Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-14
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE.
Final RouRt In McLaurln.GOnzales
Controversy.
The Law OF FORCE vs.. Law OF Love.
Having Met the Challenge Of the State
on the Question Of Compulsory Edu-
cation, the Senator from Marlboro
Challenges the Editor Of the State
n;.~ne, fbs warshouse Bill.

cation, the Senator from Marlboro
Challenges the Editor Of the State
Discuss the Warehouse Bill.
According to the terms Of the Col
umbia States challenge to Senator
McLaurin to take the negative side OF
the compulsory. education discussion.
there were to be three articles on each
side. The first two articles by each
side have been printed. The publ
cation Of Senator McLaurin's third ar
ticle was delayed by the absence of
the editor Of the Stste in washington;
but this article together with the re-
ply, appears in the State Of Tuesday:
From Senator MeLaurin.
To the Editor of The State:
I thought that you would not be
able to answer the arguments In my
second letter, and sure enough you
had the imam of straw that every
we'll regulated newspaper of1ce keeps
handy, brought out for you to set up
and knock down.
It was not reciting Browning or
quoting from king Lear" to the man
on "Mr McLaurin's farm who can not
earn an average wage OF 70 cents q
day; whose clothes are rough and In
sufficient; who owes the country store
keeper for last months meal and
meat, and to whom white bread and
molasses would be delicacy." SUCH
q man has practical demonstration
that poverty, not ignorance, Is the
cause Of his misfortunes, but 1t taxes
Compulsory education" to convince
the Editor Of the State that education
will clothe this poor man. The fact
is the man he describes on my plan
tation is better of than the clerk, VINO
has to buy everything that he eats.
He Is completely at the mercy or the
middleman, whose extortions con-
stantly increase the cost OF living. The
tenant farmer keeps cow, q Few pigs
and raises plenty of potatoes and veg
etables. It Is hard to starve him, put
the clerk, mechanic and mill worker
is an easy mark for those who toll
not, neither do they spin," and com.
pulsory education can not change nara
and fast financial conditions. That is
my contention. not that education,
compulsory or otherwise, Is not
blessing to any people.
You say: "Will Senator McLaurin
have the goodness to tell US how the
greedy educated ones could have en-
slayed the masses and done as they
pleased with the country except
through the ignorance Of the masses 2"
Mr.. Editor, told the story as applied
to the south's great product In a
speech this session to which the state
gave about four lines. inclose you
q pamphlet copy OF this speech, Which
gives an answer to your question.
ask you to publish this speech and
bring all of your splendid powers OF
mind to a criticism Of 1t. II you con-
vince me Of its fallacy, you Will have
done me a great service, and II you
fail you will have conferred a bless
ing, not only upon South Carolina
but every state where cotton is grown.
Mr.. Editor, you are a good fighter,
and YOU must admit that I did not
lack courage when I accepted your
challenge to meet you on your chosen
ground. Now the combat has been
narrowed down, according to your
own editorial. viz, Ignorance or
Poverty" 1 challenge you to meet
me for a few rounds on my chosen
ground. Publish my warehouse speech
which Is a direct reply to your ques.
ton above stated, show me where II
is wrong. You ask, why introduce
Jesus Christ into any sort Of argu-
ment, when His life on earth was
given to teaching, and He commission
ed His disciples to go forth and
teach?"
Surely 1t is a poor cause when you
object to the Introduction OF Christ
into the argument. You say the lat
ter portion Of my letter "is not an
h.xt
help but grow a little eloquent when
I discuss the rights Of man, as set
forth in the doctrine that Christ pro-
mulgated, and 1 speak not Of the God
but the Man Christ. You say, He
sent His disciples out to teach" l
ask you to teach what? The law Of
force, not the law Of love? To dispel
darkness by striking light?
The wisdom or unwisdom Of COM
pulsory education is to be determined
on these fundamental questions, viz.
1. Is the gospel Of force or the
gospel of love the more potent In
fiuence in the guidance and ultimate
destiny Of the human race?
II the former. compulsory educa-
tion wins; If the latter, compulsory
education fails?
.. Is slavery or freedom the finer
atmosphere Of the blossoming and
nurturing of the soaring spirit OF
man?
If the former, compulsory educa-
ton wins; II the latter, compulsory
education fails.
You preach the doctrine Of force,
and to say that 1t has not played
great part In molding and shaping
human affairs, would be to reveal
dense ignorance Of human history.
Rome in civic affairs and the church
Of Rome in religions are Its most
illustrious examples.
The mailed hand of Rome was felt
In every part of the known world,
and the masses Of humanity cover
ed and shriveled under Its oil ghting
touch, while the Caesars fiourished IN
the freedom of ruleship and builded
a cold, hard, splendid monument to
the God of Force.
The shrewd cruel hand of force
was felt in every home and under Its
blighting influence, humanity sunk
into the long night, known as the
Dark Ages, while the pope and the
priesthood flourished in the atmos-
phere Of freedom which ruleship
supplies and builded dominion over
the lives of men, which still exists,
but which Is doomed to ultimate de-
structfOn.
The gospel Of force had had its
victories but what about its victims
Its course down the ages Is lined with
injustice and cruelty, and still the
cries of its victims ascend to heaven,
but thank God, its days are numbered,
and the wheels Of its Juggernaut are
slowing down under the impulse OF
the glorious gospel Of love.
The thought set in motion 20 CEN
turtles ago, by the Son Of the carpen-
ter, must finally be the reigning In.
1uence In human life, and men will
forget the meaning of the word com
pulsion" as applied to human i'm.
pulse. Happy will be the people first
to recognize 1t, in all or its omnipoten'
power.
You say that I Overlook His forci-
BILE expulsion Of the money changers
from the temple"
No, I am following his example ano
trying through the warehouse bill to
use a scourge myself.
But, Mr.. Editor, I can not believe
that you are so spiritually blind thai
you can see nothing more than the
gospel Of force applied by Christ IT
temple with a little whip Of CORDS
Please read your Bible and ask your
self the question, what could one mar
have done against a gang Of thieves
with a whip Of cords?
n,,.o t,i,torxy of MON tho doctrines