Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-13
THE EDUCATIONAL RALLY.

The educational rally under the su-
pervision Of the state authorities was
held in the court house on Wednesday.
While the audience was not large
not nearly so large as the Importance
of the subject under consideration
warranted-still there is no reason to
doubt that the meeting was q profit
able one.
M. B. Jennings, Esq, presided. Rev.
I. G. Murray opened the exercises
with prayer. Mr.. Jennings extended
q cordial welcome to the gentlemen
who had accepted invitations to de-
liver addresses on the occasion, and
then introduced Col. A. Coward as the
first speaker.
In his opening remarks, Col. Cow
ard stated that he was now out of
traces, that he had had his day In
the school room but he would
never lose his interest in the all i'm
portant work in which he had spent
the greater part Of his life. He said
that the most important phase Of the
question at this time was for the peo-
pie to get together, and If they did so
in a proper spirit, there would be re-
suits. He called attention to the fact
that the teachers in the public schools
were poorly paid that while he was
satisfied that many Of them were
doing good, effective work, 1t was
not because they were being properly
compensated in money, but because
they appreciated the great Importance
of their work and in many instances
were making sacrifices that the good
results might follow. He emphasized
the fact that in order to get the best
results, the best talent must be secur-
ed and that living salaries must be
paid.
The next speaker introduced was
Mr.. j. H. Gasque, superintendent Of
education for Florence county. Mr..
Gasque explained the object that the
state authorities hoped to accomplish
as a result of the rallies now being held
all over the state. He said that there
was a sad lack of schools for the chill
dren living in rural districts through
out the state, and it was hoped that
by reason of these rallies the people
would be brought to better under
standing Of the situation and then
they would remedy it. AS proof Of
illiteracy If any were needed, he stat
ed that fifteen out Of every 100 white
voters in this state cannot read the
ballots they cast, and that in
1908 there were $4,000 white chill
dren of school age who did not attend
school a single day. Mr.. Gasque told
of an incident that happened in his
county, in connection with an asser-
ton that the success or failure OF
rural school depends largely on the
teacher. He said that in a certain
neighborhood they had log school
house, with the cracks daubed with
clay to keep out the cold, and 1t had
a chimney of the same material. The
attendance was small and interest on
the part of the people almost nil. Sew
eral years ago young lady took
charge. By reason of the interest she
manifested in her work, both in the
school and outside, the people became
convinced that she was not there for
the few dollars that she was to re-
ceive from the public school fund.
One day she called on Mr.. Gasque
and stated that they were going to
build a new school house. He told
her that he did not see how it was to
be done as there were no funds avail
able for that district. She reiterated
her statement and left. Sometime af-
he visited the school and was
amazed to find that what he be-
lieves to be one of the best one-room
school houses in the state, had been
and was being used. The
people voted a special tax and supple
mented that with personal subscrip-