. Boyd denied that
he had said what Col. Thompson attri-
buted to him; but claimed instead that
he had said: THAT it Is a poor colonel
who could not get the support Of the
officers of his own regiment" Col,
Thompson asked Col. Boyd how it was
that he withdrew from the race for COL
Onel Of the First regiment in opposition
to Col. Lewis, leaving the inference that
he would not have done so had he been
able to get the support of his own reg
ment, or that there was trade under
the terms Of which Boyd was to get
out Of Lewis's way and Lewis and his
friends were to support Boyd for adju-
tant general two years ago. Col.
hnp thof