Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-07
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE.
Second Iastallment Of Educational
Controversy.
BOTH CHAMPIONS At THEIR BEST.

BOTH CHAMPIONS At Their BEST
Senator Melaurin Goes Down to th'
Root Of Things, and the Editor o
The State Sticks Closely to the Lines
Marked out-Ths Discussion ss
comes More Worth While.
The second go round in the joint de
bate between Senator John l. NC
Laurin and the editor Of the Columbif
State appeared in the Columbia STATE
of last Saturday. The opening appear
ed to be more or less superficial; bu'
in the articles printed today, the con-
testants are evidently searching fol
bed rock principles. u
MeLaurin's Second Article. y
To the Editor of The State:
I have read carefully your stront
editorial in reply to my nrst article
In this paper snail undertake 10 give
some Of the fundamental REASON
which influenced my vote. To large
extent I followed my instincts. The
ablest speech Gin my judgmemC on
either side was q manuscript read DS
senator Epps of Williamsburg. 1t
more thoughtful and carefully pre-.
pared than anything have time to &c
in the rush OF the closing hours. l am
having a copy Of same made, and VII
send 1t to you with the quest thai
YOU publish 1t at your convenience foi
it Is worth preserving.
You scout the idea Of "a negro-rid-
den state" and because the negro nas
no political power, claim he is not 9
factor in this educational matter. J
take issue with you on this point
our state Is worse "negro-ridden" TO-
Gay than 1t was when the situation
was one where physical force couid
relieve 1t. Our whole educational sys,,
tenn SO far as the negro is concerned
Is wrong. .,- r- 81
Tho Form il Has Taken.
It has taken the form Of q rapid
intellectual development with which
his moral advance has been unable TO
keep pace. 1t presents the problem IN
a ueadlier form, turning out trained
negro minds with no place in our So
cial and industrial system for the ne
gro to satisfy the hopes and ambitions
which we are creating. The result Il
for the present not political but social
and Industrial strife portending race
trouble (unless something ts done) IN
comparably more serious than any
thing which we have yet encountered
However, this Is question that tine
least said, soonest mended, excep'
1t does seem a pity to spoil good plow
hands to make sorry teachers ano
loafers.
Points at Issue.
take It that the real point between
us is not the principle Of compulsory
education, but viz:
First. Is its application suited to
conditions in South Carolina? Is 1t
wise policy?
ance that needs to be eradicated? !s
one the sequence Of the other, or is II
the cause? z;
Waiving the minor points raised In
my letter and your editorial, let US gel
down to basic principles.
The southern people, especially
South Carolinians, are by tempera-
ment emotional and romantic. the
martial blood of Scotland and French
Hugenots flows in our veins, we are
peculiarly susceptible to music, poet
ry and the charms Of oratory. Our
women give passionate admiration "a
chiyalric bravery. One has to nave
lived Gas have) in the cold, prosaic
north to appreciate to what extent
life in South Carolina has been poet,
lied, and its politics beginning with
Calhoun down to our present governor
dominated by sentiment instead OF rea'
son.
Will this people permit without
preparation an officer of the law to lay
his hand upon a child and say to the
parent you must" or you must not?
It matters not If you tell him It Is for
the child's good, the reply will come
quick and fierce, take your hand on
my child" for II am the judge OF
what is best for him, and am respon.
sible to God, and God alone
It may be foolish, 1t may be wrong
but you need not compare the attitude
of the submissive French peasant to
a free born Carolinian, who has been
taught for generations to consider his
own will, the highest law In all mat
ters affecting his family or person.
Would be Vetoed.
Now. It is we'll understood that nc
compulsory education bill passed al
this session can become q law because
it will be met by the veto Of the gov.
ernor. It is regarded as law aimed
at those who were responsible for nj:
election last summer. When he signs
this veto, as the champion Of the only
people who need 1t, 1 ask you as ar
honest man, Mr.. Editor, will 1t no
set back the cause Of compulsory edu'
cation? I did not wish to refer tt
this, but you force me to do so by de-
nying my statement that 1t Is class
legislation. Understand me now
clearly, If this, or any other compul
sorry education law goes upon the stat
ute books l shall support its enforce
ment and do all in my power to ex
plain and make 1t acceptable tt
the people of my county. In m!
humble sphere no man will do more
than I or seek less to make politica
capital upon what have no doubt II
a sincere, but mistaken step for tht
uplift Of our people.
Poverty or lgnorance2
Second. Is 1t poverty or ignorance
that we have most to dread in main
tanning the perpetuity Of our institu
tions? 1 do not know that I have
stated this proposition clearly, bu
what I mean to say Is that I know o.
no people in the past who have beer
destroyed except from the faulty dis
trlDutlOn OF wealth.. Inc ocCdy dht
fall Of every great nation has proceed
ed not from the ignorance Of thu
masses so much as from the selfish
greed Of the educated few. By th'
control of the government they sue
ceeded in concentrating into theil
hands all the wealth Of the country.
Which, 1 ask you, is the creates
danger, the Money trust" in New
York, using our cotton crop to en-
slave us, or the toilers in the fields
the factory and the machine shop
The disorders in Mexico are caused
not by ignorance on the part Of th'
masses, but from the fact that fol
twenty-five years Diaz permitted th'
exploitation Of Mexico to such an ex
tent that the masses are ground dowr
with poverty and that the land Is own
ed by about 1000 people, and most o
them foreigners. The ignorant masses
ranged themselves behind Madero
the highest type Of statesmanship ye
PRODUCED in Mexico, and drove Dia'
and his foreign corporations out. Th'
new revolution fomented by the golt
| wrung from these down-trodden peo
pie overturned Madero and his murde
Is one of the foulest blots on the page
Of history, comparable only to th'
murder of the Roman Gracchi. Herr
we find ignorance on the side Of pa
| triotism and Justice, while culture ant