University of South Carolina Libraries
RKPLY TO HOOK CRITICISM, Appoint?? Members of State Board Issue a Statement. Following Is a partial statement o? the appointive members of the State Board of Education, concerning the adoption of text books for use In the public schools of South Carolina: In view of the misunderstandings and erroneous statements that have grown out of the recent protest is sued by Statt Superintendent Swear Ingen in reference to the late adop tion of text booKS, the undersigned ?Plaintive members of the State Board of Education submit to the people of South Carolina the follow ing statement of the facts Involved: Fitness of Members to Judge. The undersigned members of the board havo all of them been for many years Intimately connected with the schools. Most of them aro teachers of many years' experience, ranging through nearly every grado and every kind of school. PreiMiration for the Adoption. For something over two years they have had this adoption in view and have, in consequence, been aefuaint ing themselves with the usableness, suitableness and merits of the books in actual ute in the schools. This has boen dene not only by examina tion of the books themselves, but by the questioning of teachers all over the State. For some six months prior to the adoption books to be offered began lo come in and expert representa tives of the hook companies began their visits to the several members of the hoard. The coming of I hive hooks and agents Increased in fre quency, BO that for some throe months before the adoption the members wei?' called upon to spen 1 most ot" their time, not given to their regular work, in the examina tion of books and the discussion ol' them with agents. This prolonged and searching ex amination of text hooks to he sub mitted was supplemented by infor mal discussions and comparisons among tho members themselves while In attendance upon board meet ings In Columbia. Hence the several members entered the adoption with clearly defined views as to the rela tive merits and suitability of the various books, including those now in use, and had, in many eases, their minds made up on their first choice, or on the books which they would be willing to accept In place of this first choice, and with definite ideas as to tho opinions of their fellow members, Consequently when the time came for adoption the members were virtually ready io vote intelli gently without tho necessity of much discussion, though despite thia pre paration there was full discus-ion on all important hooks. The undersigned members submit, therefore, thal with this experience and this study of the hooks, it is reasonable to conclude that their in dividual judgment as to the merits of the books submitted deserves the same consideration, and is just as likely to be correct, as that of Mr. Swearingen, and that where a ma jority of them were agreed upon a particular book, il is just and ra tional, as well as democratic, to assume that this majority opinion was more likely correct than that ot* Mr. Swearingen or that of any mi nority which included Mr. Swearin gen. The So-Called Secret Hnllot. lt is unthinkable that Superinten dent Swaringen intended in the slightest degree to impugn or make insinuation against the integrity of Die members of the board, either in dividually or collectively, Indeed, we have his assurance that he did not, yet that construction has been ?int upon his protest, and especially upon his reference to a secret ballot. I lenci- we are at a loss to understand why, when he perceived that the newspapers so construed his protest, he did not. in justice to himself and in justice to the board, immediately publish a disclaimer ot' any such in tention. This ballot, it i-, due to say. was not secret in tho sense that any mem ber's vote was concealed, lt is duo i" say, further, thal not only was tho method based upon the preceden! ot' the adoption of live years ago, but in the agreement to adopt the im personal vote it WHS distinctly stilted that, if in Hie voting any member desired lo pul on record anything about tie voie or adoption, he had the right to do so. In the case of most of the books, especially of the more important ones, there was always a preliminary discussion which revealed whether lhere was any decided differences of opinion among the members. Some member then put a particular book in nomination. Then; was yet fuller discussion, including comparisons with such other books as individual members thought worthy of mention. An open individual vote was then taken. Thus the board knew how each member voled. Change of Text I tonks. In reference to the change ol' lexi books it must be remembered that the law itself anticipates the necessi ty for change in providing for a peri odic adoption. The object, more over, in inviting bids ls to secure not the "cheapest books, but the best books at tho lowest prices. The board showed its recognition of this princi ple as a primary end, and in the fact that, at its Hist meeting, and fre quently In the course of adoption, lt was repeated with emphasis that the first duty was to get the best books, irrespective of reasonable differences in price. One of the most dangerous doctrines Implied in Mr. Sweaiin gen's protest is that which tends to establish the principle that books should not be changed and that cheapness is the chief object. No man's child should bc compell ed to use inferior text books even though such books were furnished free of cost. Time once lost by the child through poor books, is never recovered, and the damage done is irreparable. People living in the country, are, as a rule, not in posi tion to keep up with the advance In text book improvements. These ad vances are on a par With, or ahead of, improvements along other lines; and books that were relatively good lour or five years ago may be rela tively poor to-day. Surely the coun try children are entitled to as good books as the town children are. This advantage the board was fully deter mined they should have, without re gard to criticism. Saving to the State. Those who have commented on the cost of the adoption have overlooked the positive fact tiiat this board bas secured what is confessedly the best contract ever obtained from the pub lishers in this country. For we maintain that the credit for this con tract is due to no one man. hut that the contract was the product ol' tin combined judgment of the whole board and was unanimously adopted by lt. Hy this contract, for the firs! time in the history of book adopt ions, "any old book" in the hand ol the child has been given a definite money value and will be taken in exchange for any book of a lower 01 higher grade in the same series. Bj the same contract, too, the length ol time allowance for exchange has beer increased 2 5 per cent. Both the method and the saving ii this exchange provision may be illus teated with the readers. By the con tract the old Johnson Primer, which when new, cost the children 12 cents has now an exchange value of li cents. That is to say. an old John son Primer and 10 cents will buy ; new Wheeler Primer, the retail con tract price of which is 25 cents. O the same primer and 10 cents wll buy a new Wheeler First Header, th coin rad retail price of which ls 2. cents. In the same way. an oli Primer may be used at this vaina tion of 15 cents to help pay for an, reader-First. Second. Third. Fourtl or Fifth; whereas, in the past primer could be exchanged only fo a primer. Fourth, an old Firs Header, which cost 20 cents whei new, has by contract been given money value of 15 cents and may b used to help pay for a primer or io any reader. In the case of the geographies, th old Primary Geography, which wa discarded by the board, and whlc cost when new ?{3 cents, has by con tract been given an exchange valu of 23 cents, being only 10 cents los than it cost when new. That is t say, an old Primary Geography an 2 2 cents will pay for the new boo adopted. Or the old Primary Geo* ra ph y and 65 cents will pay for th new Advanced Geography. So, to< tile old Advanced Geography and 2 cents will buy the new Primary G< ogrnphy, Could any one deny Iii; money has been saved to the State Cost to Hie Stat?'. lt has been claimed that the boar liv it.- action wantonly destroye property values estimated at $500 non. This sum is just a few thoi sand less than the cost ol' al) tl school books bought in South Can lina during the years 1006-191? How preposterous Ibis claim is wi appear from ! he follow inn : lt assumes thal all these hook even those bought live years ago, ai still in usable form in the hands < the children and are now wort what tiley cost when new. lt assuini also that if all Hie old hooks hr been readopted, tho children of tl State would not have had to buy ai new books during the coining fl' years, lt forgets thal each book no in tlie bands of thc children has n only paid its joice in use, but is 1 contract given an added defin? value, approximately 50 per cent i's originel cost. Tile following analysis will she that Hie apparent loss to the Sta would in reality be only about $lt 'oin a year for the live-year perle or only about I 2-3 cents per chi! instead of the alleged loss of $501 *><?n. AS it is claimed that thc Id w;.a entailed by the assumed so p cent change, then tlie entire val involved would be upon this 80 ]i (Continued on Page Seven.) TO HOU) ON UNTIL l>F.CF,MHFlt. Hoke Smith Will Not Resign Now. Terrell to Hold On. Atlanta, July 13.-Following Gov ernor Hoke Sniith'B election to the United States Senatorshlp on the first ballot, with a majority of 14 above what he needed to win, by the joint session of the General As sembly yesterday, a throng of Legis lators poured into his offtce, and there, mounted on a sofa, the dis tinguished Georgian expressed his appreciation of the further honor and trust imposed upon him. He made an interesting and tell ing impromptu speech, in which he declared that when he entered the race for Governor a year ago he acted with . great reluctance, and only after Brown had announced in his message his purpose to repeal, If possible, many of the reform measures passed under the former Smith administration. He stated he felt sure the major ity in the present Legislature was In sympathy with the reform legislation of 1907-1008, and that, therefore, that reform legislation was not now In danger. He said but one Import ant reform measure advocated by him had aftled of passage, the anti lobby bill, and he hoped that lt. too, would soon become a law. He said there were other measures of a constructive character, especial ly with reference to the finances of the State. In which he was deeply interested, and that after examining the decisions of the United States Senate applicable to the term of ser vice of a Senator holding under an appointment from a Governor, he was sure that Senator Terrell's term of office would not expire until his own commission was sent to the Senate, and that he did not expect his com mission to be furnished the Senate until the December session. Senator Terrell would, therefore, be in a position to represent the State In the United States Senate until that time, while he (Governor Smith) could continue In his present office until the time for the next reg ular session of Congress. -- Honest Medicines Versus Fake's. President Taft's recent message suggesting an amendment to the Pure Food and Drugs law in its re lation to prepared medlclues, does not refer to such standard medicines ns Foley's Honey and Tar Compound and Foley Kidney Pills, both of which are true medicines carefully compounded of ingredients whose medicinal qualities are recognized hy the medical profession itself as the best known remedial agents for the diseases they are intended to coun teract. For over three decades Fo ley's Honey and Tar Compound has been a standard remedy for coughs, colds and affections of the throat, chest and lungs for children and grown persons, and it retains to day its pre-eminence above all other pre parations of Its kind. Foley Kidney Pills are equally effective and meri torious. Bar on'8 Pharmacy, Wal halla; W. J. Lunney, Seneca. Hookworm by Wholesale. Hattlesburg, .Miss., July 1 I. - Dur ing the past four weeks over 1,000, hookworm sufferers have been treat ed in Lamar county by directors of Public. Health Officer Whitfield. In many Instances whole families are afflicted. OWES HER HEALTH To Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound Scottville, Mich.-"I want to tell you how muchgooi' Lydia K.Pinkham's Vegetable Com pound and Sanative Wash li ave done me. I live on a farm and have worked very hard. I am forty five years old, and am tho mother of thirteen children. Many people think it strange that I am not broken down with hard work and the care of mv fam ily, hut 1 tell them of my good friend, your Vegetable Compound, and that there will bo no backache and bearing down pains for them if they will take it as I have. I am scarcely ever with out it in tho house. "I will say also that I think there i9 no better medicine to bo found for young girls to build them up and make them strong and well. My eldest daughter lins taken Lydia R. Pink* ham's Vegetable Compound for pain ful periods and irregularity, and it lins always helped lier "I am always ready and willing to speak a good word for the Lydia E. Pinkham's Remedies. I tell (ivory ono I meet that I owe my health and hap? jiiness to these, wonderful medicines." -Mrs. J, (i. JOHNSON, Scottville. Mich., Ii.F.D. 8. Lydia F.JMnkham's Vegetable Com pound, made from nativo roots and herbs, contains no narcotics or harm? fol drugs, and to-day holds the record for the largest number ol actual eurea ot' female discuses. THE REPORT ON HOSIERY MULL. Prison Board Assumes Full Responsi bility-Declare Plant Sanitary, - Columbin, July 13.-Assuming full repsonsiblllty for conditions ex- j Isling In the hosiery mill, and main taining that these condtions are as sanitary, clean and healthful as it is possible to make them; declaring that convicts employed in the plant actually undergo less menace to health than thousands of free citi zens working in cotton mills; as serting that the contract with Lessee Graham was entered into with the consent of the Legislature, and is, in the opinion of the directors, binding, both In morals and in law. the board of directors of the South Carolina penitentiary transmitted to Governor Blease to-night a formal communica tion, the result of sessions held yes terday and to-day, In which they say they must stand by the Graham con tract, but will call the matter to the attention of the General Assembly, and will, of course, follow that body's Instructions. The letter follows: "Ills Excellency Cole L. Blease, Governor-Dear Sir: Your commu nication of some weeks ago demand ing that this board abolish the hos I lery mill contract with J. M. Gra j ham because of alleged unsatisfac tory, unsanitary and unhealthful con ditio.is in the hosiery mill, was duly received, in compliance with your rennest this board held a meeting on i the 21st of .lune to fully consider the 1 matter, but not being able to secure j the advice of the attorney general at that time it was continued until the meeting of the board held yesterday, July 12th. At this meeting the at torney general and the assistant at torney general were both present, as ! were all members of the board. The j matter was considered In all of Its ? libases and the conclusion of the board was finally reached. "The board would call it to your attention that on the 10th day of Au gust, HMO, a formal contract was entered into by this board with J. M. Graham to continue for a period of live years, beginning February 1st, 1911. Under this contract the board let to Mr. Graham the labor and ser vices of from 200 to 350 convicts to he used by Mr. Graham in the man ufacture of hosiery and other knitted goods of cotton and wool and in the manufacture of necessary cases and bales for shipping tho same. "The contract specifies that these convicts are to be under the guard i and control of the board of directors j and the building in which they are j employed, which belongs to and is ' within the walls of the penitentiary, < under the same contract, ls to be i kept In repairs by the board of dl . rectors. In other words, the contract i ls one whereby the board of diree ', tors agrees to have convicts do cer tain work, they being under the ex clusive control and supervision of the hon* (1 of directors, and the place in wh ?.h they work being likewise iin d .' the exclusive control and super j vision of the board of directors. "It is dear, therefore, that if any ! unsanitary conditions exist in the mill it ls the fault of the board of directors and not of Mr. Graham, as tlie board of director sassumes the duty of supervising the mill and keeping it in repair, as well as con trolling the convicts that work therein. "It has never been claimed that Mr. Graham has in anywise failed to strictly comply with his part of the agreement, and the communication from your Excellency indicates your opinion that we should rescind the contract because of unsatisfactory and unsanitary conditions supposed j to exist in the mill, chargeable to this board and not to Mr. Graham. "Strictly in reply to your sugges , lions, we would respectfully call it I to your attention thal tho condition I in and around the hosiery mill, as well as those in ah other depart ments of tho penitentiary, are sani tary, clean and as healthy as ls pos sible to make them. Insofar as con cerns the hosiery mill, all portions of thc building itself are kept per fectly (dean, the toilet arrangements are sanitary and the convicts are given plenty of air space; in fact in sofar as concerns the health of la borers, the conditions In the hosiery mill are as good, if not better, than those of any knitting mill or cotton mill in this State or section. So true is this, that the board of health itself in their recent inspection not only found no faull with these conditions, hut declared that they were as good as we had Indicated. Tho hosiery mill is a brick building constructed a few years ago. lt has large windows close together on each side, kept open at the?top and bottom for tho free passage of air through the whole building. The wood work is kept well painted, tho brick walls are reg ularly whitewashed and the floors and steps kept as clean as soap and water and scrubbing brush can keep them. "We believe it is a fact, as said by a member of the board of health, that the building could not be made more sanitary if the present floors were taken up and new one? put in, if the walls were washed with car bolic acid, or If the entire building was mn<?o anew. If lt ls necessary that the hosiery mill he abolished because it is rot sanitary, then every building within the walls should be torn down and the institution de stroyed. Instead of tuberculosis ho ing on the increase the condition with reference to this disease has steadily Improved. Vils ls true as to the deaths from this disease among those employed in the hosiery mill as well as in other departments within the walls.' From 1900 lo 1905, inclusive, there wore 58 deaths from tuberculosis among tho em ployees of the mill, while from 1906 to 1910, inclusive, after the tubercu losis hospital had been established, the fatality of this disease was re duced to a total of 22. During this period thero havo been from 2 no to 350 convicts employed regularly in the mill. lt must be remembered that many of those unfortunates con tracted this disease before coming to the penitentiary, and it is a common occurrence for the county chalngangs to send in prisoners because they have the disease. A great Many also come from the county jails. "Tho tuberculosis hospital, which was highly commended hy the hoard of health, ls as perfect as could be desired. The convicts suffering from or threatened with tuberculosis are immediately placed in this hospital and given the best treatment that medical science can devise. "In their recent inspection of the prisoners, the board of health, in nu examination of 7 0 prisoners, found only on?; case in which a bacterio logical examination confirmed tuber cle bacilli. The great improvement to the health of the inmates of this institution has no doubt been largely due to the new cell building and sleeping quarters completed in 1902, The oUt building was damp and un heated, but even the board of health makes no complaint as to the new one, excepting to recommend certain changes, especially in the toilet ar rangement, which will be adopted During the last year from the pris oners employed in the hosiery mill which averaged from ?00 to 350 there were three who died of tuber cuiosis. Of course, it ls impossibh to say whether these unfortunatei contracted the disease while workinj in the mill, or elsewhere, and it 1: equally unfair to charge their deathi up against tho condition existing ii the hosiery mill. "The only objections to the hos lory mill offered by the board o health in their recent inspection wa that the work of tho employees i confining, out-door work being pref erable. The board did not find faul with the sanitary or other arrange men ts in the mill, but mendy con eluded that the work required of th convicts in the mill was too con fill lng. "The convicts employed in the hot lory mill work on an average of 1 hours a day, and while the work i some of them requires a close attei Hon to the knitting machines it is n more confining and no more detr mental to their health than ls sim lar work done by thousands of frc white people In the numerous cottc and knitting mills throughout th State and In this section, and, I fact, we are confident that the san tary condition and the snpervisk of the health of the convicts workii in tills mill is much better than th; enjoyed by employees In private 1 dust rles of similar character, ai that the danger to their health correspondingly less. We thereto respectfully submit, that in now! can the hosiery mill be considered public nuisance, and In nowise ci it be considered dangerous to t health of its employees, other priso ers confined in the penitentiary the public at large. "The contract with Mr. (?ralui was entered into by this board und the express authorization of the Gc eral Assembly of this Slate, and their last report to tho General / sembly the legislative committee penal and charitable institutions < pressly found that the price paid Mr. Graham for tho services ol' t convicts was a just and reasonal one, and there is no reason for I State to make complain! upon tl ground. The attorney general a assistant attorney general were be with the board yesterday and advifi us fully as to the law Involved in t matter. Tho board's Conclusion 1 been reached by Applying the law given to the facts as it knows tin to exist. "After the most careful consldc Hon the board of directors una mously conclude that the contract binding upon it. both In morals n in law, and thal lt is its duly stand by the contract according to terms. lt will, however, call I matter to the attention of tho Ge ral Assembly when it next convoi and request thal body to Instruct board with reference thereto, wh instructions will be followed by boa rd. "In conclusion, the board calls MOMIOS FOR THE DELEGATES. Whore They Will Stop Dill ing Session of Beuverdum Association. Old Liberty, duly 10.-Special: The delegates of the cburches of the Beaverdam Association will be en tertained at the following homes during the session to be held at Old Liberty August 8th, 9th and 10th: Cbeswell-W. F. Smith. Chauga-T. B. Smith. New Hope-J. P. Powell. Walhalla No. 1-J. M. Taylor. High Falls-W. H. Smith. Mount Pleasant-Wm. Powell. Poplar Springs-?Will Carver. Pleasant Grove-Lonau Phillips. Pleasant Hill-Clint McGuffln. West Union-James Speneer. Hepzlbah-J. N. Moore. Cross RoadB-H. T. Shed. Mount Tabor (A);-Lewis Adams. Walhalla No. 2-lt. S. Wheeler. Oakdale-Wm. Lee. Pant's Grove-J. S. Denny. Double Springs (A)-Style? Cox. Mount Tabor (O)-S. J. Lyles. Bethlehem and Double Springs (O)-T. H. Davis. Hopewell-Hi B. Jones. Mountain Grove-Pink Moore. Damascus-Held Hare. Jordania-Oscar Carter. Hooky Knoll-Rowland Hali. South Union-W. C. Duke. Wolf Stake-A. P. Duke. Shiloh IA) -.1. 1). Hull. Long Creek -Frank Thrift. Newry--J. A. Cook. Beaverdam--J. R. Cleland. Pleasant Ridge-Ervin Spencer. Coneross and Return-T. A.'Spen cer. Shiloh (O)- J. P. Walters. Seneca-P. P. Sullivan. Clearmont-W. P. Walters. Corinth-Jim Jones. Andersonvllle-W. P. Cleland. Bethel- -Robert Spencer. New Westminster-Jeff D. Jones-:. Toxaway-A. S. Clark. First Westminster-L. A. Cleland. Rock Hill-James Lee. Foley Kidney Pills are composed of ingredients specially selected for corrective, healing, tonic, and stimu lating effect upon thc kidneys, blad der and urinary passages. They are antiseptic, antillthic and a uric acid solvent. Barton's Pharmacy, Wal halla; W. J. Lunney, Seneca. Bearing Fruit Already. (Charlotte Observer..? Tho scope given to paragraphic near-wit by the marriage license law In South Carolina should not be al lowed to blind the eyes to the very substantial benefit derived from Its going into effect'-an advantage which South Carolina will share with all neighbors lying within convenient "Gretna Green" distance. The Cam den Chronicle reports an instance in which the marriage of a 14-year-old child to a man nearly twjee lier age was prevented by the father's simple statement of tho tacts lo the probate judge. The law is clear willi regard to requiring written consent from parent or guardian in the caso of minors of either sex. This protection of the very young is naturally tho first good fruit of the law to come to public attention, but it is by no means all that will ripen as the months go by. There is likely to be a considerable lessening of the practice of bigamy Inasmuch as tho records of every marriage will be available and this knowledge will have a tendency to limit the matri monial proclivities of the fickle minded. Wo have every confidence that within a few years South Caro lina would as soon think of abandon ing trial by jury as of returning to the old licenseless state of affairs. CASTOR IA For Infants and Children* The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signa turo of tendon to the fact that citizens are allowed to visit this institution un announced and inspect, all depart ments, including the hosiery mil). Tho board encourages such inspec tion and feels confident that it has and will convince all who make lt that this institution is sanitary, clean and healthful in all of its de partments, that the prisoners are treated humanely in every respect, and that in every particular the in stitution is a model one for tho ac complishment of Hie pu rp OSO Of its creating and existence. "Wc are, most respectfully, "A. K. Sanders, Chairman, W. Ik Glenn, .1. H. Deas, John G. Mobley, Jasper M. Smith, "Board of Directors of the South Car olina Penitentiary." Foley's Honey and Tar Compound ls effective for coughs and colds in either children or grown persons. No opiates, no harmful drugs. In tho yellow package. Refuse substitutes. Barton's Pharmacy, Walhalla; W. J. Lunney, Seneca.