The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-01-25

| meDtS essential to a happy democracy
are native mental ability and informa-
ton. We have the former in as full
measure as any people; but the latter
we have not made available to all the
boys and girls who reside within our
| borders. The time was when those
who made laws and those who exscut-
| ed them could forget the man who
throughout the sultry days followed
the plow up and down the furrows,
! and also the man who in other ways
toiled with his muscles. But that time
is happily passed forever. The struc-
ture OF society rests upon the man
who tolls; he is Of primary impor-
tance. He must, regardless of cost, be
given the education which is required
in order to enable him to understsd
his work and to do it in the most tell
ing fashion.
Gin the modern world ones innate
mental strength and ones muscular
energy are not sufficient to meet the
everyday needs of life. The mind must
be trained; ideas and information
must be implanted in it. This can be
done only through system of
schools. A democracy can travel no
faster and further than the average
man. The way to advance, in dem
ocracy, is to afford a higher degree
of mental training to the average man
ard average woman. Let education
be general and efficient and then will
we see progress in all other worthy
lines of human efforts, Our fields will
be better cultivated, our homes more
attractive, our churches more, in
spring, cur thrift more pronounced,
social legislation viii go forward with
great bounds. But let education be
lacking, and we shall behold a dismal
society, clogged and stagnant. Our
idle water powers, 1our devastated
forests, our diminishing fish and
game, our whole. economic life, and
more important still, our boys and
girls cry aloud for enlightenment.
And woe betide that man. who does
not lend a helping hand to the ren.ov-
al of our greatest stumbling block
an inadequate educational system.
ssIt is little more than idle to- at
tempt progress by following any path
save that which leads through the
school. We can never hope to achieve
economic independence, social i'm
provement, freedom of effort, self
expression and the like until we have
first given to every one the mental
equipment necessary to cope with
present day life.
Zone hears much talk now of re-
ducing taxes, and very sincerely do /
desire to relieve our people OF all pos
sible financial pressure. But we are
not so poor, indeed We could never be
so poor as to justify us in taking away
from our people the one thing most
necessary for the accumulation of
wealth. The more difficult we find the
economic and social conditions, the
more Go we need education. No my
friends, we must not hurt the schools.
We have started in the right direc-
tion and should increase the speed
with which we are travelling. In the
daysee come, blessed will be the
name of the men who through sacri-
fee On their part, gave birth and
strength to an educational awaken
ing in this State. Cut somewhere else,
if you must, but touch not with 0enu-
rious hands the foundation Of sue
cessful living.
Taxation is nothing more than o
method of securing to all the people
at the lowest, cost by responsible
agencies the benefits of common ac-
ton and common institutions. Pub
lie expenditures for such Institutions
are an investment. In a democracy
such as ours public education is TO-
day the. chief object Of expenditure.
The public school is perhaps The most
distinctive Of American institutions.
The maintenance OF public education
is guaranteed in the constitutions
ard laws Of the forty-eight states.
The fifty-secord year of South Caro-
Ena's educational system, embracing
elementary schools, secondary schools
and institutions of higher learning,
closed June 80, 1929. The progress
achieved during this period not only
proves the worth Of the system, but
the necessity for improving it.
Compulsory Attendance Law
During the year 1921 (the first