Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-04
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
CONTINUED From First Page.)

tlOn, put tnat QeSlEnallOn mas never
before been given to local option
where 1t requires one-third the quail
fed electors to call an election, and
majority to determine the issue. Ac-
cording to that conception every coun-
ty vote on the dispensary and every
special tax vote in eleven hundred
school districts has been class legisla-
ton" 1t is the most progressive De-
mocracy; Mr.. McLaurin's point Is i'm
possible.
According to Senator McLaurin:
"A parent so low in his intelligence
and so brutal in his selflshness as not
voluntarily to take advantage Of free
education offered his child has home
so bad that his child not only is unfit
to associate with other children but
will lack the proper food, clothes and
books to go to school. What will you
do with these"
What would you DO with them! Not
leave them and their children and their
children's children to exist in debas-
ing ignorance, poverty and dirt, but
in confidence Of the grace Of God Al
a hand to them, lift them up and put
them on the road to light, on the road
to decency and good citizenship! We
would trust to their mothers to wash
their clothes; and with clean clothes
however poor, they would be "ft" to
associate with other children" And
we would have the school boards in
vestigate every case, and where need
existed, we would have the county or
state furnish their books free. We
would do whatever was necessary to
get those poor, friendless, neglected
white boys and girls into schools.
In the very next paragraph Senator
McLaurin seems indisposed to insult
"the instincts Of parent-hood" by pass
ing q law forcing them to do some
thing for their children. First, the
legislature is not asked to force any
thing; but to give the people them
selves an opportunity to speak. Second
IL the parent is low in intelligence"
and brutal In his selfishness," why be
squeamish about forcing him to re-
lease his child from the bondage OF
ignorance? Again: Does the senator
favor the law against child labor? We
presume he does Then why, when for
bidding a parent to put his child to
work in q mill balk at forbidding him
to let that child, through illiteracy, be-
come a menace to good government?
And for heavens sake why should a
man of Senator McLaurin's intel
,igence and opportunities, speak Of this
as "negro-ridden state! Managed
swayed by negroes" Is the definition
the Century dictionary would give
"negro-ridden."
The next paragraph in Senator Nc
Laurin's letter brings forward another
view: TT is poverty. Mr.. Editor, not
ignorance and brutishness that keeps
these children out Of school. They
must work to live" and Mr.. Nc
Laurin's remedy is his warehouse bill
and twenty cent cotton. The senator
is uninformed. Poverty and ignorance
are much greater factors. One Of the
arguments Of mill managers against
the child labor law is that 1t takes
the children out Of the mills and leaves
them to idleness and ruin in the streets
There are other children to be cared
poor would be with us II cotton sold
for fifty cents a pound. Mr.. McLaurin
can cite no instance Of gold being
poured by legislation or monopoly or
otherwise into the laps Of an ignor-
ant multitude. The thrifty farmers
of New England and Of the Middle
West are the intelligent people. All
Of those states have compulsory edu-
cation. France has compulsory edu-
cation, and her farmers, crowded to-
gether as they are, have hundreds OF
millions Of dollars 70 lend.
Danish poverty and you will sub
due ignorance" trumpets Senator Nc
Laurin. Who is going to Danish the
poverty Of the ignorant? Where has
1t been done by others since the world
began? The man must depend on his
own exertions to Danish his own pow
erty and we wish to equip him with
the power to strive. How much
money did Mr.. McLaurin make out OF
the practice Of law before he banished
his ignorance Of the law?
The pending bill is not, as Mr.. Nc
Laurin suggests, the States baby. We
have for ten years advocated state
wide compulsory school attendance,
having not much faith in a local op-
ton measure; but others qualified to
Judge, believe this plan has merit and
while there Is hope Of savius one
child, we are anxious to try to do sc .ie
good. Mr.. McLaurin has not exhibit
ed sufficient interest in the great ques-
ton of education to study this subject
that has been discussed in South Car
olina for ten years. He opposes this
measure on the ground Of it's "ineff1-
ciency," but makes no attempt to
amend 1t, or to improve 1t. He admits
his lack of familiarity with the sub
ject, but assumes that the time is
not ripe" and strikes to death the
child of those who have studied, and
who deeply feel the need Of going for
ward.
There Is no point or parallel in Sen
ator McLaurin's suggestion that If chill
dren are compelled to go to school
why not compel young men to attend
college: Those young men he refers
to are not illiterate, and the sole pur-
pose of the compulsory law Is to Sc
cure literacy. Again. the children's
schooling is absolutely free and the
schools are put in reach Of all requir-
ed to attend them. Colleges are not
free, nor are they within reach Of all
made to accommodate, all the young
men. The senator should spare our
readers from such hopelessly Illogical
suggestions.
For the information Of the senator
we will state that the editor favors the
principles Of the initiative and the
referendum, and is prepared to defend
such Democracy at any time.
Finally, Senator McLaurin says that
compulsory education will come, but
that politically the passage Of the
penang measure unuer the leduel snip
of the editor of the State would be
unfortunate, because "the boys in pos
sum holler' and Dry Branch would
simply say, Get your guns, fellers,
we outvoted Gonzales last summer,
he's been trying to boss this state for
twenty years and we beat him every
time; now he's got a law passed to
take our children from us and train
them to think and vote as he says,
and we won't stand for it," Is the
senator speaking for himself or for
the boys of Possum Holler and Dry
Branch? If for the latter, we prefer
to have them express themselves. But
it that conception Of their attitude be
true should men supposedly intelligent
and supposedly having the best inter
ests Of the present and future Of South
Carolina at heart submit to be bound
like pigmy slaves to the chariot OF
Prejudice and Ignorance! Do progres
sive men halt when reactionaries is
sue the orders? Do courageous men
flee from opposition? Are statesmen
controlled by the motives of the high
er or the contorted imaginings of the
lower? Do good works cease because
the evil disposed are noisy?
The State wishes to give the people
of "Possum Hollec" and Dry Branch
chance to declare themselves for or