Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-09-10
WALIIALIA, S. G..
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10, 1910.
a LOSS TO OCONEE.


Of Mrs. j. w. Rankin from the posi-
ton OF attendance officer for Oconee
county rs Il distinct loss TO the pub
lie school system OF our county. Mrs.
Rankin las, week, as Il result Of the
article written by Representative NJ.
x. Mcdonald, forwarded her resigna-
ton as attendance officer, to take
effect Immediately, and she no longer
occupies the position.
The position Of attendance officer
In OcOnCc-Or IN any one OF the sew
eral counties OF the State for that
matter~--is not calculated to be either
pleasant or easy. II is Il position re-
quiring at once Il degree of tact and
marked degree of both personality
and perseverance. All Of these quail
iiiCatiOnS Mrs. Rankin possesses, and
1t is, we think, peculiarly unfortu-
nate that our county has been de-
prived OF the benefit Of them in the
starting OFF OF the compulsory at
tendance section that has been writ
ten into our school law.
We can but regret the fact that
objection to the enforcement OF the
Jaw. as tho work had been started
in our county, was voiced by some Of
the patrons Of tho public schools, and
we regard it as much more untortu-
nate that our Representative has
added the weight Of his words to the
diScOru that was fast disappearing.
Jhe law is badly constructed, it's
provisions being so wOrdcd as to be
susceptible OF two constructions, the
one directly opposed to The other
Yet the intent OF the law is, to our
way OF thinking. SO manifestly plain
and clear that to question the intent
Is foolish, and it has already proven
detrimental TO the working OF the
plan in our county at time when
II was indeed important that the new
feature should have worked smooth
ly and Without any obstruction be-
ing throwh into the path OF the otli-
Ger charged with the enforcement Of
the provisions OF the new law
1T Is indeed an unfortunate thing
that such a condition as has arisen
Is possible. Our la w-makers need to
be more careful in the construction
of their work. 1t Is too often the
case that things other than the in
terests Of their constituents and the
public OF the State at large occupy
The minds and time Of our legisla-
tors while they are in attendance
upon the sessions OF the Legislative
body. We prefer to attribute the
faulty construction Of the law in
question to careleSsneSs rather than
ignorance, though there is no excuse
for either in the States legislative
body. But the idea that was in the
mind Of the framer Of the law is so
apparent, 1t seems to us, that one
has to go very far out OF ones
way to pick out Of the law the things
that are manifestly there by mistake
and read into the law the things
that are omitted, quite as obviously
by carelessness, or what Is worse. by
ignoranle on the part OF the legisla
tors When the man who wrote the
law put into it the provision that
every child between the ages of
eight and fourteen years shall at
teHG school 70" four months consec-
utivrly. or for cifh'y days during
the session. the intent is very plain
that consecutive attendance IS aimed
at whether the pupil goes to school
for -four months or for "eighty
days during the session" 1t may
have been mo- .ito3c'har within tie
provinca Of the Board Of Education
to say when the child should begin
to attend. but il was certainly best.
and maifos:ly to the interest Of the
child. that attendance should hc D.
gun At tho earliest possible date
Ara after all. ihc good OF the child
is the ono great consideration, the
one great purpose Of the bill This
being the case, the wise course to
pursue. rs We saw i. was to let the
sci hHol authorities nd the pntrnNa
OF the various schools work ont - cir
plans together. We have discus ied
me matter priv" ely with :ncivi-
dua!S. and had sought to aSsis, in
allaylng the feeling that had been
cng"ndcrnd against the OppratiGn Of
the 'nW - advising IT, t all girn CO.
Ope alton the attendance oilic.r in
the matte" OF enforcement. and then
ar their &, evances if they had any.
a:ter it had been found that the pro-
visions. rs construed and cAforced
had proved in'nractical o. MT 10 the
best advanta &c.
we fear that .he compulsory at
tendance latv has been hirGGrcd and
the work in OcOnce delayed in its
good effects. 1T certainly has not
been killed, nor its good effects per-
mancntly destroyed. The question
OF education Is too important, too
vital. to the interests OF the present
and future generations to be done
to death" by quibbling over the non
essential features Of a botch work
law
Some day--and 1t will be a great
day for eiiciency--we will probably
have, as a necessary adjunct to our
law making body, competent per-
son to have oversight Of the drafting