Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-03-09
is OUR SYSTEM TO BLAsIE 2
Hard to Secure Applicans for Valua-
BILE Scholarships.

Editor Keowee Courier: In an ex-
animation held at Clemson College
recently, TO: the purpose of selecting
candidates for appointment to An
napolis, there were just two candi-
dates pres MT to fill the two vacan-
cies. Notitr of the examination had
been sent to every paper n the dis
trlct, and as far as l recall, had been
Published in all of them.
The apparent indifference of the
young men of this district toward
this, the best opportunity fer free
education that this country ffords,
and the failure to make good by SO
many Of my appointees, lead me to
think that there must be something
wrong with our educational system.
On former occasions | have held
trial examinations for West Point
and Annapolis in large towns that
were easily accessible from all parts
of the district. In some OF these eX-
aminations there were so few candi-
dates and the general average Of
scholarship was so poor that could
scarcely make up my appointments
from the lists. The result Of this
low average of scholarship has been
that my appointees could not, in
many instances, pass the entrance eX-
animation at the government institu-
tions, and hence this district, more
than half the tine, is without is full
representation in the schools.
1t occurred to me that if | would
hold these trial examinations at the
thrce male colleges located in the
district, each in succession, that the
local applications would swell the
numbers as we'll as raise the average
of scholarship. Accordingly, nam
ed Clemson as the first place. The
examination was fixed on the date
Immediately after college eXamina-
tions closed so as not to conflict.
Clemson applicants would not have
incurred a single dollar Of expense
nor the loss Of single moment of
time from their college duties, and
yet not Clemson boy applied. ne
10 those who know anything of
West Point and Annapolis, merely as
educational institutions, to recount
to them the advantages they offer is
a waste of time. To the student who
has military tendency, the advant-
ages afforded are simply incalculable.
The trouble, then, is not in the gov
ernment institutions themselves.
On every hand parents are regret
ting their inability to send their boys
to college. In many instances where
boys have been entered college they
are maintained at great sacrifice by
the parent. There must be many,
then, to whom these appointments
would be most acceptable. Why are
there so few applicants?
There may be many reasons, but /
am driven to the conclusion that the
main obstacle Is the lack Of thorough
education. This idea has been
strengthened, too, by the fact that
almost without exception, my ap-
pointees have made low averages on
the trial examinations, and many Of
them have failed on the entrance ex-
aminations.
Thoroughness Is one Of the first
lessons impressed on the West Point
or Annapolis cadet. Thorough prep
aration Is necessary in order to enter
and continuous hard work is neces-
sary in order to stay there Is it not
possible, then, that young men, who
are most conscious Of defective schol-
arship, shrink from this test Of their
knowledge and endurance? | can
not believe that Southern boys are
inferior mentally to those of other
sections of this country. do not
believe that they are less apprecia-
tive of the advantages afforded. /
must and do believe, then, that there
Is a laXness in our educational sys-
tenn since Northern congressman do
not seem to meet with the same trou-
BILE. Respectfully
Wyatt Aiken.