The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-08
TRUANT OFFICERS
PROVE UNPOPULAR
SENATE PASSES W.GHTMAN'S
BILL BY BIG VOTE
Debate on Question Rather Heat
el-Negro Question Invoked
by Speakers.
The State, 8.

to amend the compulsory @te0iiue'iee
law so IS to abolish all truant Off
GERS and devolve the duties OF these
officers on county superintendents
and local trustees to 8 third reading
after lengthy debate was the nam
action of the senate at the morning
session yesterday.
: Senator Wightman was joined by
majority of the upper branch Of the
assembly and a number OF speakers
came to his aid. Mr.. Wighsman
charged that the Offices were aoso-
lutely useless, that the white people
were observing the law and no need
existd for the truant officers. He said
!fsnat trustees and sunperintenSen!s
of education could easily carry QUO
the law without the appropriation OF
$1,000 for this purpose.
After debate by numerous senators
the vote5came on Senator Williams
motion to strike out +he enactlng
words. The senate refused to strike
out the enaeting words by vote OF
{ 16 to 25, the following yeas and nays
being recorded: Yeas: Baker, Hutson,
.Johnstone, Johnson, Kennedy, Light
sey, Marion, Mason, Massey, McCon'
McGhee, Miller, Pearce, Ssabler, vii
liams and Young. Nays: Alexander,
Baskin, Beasiey, Bethea, Black, Cliff
ton, Crosson, Dennis. Duncan, Good
3 win, Gross, Harrelson, Hart, Hub
bard, Laney, Moore, Padgett, Rags
dale, Robinson, Rogers, Jesefniah
Smith, Watkins, Wells, Wideman and
Wightman.
Hart Would Amend
During the middle of the debate,
which had centered upon the, fact
that reduced appropriations We're nee
esary and here was a good place to
beginsSenator Hart offered an amend
ment so the law would not take effect
until June 80, but this was lost by a
big vote. Senator Hart and Senator
Moore, both against the truant Off
Gers, did net think the attendance Off
Gers should be cut off right in the mid
die of the year with no jobs.
The debate on this bill was extend
ed and covered wide range. sena-
tors Young and Miller said TO take
this step would be gong backyard
and they were against the measure.
Senator Williams also strongly de-
fended the compulsory law and the
truant cfacers.
Senator Bask'n tlcdgl. the saluda
senator's measure was<a coed one and
offered ca opportunity 20 begin 2run-
ing the approprias;on-bi bill.
Senator's Kennedy anG Mason also
defended the trualls officers and vcted
ser killing Mr.. Wightman's bill. Sen
ator HEsson said he was always in
q faTor of edueatioa ard he saw no ex-
cuse for aholisaiag the truan5 officers,
s holding that the people themselves
wanted The law to stand as it was.
Many .Eoia Wigh.nza
IS Senator Duncan said cur;ailmept
in the, department of education, where
the largest request of all depart
s ments had come, was essential. He
was against the tzclart officers and
! the compulsory law, claiming that
NIe negro chi,drca were: placed il
scheoi to every white child.
IS Senator Padgett said the law was
Unconstitutional ana as passed and
on the books now was 10 good. He
favored abelishHent.
Senator Marson took the lead in
fighting the bin. He showed that dur
ing the first year Of the operation CT
the law 5000 children had been
placed in school that would rot have
otherwise beer II the schools. He
compared South Carolina with New
England states and showed how the
; Palmetto state sheuld De taking for
ward steps instead of backward, as
he considered Mr. Wightman's meas
ure. The Sn;gger' question was here
injected into the debate, Senator Ma
rion saying that the opposition was
due to q ''nigger N the wco12ile,'
- Senator Alex22da" was s.rcTgly in
favor OF Tie t;il, charging ttl2.ss.:: the
& truart Office OF Pickens had doae
nothing last year, and further charg-
ing that many county saperiate.ld
eRts of education were originally
against the ird;:Dz c.ficas, b':s no,y
since taey had re@eievd instructions
from the 'k;ng" they had changed
their opinions and apparently in "a
rAr Of fha oI..o,i,.>oa oGScav. Ny.