The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-06-30

Al the recent commencement exer-
cises OF the public schools at Che
raw IL notable address was delivered
by Judge George w. Gage OF the Su-
preme cour' Of South Carolina
MIR. Gage has been IL student OF
South Carolina history for years. Few
men know more about the past Of the
state. Few know more about condi-
tiOns which exist I'm South Carolina
at the present time. For sixteen
years Il distinguished member OF the
circuit bench. Judge Gage visited ev-
cry county in the state again and
again.
In his address at Cheraw Judge
Gage reviewed briefly but cOmprehen
sively the development OF free educa-
ton in South Carolina.
The NewS and Courier was so i'm
pressed with the summary OF Judge
Cages address as II was sent out
from Cheraw tha, II wrote him and
asked the privilege OF publishing his
address in full 1t is AS followss
Judge Guge's Address.
MIR. Chairman. Ladies'. Gentlemen OF
the Board Of Trustees and Members
of the Graduating Class: Always
and especially upon school com
mencement. the proper training of
the youth Of the state is Il most en-
gaging qucction.
II ought not to he left exclusively
TO the teacher. wno is an expert in
education and may take the experts
view. II ought to command the seri-
Gus attention of all patti iOtic men. for
the future Of the state depends upon
what The children OF today learn.
This community is not Just now in
tcrrstrd III his subject. The idea
started lcns year: ago. ,p--
1t ought To br II matter OF conrratu-
elton To live in 4 town with Il history
ard Il history for culture.
There are few studies OF more inter
est than how community grow: from
better tn better; how an aggregation
of people make stepping stones and
ascend the heights Of civilization.
Such movement starts in the per-
On of one. o: of Il few men and wo-
men; II then gets 4 comMOn posses
sion of the community and the evolu-
iiUn Eegin.
Successive generations take up the
idea OF the movement. and enlarge
upon it. and it finally comes To fruit.
Those who went before you have
while they lived they got an idea
which has blosc ,med into ;iiis good
day
Beginning of E,IIca.ion ia Cheraw.
AS long ago ar l772. which is ono
hundred and fOrty-two years ago, q
grand jury OF t!!ic vicinity presented
to the court then assembled ut Long
QIff few miles from here, las {
grievance the want ui :, free school In
the district
The prccontment was repeated at
there separate terms Of the court. ant
the last time it was declared to be .
very great grievance"
l doubt not hut that some OF the de-
arer,lants OF those jurors are in this
audience tonight. Amongst theI
lind the names Of Harrington. God
frey. Evans. Pegues, Lide. Elerbe
WildS, James and Mcintosh.
This was the starting point Of edn-
cation. education by taxation, in this
settlement.
Fifty years after that Robert Mills
observed about Cheraw: Great PRONE
ise is held out that this town will be-
come as eminent for encouragement
Of literature and the useful arts as
for commerce. Several societies are
in embryo and much intelligence con-
centrated here"
But although this was &C. the idea
OF free school. such as the grand
juries demanded. did not develop sooI
and grow to full fruit,
There were free .choOls, hut only
for poor children. and very meagre
appropriation for lem was made by
the legielatruc.
Poor children we're those whose pa
rents could not 'ucate them.
The descripti". was odious and was
calculated to kccp away from the
schools those whom they were cs-
tablished
This woult tho operation of sucll
u law today. If the appropriation for
the public ''ools now was described
as one to Lcatc poor children" !"
then parer' would not send their
children ~ school.
At that me and In the beginning Of
the ninett nth century and for It's first
fifty years. there existed in this state
marked distinctions of class.
Thi: was the outgrowth OF slavery
Those who owned slaves were able
to educate their own children. and
they either did so at their own ex-
pence or left It undone. They did
not commit It to the state. and the
state did not undertake It.
AT late ns 1845 tho state apprO-
priated only $4,000 for the free
schools.
This does not mean that the chill
dren of the rtate were not educated; |;
many OF them were. Many families
employed teachers In their houses,
and their children were, taught there.
Thole were not few notable acad
cmics In the state where young mel
were taught. Those Of DR.. Wnddell.
at Wilmington. Of DIR. Alexander. on
Rullock's Creek: of DIR. Hudson. at
Mount Zion, and many others. sur