The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-07-01
SAFEGUARDING PRIMARY
BIG QUESTION IN THIS STATE
oohn - McMahan, Well-Known Co
lumbia Attorney, Writes on This
Important Problem.

Nolunpla Special to Augusta
Chronicle, June 3O.-The safeguard
ing Of the primary is one of the
big questions in South Carolina
This problem will have to he decid.
ed one way or the other within the
next several months. John ] NC
Mahan, of Columbia, has been writ
Ing some illuminating articles on the
situation In South Carolina. Mr..
McMahan is a well-known attorney
former state superintendent of ed
ucation and member of the bouse
of representatives. He is clear
headed and knows conditions in this
state.
He has prepared the following:
1t must be agreed that the privi-
lege OF voting should be granted to
the men who are both intelligent
! and honest-minded, and that If
should be denied, If possible. to both
the helplessly ignorant and the vic
ious. But what standard can be pre-
scribed that will make this line of
division?
ABILITY TO READ AND WRITE.
Intelligence is usually tested bv
ability to read and write-the liter
acy' standard or 'illiteracy' bar.
RMS is not altogether accurate and
just. 1t is only a rough sort Of way
or measuring a mans intelligence.
1t Is the method resorted to for want
of better. Yet no single standard
| (outside of the classification Of race
or foundation stock) comes Sc near
marking the line of cleavage be
tween those who may be trusted with
public affairs and those who may
not. The man who can read has q
| tremendous advantage over him 10
whom every book is closed. The
! reader has chance to be better in
formed, to have a wider view of
things, with less prejudice on mar
row lines. Hence, Notwithstanding
the difference of individual natural
talent, the reader is likely TO be
more intelligent; and with this bet
ter knowledge he should have bet
! rpreceptionsof right and duty, adm
steadier ordering of his actions by
worthy standards.
The reader belongs to the mod
ern world, and has the advantages
of the modern improved machinery
for acquiring information, and OBJ
tanning a larger and truer outlook
on life and duty. The illiterate
harks back to medieval days and
learns still only at first hand.
through only his own eyes and his
own ears. lie Is at as great a dis
advantage in the world to knowledge
as the traveller is in the physical
world who would deny himself the
use of the agencies of steam and
electricity. The triumph of modern
civilization is annihilating time and
space and bringing all the world to-
| gether under the readers eye every
morning before breakfast, OF twice
or once week in the paper deliv-
cred by the rural carrier at the most
| remote log cabin in the woods. is
! baffied by the man that cannot read
and still lags on the stage OF this
! new world. The invention of print
ing, making 1t possible that reading
should become general, made a new
beginning in the worlds progress
The man that cannot read now
should be curious relic, like an an
imal that still survives from some
geologic age.
THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.
yet there are exceptions to all
rules. Some men whom the world
regards as educated are very mar
row-minded, very warped in ihetr
judgments, very near-sighted as TO
anything but their own business.
very indifferent to the duties of citi-
zenship. On the other hand some
so-called ignorant men, handicapped
| by being shut out from the worlds
great thoroughfare of information
and enlightenment, the printed page,
nevertheless have much worldly
wisdom, and soundness of judgment
as to men and things Mother wit. >
natural aptitude to learn from OBJ
serVation, unaccountable inheri-
tances from far-back ancestors, pro
duce marvellous results. Evidences
or such natural ability stir us to
grief that such men were denied the
advantages of an education and thus
| forcibly held down to a narrower
plane of achievement and usefulness
Their lot forbade'-whether harsh
Fate was the helpless proverty or
the ignorant folly of the parent to
whom the destiny of the child was
committed. There is sometimes no
dinerence between helpfulness and
ignorance.
THE THRIFTY ILLITERATE.
Men OF native worth, illiterate
because so doomed by those to whom
they are under subjection in in
fancy' usually turn their natural
ABILITY to such good use in labor
and thrift as to accumulate proper
ty: Hence, such a man will hardly
fail to own the $500 worth of pron.
erty which, under our state copstitu-
| tion of 1895, will entitle him to vote
though he is debarred by the test
OF reading and writing.
EDUCATION BY SERVICE.
Similarly as to morals. char.
acter, right motives, which no Less
than intelligence should be reuuir-