The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-09-27
THE MASS MEETING.

Commenting on our editorial Of
last week urging the people of Able
vile to make every available effort
to secure the location of the Military
School of the Baptist denomination
the Spartanburg Journal suggests
that Abbeville has not been noted in
many years for its interest in mat
ters educational.
Thinking over this charge, we are
compelled in some measure at least
to admit that the charge is true. We
have sometimes been called cultur-
ed center, and We have given to the
state many learned and eminent men
to be sure, but generally speaking
we have not taken that interest in
education of the whole of our peo-
pie which our history and our tradi-
tions would seem to make imperative.
To be true in the last year or two we
have voted heavy taxes in this school
district for our local schools, and we
have now, we believe as good schools
in the city of Abbeville as most of
the cities of the state have. But while
we are just now making an effort to
maintain schools of this class, we
must remember that other communi-
ties have for many years been doing
what we are just now commencing.
In recent years Due West has es-|>
tablished good public schools. Antre-l
vile for some years has had a good
school, and Lowndesville has in late
years erected a fine school building
and is new fortunate in having much
better educational advantages than
in the years gone by. Some of the
rural districts have voted taxes i'm
sufficient amount in the last two or
three years to secure state aid for
these schools, and others have voted
smaller, levies. But in some there are
no special taxes at all, or such small
levies as to indicate that the people
are not interested in school matters
as they should be. In some districts
the present year the people have
refused to increase the levies which
certain forward-looking people have
thought necessary. We are far and
away behind other counties in the
matter Of good schools.
But while this is true, we believe
the light is breaking upon us and that
the people are in d mood for better
things. In this movement, however,
somebody must take the lead, and
surely the people at the county seat,;;
in the largest town of the county,
where there are hundreds of children
to be educated, should take the lead.
Nobody will deny this, we assume.
: And if it is not denied, then we be-
lieve the procuring of this Baptist
institution will be step which we
should by all means take. 1t seems to
us at this time to offer the best pos
sible chance for US to go forward.
The Baptists have already avpropriat-
ed money for a school of this kind.
The matter is not one for future con-
sideration. The establishment of the
school somewhere is certainty and
if it is located at 'Abbeville, the build
ing and operation of the plant here is
a certainty. We should not allow an
opportunity of this kind to pass us
by. True, as stated, we may induce
others to take up the proposition, II
the Baptists decide not to come here,
DuL WnelNpl lNeS "OuId SoioiNSi GIL
offer which we would make is yet to
lie determined. We know the Baptists
are ready to do what we want done
if we can persuade them that we have
the proper location, and that the
school will have the support it should
have.
We, therefore, deem the matter OF
so pressing Importance to the people
of this place, that forgetting all other
propositions for the time at least, we
urge the people of the city to turr
cut tomorrow evening at the mass
meeting of our citizens with theil
minds made up to do something fo'
this school, and to do all that is rea
sonably necessary to procure 1t.