The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-19

S1O
to control or for whom thev have
tec,ors of the people, ''watchmen
on the tower" as it were, to look
after the public welfare and keep
it informed on the matters which
concern 1t, and the professional
editorial sandbaggers to misiead
the public by infaming it with
the personal venom of the man
who is employed or who owns a
newspaper. I am as jealous of
my rights as a newspaper man
as any other editor in the State,
but whenever permit an article
to be published in these columns
rejecting upon any Individual. I
am honor bound to not shut the
door IN the face cf the party ag-
grieved.
The compulsory education
bills are numerous, and out OF
the batch the most likely one to
get through will be the McCra
vey measure that has passed to
a third reading in the House. 1t
is local option measure and
briefly stated it, provides that
upon the petition of one-third of
the qualified electors in any
school district in the state, the
county board of education is au-
thorized to hold an election upon
the question for compulsory
attendance" and against ''com'
pulsory attendance" If the ma
jority of the votes cast by the
qualified electors is in favor OF
a compulsory school attendance.
the McCravey bill goes into
effect in that school district, and
all children between the ages of
8 and l3 years, not mentally or
physically disabled and whose
labor is not necessary for their
support, must attend the public
school for period of at least
three months in each year, II
the session be that long, pro-
vided they do not attend a prl-
vate school.
The trustees of the school dis
tricts where compulsory attend
ance is in force are charged to see
that the law is carried out. They
may appoint agents to this end.
Parents or guardians of children
of the prescribed school age who
do not put them in school are
subject to a fine of between ~
and $40 for each ofense. The
measure carries no approprla'
ton.
The controversy over the Pea
body fund which Governor
Blease alluded to in his inaugu'
raj address, in which he severe.
lv arranged President Mitchell
of the South Carolina University
has been the subject of much
discussion, and in some quarters
considerable bitterness. A com
mittee Was appointed to investl'
gate. this committee has about
wound up it's hearings and from
what 1 can gather from the pub
lished testimony, it is clear the
Governors charge has been
made good, in that be was In
formed by President johnson Of
Winthrop that President Mitch.
ell attempted to get this fund
for the University away from
Winthrop, and he signed apape1
expressing a willingness for the
,alance to go to negro education.
That President Mitchell Was
not alone in this matter but,
other university presidents join
ed in the petition. does not alter
the case at all. Winthrop was
on the ground floor to get this
money until Mitchell and his CO.
temporaries interferred, they
have brought about condition
which will seriously hamper
both of our State institutions
getting any of this fund. 1t is
an unfortunate situation, and
when the controversy began
many were inclined to crlticlse
the Governor, thinking perhaps
that his intimation was without
foundation, and that he did moi
have the information which he
claimed but it has developed he
did not go off halt-cocked and
his statement was made upon
the information given to him by
President Johnson, after the
Governor had heard it first from
Mr.. D. W. McLaurin one of the
trustees of Winthrop, who IN
formed the Governor, and he
asked President johnson who
gave him the facts in the case;
the investigation has resulted in
a hot controversy b e tw e q
Mitchell and Johnson, Mitchell
not denying the charge but at
tempts to justify his course by
being not alone in the petition
for the fund, and by making
rather undignitied illusions tc
johnson. 1t is my opinion. the
influence of President Mitchell
of the university has been Sc
riously affected, and it would
not surprise me in the least to
hear he has resigned from the
institution. There is this much
certain, President Johnson has
made good his information given
IN Governor BleaSe and the