The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, September 07, 1886, Image 3
<SFl)c IW(S0cngcv.
$nteted at the postollicc as 2nd-clnss matter
|f^Y' '
TUESDAY. September 7. 188f>.
R- ' *
^UBSCRIl'TION $2 00
~
STRICKFN CHAUliKSTON.
By this time all of our readers are
..aware that the earthquake which we
/elt on the night of the ?31st of August
ihad wrought fearful havoc .of life and
property in Charleston and Suintnerville
We need not reproduce the harrowing
.details. Suffice it to say that more than
forty lives have been lost, and that
thousands of people an? exposed by
night and by day to the dangers inei.dont
to this period of the year. The j
"September Gales,'' always terrible on j
the coast, are near at hand, and thou- |
sands of our brethren in Charleston and J
Sunvmerville are housnlixis ntwl i
tectcd from the elements, save by at ,
makeshift covering or awning construct-1
,ed of sheets and quilts, and what is left J
of their household furniture. Delicate
; ' I
women and tender children are sleeping j
under tents?which when the storms
(Come, will furnidh almost no protection.
Suffering and death must follow.
The loss in property will exceed .f5.000,000.
There is scarcely* a brick
house in the city of Charleston, that is
deemed safe for habitation. Very many
arc irreparably injured. Poor old city !
It is scarcely a year ago that the cyclone
.worked a destruction that destroyed life 1
,and millions of dollars worth of prop- 1
/;rtv. But with indomitable pluck and 1
pride her people built up the waste places (
about forgetting the story of their loss,
when there comes this terrible calami- '
*y,
And yet despite their sufferings ami I
their losses, our Charleston friends are '
brave and hopeful. They have gone 1
manfully to work to repair the damage. '
And announee that they are still prepared
to transact business. 1
But they need help, and need it at 1
,once! To avoid serious danger and
great suffering, they n?ust have immedi- '
jtte assistance.. Already the generous 1
-North thrills with the generous impulse '
*)f charity and is pouring into Charles- *
ton her offers of aid. The officers, the 1
cities and the people of our sister States '
are responding with alacrity to the "dietress
call." It behooves us not to stand H
n idle. Let every person give what he u
can. and in -vhat form he can. Give it
.willingly, cheerfully, and promptly.
Captain McGowan has already started a
subscription and forwarded $ to the
relief committee, and will gladly re- e
ceive further contributions. The Conn- A
cil has contributed $50. Let us all re- I
ppond in tbe same spirit. And as wo T
^consider those frail women and little a
.children camning beneath t'lq stars with ti
.nothing above them save tbe cano- u
py of heaven, we shall hear the still X
small voioc" within us reminding us of ^
the promise, "inasmuch as ye have done b
it unto one of the least of these, ye ti
.have done it unto me." v
Don't let us forgot Sumnjervilhi. The j,1
Restriction there has been no less se- sj
yore than at Charleston, and nearly ev- w
.cry citizen there is a refugee from the al
perils of their home. Let our aicl be
given to them as to Charleston, for their a
need is equally grout. p
- ll
com;sessional piumaiiy.
\v
The .Seneca. Convention did well to li
.adopt the primary plan of nominating a ol
..Congressman. We believo its action is w
. . lil
in harmony with the wishes of a lsrge c<
^najority of the people of the District, vj
The Executive Committee has fixed the
following meetings at which the candi- 11
' . (if
.dates will appear and discuss the issues tr
affecting the people : Friday, September
-10, at Pickens ; Saturday, September 11,
E.tsley ; Monday, September 13, Sene- to
III
ca ; Tuesday, ^September 14, Wnlhalla ; 8
.Wednesday, September 15. Anderson ; tL.
Thursday, September i(i, Honea Path ; in
.Saturday, September J8. Abbeville ;
-Monday, September 20, Greenwood;
Tuesday, September 21, Newberry;
Wednesday, September 22, Prosperity, pi
Judge J. ,S. Cothran, Hon. \V. C. Benct,
Col. It. \V. Simpson, Hon. Geo. John- trston,
and Hon. J as. X. Lipscomb, are y }
,ihe candidates, and the people may ex- ea
pect .to hear some stirring speeches cr
* wi
Wc had written an editorial notice ^
Jaal week, on the communication on the an
/'Colonel and the Farmers" but it was pr
crowded out. The article was well 'n
jwrtyten and elicitvd much favorable coinment
from our citizens. We would like
to have some other article from the same w<
sousce. *'e
? to
* I'hp article of Mr. Ged. C. Hodges in ^
jthis issue should have appeared last nb!
fc Week, but was crowded, out. fro
/.'v-v- < v'
THE EARTHQUAKE IN ABBEVILLE.
On Inst Tuesday Evening, about five
minutes to (en o'clock, when the town
was all quiet, and its inhabitants resting
[lUHuviiui y limit11 iiufir mvn roois, wuii
lIn* exception of those who hurt congregated
at the Methodist church to worship
the (.Sod who made them, a roaring
noise was heard in the distance, and soon
everything began to tremble as an aspen
leaf. Things gradually grew worse, ami
everyone realized they were experiencing
the manifestation of the power of
God in an earthquake Houses were
quickly deserted, and the town was
soon alive with citizens with blaqched
faces, and trembling hearts, wondering
ift.be shock would come again.
The scene in the Methodist church
beggars description. A serious, solemn.*
awful sermon had just been preached by
Presiding Klder Smart ftn tin- text, "Prepare
to timet thy (Jod.*' and.ns the earth
began to quake. tin? already excited congregation,
rushed with screams and
moans to the doors of the church, Fortunately
no one was hurt m the stampede
from the church! A fjw persons
remained <jui* t, and the benediction was
pionouuced over lh?*S", and they returned
to their houses.
When everything had quieted down!
and all had begun to hope there would ;
In; no repetition of the awful occurrence, |
another shock was felt, and shortly' af- !
terwards still another. It was notice- |
ahle. however, that each succeeding:
shock was lighter. Many a person, old
and young, male and fe*??ale. spent a
restless, if not sleepless, night in Abbe
ville. Several more shocks were felt j
during the night, and we have had them j
more or less up to Sunday night.
At tht' first shock, in many places, I
[TOU'X. lllllllV? hliriilic .111/1 r>lii..L-.?.,o ...r,..: I
rested great fear, and by r lowing I
l.ollowing and cackling, served to in- j
crease the consternation of the people. ;
Such a time of universal fright has'
never been experienced before in Abbe- j
ville, and we know we re-echo the: heart- I
felt sentiments of our whole people
when we pray that an all-wise Creator
may spare us from another such manifestation
of his power.
No damage was done to property and
?o lives were lost, and in this we have
nuch to be thankful for.
The center of the shock seems to have
seen in the neighborhood of Charleston
?nd Summorville, and those places suf"ered
greatly, both as to property and
he number of lives that were lost. Various
aie the theories concerning its orgin.
We give a number of them below.
<'ull accounts may be found on our outide
of the state of affairs in Charleston
nd other places.
- I
The OriRin of the Kui'thquakc.
[News u:ul Courier.] I
There can bo no doubt that the vari- '
us earthquake shocks we have experincetljhaci
their origin in the islands of the
leditirranean and in Greece mid Italy,
n The 8nudity A'cw-v of August 29 was (
eported the occurrence of a destructive j
arthquake throughout Greece and Italy, \
nd also that there had been two erup- >
ions of Vesuvius, and that the volcano j
ras still very active. These eruptions t
ave vent to the internal commotion
,'hich had produced the quaking of the \
arth in that, vicinity, but the shocks s
eing coinuiunicatod to the earth have \
ravelled in various directions, in some \
,-ith more violence than in others, as \
hey were felt the Knine day throughout <
Igypt, hot. doing little damage. The t
frocks seem to have extended westward |
nth more rapidily and violence than in s
ny othei direction, the vibration of the s
articles of the earth's surface bcinv
ansmitted under the sea at the rate ol i
bout one hundred miles an hour, occu- v
ying about suventy-two hours in travel- (
ng a distanet of (i,5G0 miles before o
jaebii.g the western shores of the }
tlantic. Travelling as it did, almost due u
est, one of the lirst points on the shore p
ne which it could ri-aoh was the coast v
f South Carolina. Hut we see that it h
as felt along the entire coast as far '1
urth as Boston, and spreads across the ?
mtinent with diminishing force as the tl
irious more solid and .rocky portions o
r the surface crust retnrded the vibra- <
oils, until it seoms to have been almost
itirely stopped by friction in the exeme
Northwestern States. o
The reason why the shocks were f<
ore violent in the vio.initv nf pimvi..*.
n and Summerville is that there is c
ore ol'a soft, yielding nature in the a
iperficial upper strata which conduc- d
d the vibrations, and the forward s<
oveinents of the earth waves, meetirg
ith less resistance here than from the
ird substances further in tho interior,
ere more rapid and jerkey, and shook
ie surface with more violence. The q
esence of the innumerable fissures
(servuble in the city, and in the counr .
y as far us Summerville and beyond, is ^
counted for 'by this same soft material
elding readily to the pressure of the jj!
rth waves, which pushed up the thin
ust and squeezed out, as it were, the
iter and sand subject to the pressure. ^
ie blue sand and the yellow sand thus
ected are found in tho upper strata,
d that it came from rear the surface is
i__ .. ?... - - -
uvtjn u; me laci mat no marl is I'ound *
it. and that it begins at from 65 to 90
it below the surface, and extends to "l
arlv 1070 feet deep. To show still
are conclusively that the wave motions
>ro confined to a very limited depth jj.
neath the surface, it is only necessary
stae that none of the shallow or four
ndred feet Artesian wells are at nil
lieted, nor is thore any change notice- in
le in the flow or quality of the water tel
in the two deep .Artesian wells, as eo
would have been the case if the cause of
the earthquake had been local or deepseated.
This statement of the communication
of land waves to enormous distances is
fully verified the observations of
previous earthquakes since, and even
before, the beginning < ; the Christian
era. The absence of a lui.il wave proves
conclusively that the cause of the disturbance
w.im conti.icd to the land, and
the jerUev motion communicated to
vessels, as reported bv their oflicers,
was caused by tin1 vertical vibration inicrincuiato
be!ween the rapid forward
transmissions asm the .>lo\ver backward
jerk.-.
A Sts*ji
ltojjist .-r.
(i"n. Mlli si hi Capers of (ireonvill??.
arrived in Columbia yesterday from
Charleston. He was on tne Charleston
bound train Tuesday niultl when it itad
such a thrilling experience near Smnmervillc,
ami from him the in for'inaiion
was had which whs contained in the
press dispatch from ('harlostnn printed
yesterday morning in the
In addition to the irraphic narrative j
contained in that dispatch. <*?:11. Capers!
stated yesterday to a /Je///s'er reporter I
that at the first shock, when the train 1
was wilhin a niilt: of SummervUle, the
engineer hlew on hwnks. 'tt'licvir;; the
train haul met with a fearful aeci lent.
When the train was at a standstill, the
train peoplu took lights and went back
examining 11x?> oars to set' what had happened.
Wlic'i they had got about half
way down the train the second shock I
net iirred, and then ihe cause of the vio- |
lent piun<ring of the train was divined. ;
W hen thing-' had quieted down toe1
engineer pulled his train eautiously !
ahead, hut soon found the track ahead '
twisted into the shape of an S. lie ratio* j
to a halt and decided to return to .led- |
burg. A party was sent ahe.-ol to see
thru the tnok was ail ti^ht. When they '
got within four miles of dedhnrg the J
party came across another twisted place j
in the track, and further progress was
impeded.
The superintendent was notified and
went up t(? renair the trne\- I >>
. -
back tin' tliroo rails which w?*u> twisted,
lu> found that tho rails liml h<-? u elonjra- |
totl six inches oa.-h ami had to cut oil
the cuds to make ihriu lit th?? places
which they hail heri-tid'op' occupied in
tin- trark. .Mr. A vary, tho suporinton
ilriit. say that n? i*ntsin?r o'.l' the rails ho
usimI his host, tools, hut ho fmiiui tho
iron haruor than ho I*, ad ov?. r mot with
bot'oro in any rail. Another peculiar
ci: oil instance also was that tho c.ossj u?s
in tho break noar Summorville had hoon
shoved towar?l that place, while in that
it'/ar >1 cii hurir tho tirs had ho on shoved
toward tin* latter place.
General Capers loft Charleston yesterday
morning, He says very low people
had rotnrnoil to thoir homos, and that
many people would still camp out last
night. Ho statos that tho damage has
not VcM-n exaggerated, hut that there is
misstatement ahout tho injury to tho
spire of St. Michaol's Church. It is a (
separate structuro on a separate foundation
from oithor tho hoily or tho portico
nf the church, and that, while tho lattor i
liave suffered torribly, the *pire is per- 1
fectly intact and plumb.
General Capers is at Wriuht's Hotel. ,
hut will depart for Greenville this mornnir.
'
? ^ mmt -I
Spouting Wullh. !
One of tin* most singular features of
ho terrible shaking-up was observed in
n:mv purls of the city?the spouting i
veils. In UeauTaiu street the covers |
vert' torn from ihe wells and sent ilvintr '
n the uir. Then came :i huge column .
>f water and mud, which was sent up to t
i height of 13 or 2(> feet. Most of the
veil- wore speedily refilled. After the 1
hock the surface of the streets in the '
icinity of these wells was covered in ariably
by a veIlowi..h clay deposit, i
vhich may have come from the bottom '
?f the wells or from a lower stratum of '
he earth. The water was in these cases j
oreed upward, it is supposed, by \he ;
uhterrunean agencies at work below and
cut Hying up into the air.
?AI'trr the collapse the theory is that. !
he wells were again filled from the
vaterbearing strata which underlie
}hiirlcstoii. In some cases, an instance v
ocuring in (Jibbes street in the yard oi u
Ir. Hiisel I ley ward's bouse, huge vol- :
lines of water were ejected, it is sup
tosed. from a drv well in ?!??? i.?? 'i*4?
_ _ . . * V ? * . I SIC
fell was used for sanitary purposes ami '
n<l no water in it as I'ar as w:.s known. ]
'he entrance was covered by a heavy T,
ranitc slab. This was thrown up and
tie entire lot inundated by the vast jets "
f water and fine vellow sand that wa<
jeeted. It is difficult to say where the y
rater came from.
In other portion* of the city vast jets v
f water were thrown up from crevices 0
irined by the force of the earth's move- j'
lent. After the shock most of these c
losed, soon afterwards leaving exposed u
kind of inound of earth of-an entirely *
liferent clnracter from the surrounding !'
u
St. Michael's Steeple. a
City Engineer Harbot made an exami- C'
nlion of the steeple of St Michael's a
hurch yesterday morning. The circular
indow on the north side of the steeple, u
ist above the roof of the church, was rt
ken as the basis of observation, and a in
Erpendicnlar line from the r??ntre of
le window upward struck the gilden
(ill on its side. The diameter of the ^
til is about three feet, so the deflection }?
oil) the perpendicular of the steeple is- in
iij win; null unci six menus towards il
e west, a .condi tin which may have 1,1
risted before either cyclone or earth- j"
lake. This should reassure the thousids
of citizens who would look upon of
e removal of the steeple as a personal
lamity. Another observation w?ll be
ken to-day and tho change in position, j?
any, published. w<
, clr
UTi
Appropriate sermonft were preached mi
all.of our churches on Subbath. and ?*
lling It'HsouH were drawn from the ro- JT,
nt earthquake. ac
-
Mr. Hodges' lleply to tlic I'i-cks
untl Manner's Attack on Him on t
the Eve of tlie Primary Election. J
According to promise made in my card be- }
fore (lieelection, I beg the indulgence of tlie I
public while 1 correct some of the many mis- j ;
statements <'1 the J'rc** am/ Jlauncr. i
No one likes to enter into a controversy { ?
with a newspancr which is so proverbially j 1
tuifsiir ;?< lu? j* ?* sJ ? l4'
..... . . . ...... J Kill III r . >? CCK ill - ; I
ter week, without the least provocation, t.ie ' i
editor lias draped the poor white renter.-, of I
White Hall and all our school otticci's, StaK, i
county, and township, before the public unit
has endeavored by every unfair means to put j
us in a false light before the voters of the
county. All this was done because the trus- tees,
in t he conscielit ious and fearless discharge
of duty, refused to prostitute the
school money of the children to the building
up of Mr It ugh W ilson's farm in White llail '
\vneii there was ample accommodation for all j
at the White Hall school. Is it possible that i
two trustees, three ceunty examiners, and M
live State examiners, who are friends of j <
common school edueat ion, cannot decide as <
to the proper administration of the law or lo- j
cation i f .1 sciio.il without having their mo- > :
tives i|Uest;oiied and their otlicial character
hcsmirchud by a newspaper ''boss," who is 1
the avowed enemy ol common free schools <
and who is pcr.-otially interested in the farm . '
on which the school is located V I declare to j
you iitai our act in refusing the Hu^li Wilson
.-i:ii<mi din not deprive one solitary chilil of j *
school facilities, I>111 mi ilie i'iiImrarv, it was j 1
directly lor the liiutil of all the ei.ihlivn in j
the townstiij), especially the poor children, J '
who depend wholly on on the public school .
term lor >ch;io!injf This lonjr-cont 11 tied ng- | 1
itation of t is subject, anil this persistent pa- |
rail in:: of the poor white renters-'
before the public by Mr. Wilson I
was wholly unjustiliable We, conscious!'
of having ilone li^lit. subinitti.il quietly to j'
all i>l Ins hitler attacks. On 7th oi August j '
at Alewiiio's , I defined inv position on the , !
school question without saying one word j '
against any body .Mr Wilson took notes, '
but dul not publish tliein until a few ilavs be- ;
fore the election, when he knew then, was no 1
tune or opportunity to answer his inisrepre- i '
scntat ions. [ 1
Never before in ilie history of journalism ] 1
in J-'ou:h Carolina, was such a tlniifr done as I 1
v\ iiei) Mr Wilson used the power of his
hiruelv ciiviilaici! newspaper Jo tlei'.-at a can- (
didate on tin eve of an lection
After hi.- !?>? , dirty vvoj k is done, when lie 1
hears the wail of universal condemnation, lie 1
cries i*elf-Uef?-n>t !"--the usual plea of the 1
cold-blooded inurdeivr '
?. ? -- 1
. t. V. 1111111 .Kill Ulil I.CKIIIS "
perversions i:i i'stcrlin t!?c Wo* ?hi/ /.*?/1<ncr '
ilial space w.il not permi! Die to correct them
i.ll Uo take a tow i i?'o ont'.-j l?? ]
show linw liic J'nss aiut u.n i.(i disregards
common dooeiicv when In; is hounding clown '
his victim ' !
Hero is what I am reported by the Mkssbn- j
liKlt to h.wo said at Hue West :
* As to 1 ho pa.v "1 touchers, I cannot believe
that the sober, Second thoughi ot' the people '
of this noble ami proud o'd county will in- '
dorse any scliome to put the teacher of their f
children on a level with the bootblack and the ]
ditcher and the shoe-maker Hut the School
Commissioner has nothiui; to do with fixing .
the pav ot' teachers So far as I am conccrned
whatever the trustees decide upon, I
am compelled by law to agree to it. It' the ^
pay is $15 or$20 or $.'J5 1 cannot help the mat- *
tor. Let me read what the Supreme Court in .
school matters says : 'The County Hoard has '
nothing to do with fixing teachers' pay. That 1
is a matter of contract .between trustees and
teacher.' "
Will any fair-minded man on the face of the J
globe say that there is one word of "denunci- J
ation" or "abuse" id" any body in that lan- }
gnage V Suppose I say I do not believe the ,\
l'resulout of the United States ought to bo
put on a level with a lawyer, a doctor, or a ,j
niiiister ot the gospel, in the matter of pay, s
who would bu so foolish except the Pnsx and f
Banner, as to say I was dealing in "wholesale i
[(enunciation of anv class of people." Sup- h
pose 1 say 1 do not believe that tin; liovernor n
i>f the Stale ought to be put on a level 1
with the teachers of the common schools in
the matter of pay, would that be "wholesale a
denunciation" oi' teachers ? Now, look again n
nt inv language and see its connection, and t
[lien see how this champion perverter of facts ti
iiiid language, the editor of the 1'r*#* mid h
/tanner, meanly and dishonorably strikes out >i
the qualifying clause, ".I* tn //# < j>ai/ <>J '1
'ettcm which is es.-ential to the meaning tl
if the sentence, and begins the qiiotaiio;i in a
he midst of the sentence that ho might th-* tl
iietfer misrepresent inu on the eve of the 1
lection. ri
"1 do not believe tiiat the sober second c
bought," cVc., Having adroitly left out the ji
ssential clause, "As to the pay of teachers" si
ie then proceeds to put upon it his own con- w
aruction and inilame the prejudices 1 id" eer- il
ain classes, simple to catch voles for his V
Modulate. Mr. Wilson, instead of co-iduct- d
ug his paper with fairness and impartiality t;
ii this election enters the field against me, a
uul becomes persecutor, prosecutor and jt
vould be victimi/.er. With a malignant heart
'atally bent on mischief, lie sends for Mr. r?
truce, who ai first refuses to be entrapped, t?
<ui iimiu-.-i me eiions ot another limn, in ti
ollusioti with Mr. Wilson. Mr. iiruce was in- m
lncwi to write tlie card .signed '"Shoemaker," <:1
Ie now cheerfully gives the public the fol- ei
owing card : ti
Editor Pnai and liunner : '1
I feel that 1 have done Mr. Hodges, our
School (Y.mmissioncr, injustice in thex'iird in 1,1
ons last issue, August listh, signed "Shoei.aker."
1 feel satisfied, after reading his -s!
peceli, that inv construction of his language 11
ins wrong, and that he did not speak dispar- '''
giuclv or abusively of fcauv one. 1 voted
or linn. rt
C. E. BRUCE. ?l
is
Mr. Bruce further states th.it he would not ei
ave written the first card, nor would he el
ave put this unfair construction on my lanuage,
if Mr. Wilson and company had not m
lit hi:u up to it. di
Let us see again how this tyrannical and lit
i user u jiitlous news] Mi per Loss garbles the. re
inguage of the victim of his malice. bi
Here is what I said substantially at Due ca
Vest, ana I snid the same elsewhere : hi
' 1 have travelled all over Abbeville county ?.i
isiting our country schools. I have had my
yes and ears wide open. 1 claim to be a Ih
ucher of some experience and success, and el
know poor work when I see it 1 now do- so
laro to you, fellow-citizens, tlu\t the greatest in
ecd of our school system is industrious, con- Ni
cientious and skilled teachers, male and fcuile,
in our country schools. The parents dn
ave no idea of the ineflioiency of our public tei
I'hools. 't'liese iincompetent teachers are so
hsolutely wasting the public money, as well tli
s the precious time unit mind of these pre- in:
ions children of ours."
We do not want inconmetent f.>nrh?i-a ....
ny price. We do not. wiint our sisters and to
11 r cousins and our aunts in the office of th
;uclier unless tliev are qualified. We do cd
i?t want even soldiers, however valiant and '
nowned the}* may have been in war, if they on
nve failed at everything else. in
To show the people of Abbeville county that vil
ic Press and lianntr had no excuse, ( except be
u? excuse of a demagogue who seeks to crush jre
victim even at the expense of truth timl I
?nor) in perverting my language and my foi
eaning, 1 herewith publish an extract from IWi
circular sent out bv me at the beginning of '
lis yaar and printed in the comity papers an
iblished at trie Court House, and from which tlx
quoted at'Due West : lie
"*11 is nn appalling fact that a large portion ap
' the patrons of our public free schools are orj
ipclessly deluded in supposing that their tru
lildron are recuivinir benefit ivh?n th? imti.
, incompetent teachers arc absolutely wast- for
jC the public money, ami what i.s hi finitely els
[>rse, the precioua time ami mind of the chil- anl
en. The people should rise up in their mifjht ar?!
id indignation and demand ?>1 those who ad- \vit
inistcr tho school laws, that higher (jonliti- scl
tions should he required of the teacher than tck
nt bo should be somebody, like I'lato's n?<
in ''with two legs without leather," to 'keep' J* i
hool from sunrise to sunset* The people of ;
\ 1 r- jajSro >,\' i .1;-h*Juli- ; >;<3j %-X}:y
Vbbeville county do not want, ;.! any priet
ignorant men ami women lor icachet's. '"i'mtr
cachets arc a curse lo a community, worse
han the I'ro^s ami lice of (it, tur where
hey prevail to a considerable extent, they degrade
mind, deprave morals, ami corrupt reij?ion."
We do not wan! siittnlv a nlnee tin
i relative wlio is out of employ nidi!. Iitilily
'tlucnli'il'' is, geneially, .t l.ettor recommen1
Ut it'll than **lli**'l"l\ connected." II r >lo ho!
i\illit nriiiit* / tut.i till fil til's t>j' fin.si, ir/i o,
ft-not' i.i ii I/.! // lint;, lull) /<. </. in iritr,
!r til'': Jililtil ill i fi rtflii.t n't tin 'lit'} midi rouk.
Bettor far
riiat heaven's li-ihlning bias! his vcr*' nil
\ml sink it Lac!, in Chaos lowest d< ptlis,
riian, knowingly, l?y word cr <i< i <1. . ?. .-end
\ blight n,.on (lu* Sru>iing iiiin.l ??i" youth."
Now here is what Mr. Wibou reports Unit
I said : |
'We don't want old soldiers in oiliec?no,
matter how valiant they may have been in war j
?it'they have fuiled.it everything else."
If I used the above sentence every one must |
uive known that I was speaking of the oilico i
>f teacher l.ook at mv language in the cir
uhir and my language in its conniption sit |
Due West and who, but the perverse Mr. Wil- I
son does not believe I had the tutc/n r in mind. |
Mr. Wilson says : *'Will our voting men who |
tave grown up since the war point, the linger i
d'scorn at old soldiers who daily sutler from |
iheir wounds Y"
Sec the base motive of the ami Jinn. ;
in dragging in this manner, the "battle!
i i ll > uicrun ociorcthe vitli-rs ?l" Abbe
l ille county on the eve of the election. Mr. |
Wilson speaks "dispar .<riii{;ly *' himself of
'his "veteran" when he insinuates that he had
failed at everything else." I believe Mr.!
Cowan to be successful in his chosen vocation i
?farming?Mr. Wilson's mean insinuations |
:o the contrary notwithstanding.
Js there, in my lanjjuajje at j)ue West or ii>
!lie circular referred to, anything to which j
Unpt. Cowan or any parent in Abbeville conn- j
v, can possibly take exception ? So far as I !
ini concerned they are my honest sentiments
md if I had the power I would herald tliein
from the mountains to the seaboard, from the '
r.tlantic to the I'acilic. and I would burn tlietn ,
into the memories of the parents and evcrvj
I rue seeker of the children's best welfare,
:hroujihout this broad land. We need more 1
han anything else in our system thoiouj/i- j
'// qt<ali'jit tl tt-.nchart.
The mean insinuation which has appeared !
>ver and over afxsiin in the columns of the;
Pnus and ISatiiitr that I was in any way op-j
posed to the education of poor children, or
lhat. Mr. Kluijli and myself "refused even the !
rudiments of an Kn<rlish education to poor j
children in White Hall" is absolutely ami un- j
|i:aliliedly falsi:. The man who makes the in- j
jinuatiou //? * /'"/ <* p?tr/ione.
It will be seen by an impartii?l and disin- !
erested investigation that tln> noiiim ?>< ii... *
1'rustoes ami I lie County Board and the State !
lioard has not debarred a single individual or j
i single child of "poor white routers'' from i
nihlic free school privileges. It is claimed
:iy the trustees that the children of the liH;'h
lYilson school can he easily accommodated at
.he White Mall school, as they have been in
,he past. Tile patrons of the Mugli Wilson
tchool say that "it is not of the distance that
re complain," but "natural obstacles " Itv
'natnral obstacles" is meant, I suppose, Hard
.abor over which there is a good long
?ridge
This condition of ali'air.s existed for /'our
tears under ('apt. Cowan, and the records
ihow thai the average attendance at White
[all was greater in the winter months than
n the spring, which shows that it was not immssahle
"Obstacles" so much us "crops" that
iiminished attendance at White ilall:
1S8-1 AT W111TK IIALL SCHOOL
'ebjuary, total enrollment 2'.), average '27..
larch, ' " " 21), " 2-4.
Ipril, " " 30, " 20.
lav, " " 2ti, " Hi.
The people of Abbeville county who make a
ispassionate investigation ot this mailer will
ee that the whole dillieulty grows out of the
net that Mr. Hugh Wilson of the J'ram an J
in a in r desires to build up his own farm and
is own little family school at the expense of
lore than three hundred children of White
I all.
i lie isoards ot Trustors of school districts
re empowered under the law to take the
lauagcinciit aiul control of the local educaioual
interests of their respective townships,
d lix the rate of pay, to locate tlie school
oils'!;*, t?? select and employ the teachers,
ioiv, because the trustees of White Hall
'ownship exercised their judgment in the way
hey conceived to he for the best interest of
il concerned, it has heeu charged falsely that
liey were working against the poor children,
lie tniili is the.v claimed to he working diL-ctlv
in the interest of more than 3U0 poor
liililrcn of the township, and that it was not
ist and fair to ' he 2 other schools of the townliip
to establish schools so near each other
hen o/u was sufficient. Thev claimed tiiat
tat the little family school on .Mr. Hugh
rilfon's pluntntiou could be easily aceoiiiiiioated,
as heretofore, at the White Hall school
aipht by a male teacher of large experience,
irninst whom there was not a breath of ob ction.
The trustees gave satisfactory reasons for J
^fusing the schools. An appeal was taken
> the Mate Hoard of Examiners, composed of
vo intelligent, disinterested and honorable
len, who had ttie good of the schools and the
liloreu at heart ( Mr. Wilson is an avowed i
a-jinv of free schools) and they sustained the 1
ustees, saying that the ground of ibe tins- 1
res' action was "assailable only on the ground ;
f partiality, corruption, gross misconduct, or i
istake of law." '
This then, is all there is about the nonscn- 1
enl talk that I am opposed to "noor white 1
:n;t:r>. i am as good a tricnil to the poor
an, and tin- poor children, us any man in
bbeville county. Wherever mv position in '
garvt to the development, of th? common i
tinols is I'nirly understood and wherever it <
not willfully and shamefully misrepresent- 1
1, I have t he satisfae'ion of knowing Ih.?t my
forts are endorsed. I
1 say it boldly and boast fully, for it is a t
utter of which any man may he proud, that
iring the S years of my life as teacher 1 hi?
jve 1 educated more children of "poor while f
liters", free of tuition than any man in Ab- I
sville countv during the same time. In one *
,se I begged a poor man to send me four of
s children tor which I would not charge him *
ic cent. (
Just after the libellous attacks on me by |
e J'rctt* arid Jiauiirr on the eve of the last c
action the voters of, Ninety-Six, without my
limitation and without- lu.v knowledge, sent (
e the following signed by 11 white voters of 0
meiy-j^ix. representing ?? classes :
"Wo the undersigned cit i/ens of Ninety-Six
i certify that Geo. Hodges, during his e
ix hcr's term at Ninety-Six, constantly s
light <>ut I hi* children of t he poor and taught e
em free of charge. It was also his plan to
ike liberal deductions to all who needed it." vi
SiiitIv these words from those who know
i best, aiid whose children I had the honor I
teach for nearly live years, will weigh more s
tu (lie foul aspersions of an irrcsixinsiblc w
itor. a
The location of a school in Abbeville villago
rion.l Hill must be attributed to my efforts h
behalf of the poor white renters of Abbe- w
le village, in whose favor no one, for years a
fore, cared so much as to lift a little tin- ?
r. Si
Head what, the Prt** and Jianncr said be- r<
e our administration came in conilict with b
Wilson's personal interest : 01
'We are glad to learn from the efficient, it
d ever zealous school commissioner that if c<
j people desire it, the organi?ation of a pubschool
on Floral Hill will meet his hearty >'
proval. All the peonle now have to do is to fi
janizc the school and apply to the township
istees for official rcpowniti/in ~i
VII ? iinnimay
be chosen. The time has now conic
the people to act in their own behalf or
e forever hereafter hold their i?eaee. The c|
thnrii ics of the Abbeville High School, we ?
> glad to learn, nre in entire ayinpatbv with .
h the proposition to organize, another 11
100I i'? it iitvltrrJy imjiMtihle j'or more d
<i'ilk to lm accommodated in the Itu tiding J]
t ccca{n'ed Ity Ihc ll%q\ School.?l'reetand Kf
niter. /)fc<;tiit*r lGf/i, IRttd j .
kldo lowing to the crowded condition of the
\Ik) 1 /, Vy/Q#?j$P)X:
r/v.i'.m ju c?3K rccr.-.Tr*-tr;;) .>? _v?-cn:sue r
Al?hi'vi!U? I!i11 Sell u?l, tin? sch< ol ai-.tiioritie.s
ii,i\. <lecnie<i it proper to establish a new
school on Flo.al liill where the children who
cannot lind a place in the 11School may
receiveexcellent etiut-aliomil advantaj;cs. Tliis
is a Ion;; needed step and we note the t'i ct
with no Miiall ties.feeid"pleasure."?J'.-ivst, d
Hit ii in / , pjiiiri 20.l<SM?.
"V . I ...1. I -
...... .v.i?i ?uii iiu >in s on hi ' eve (ti an
electi(?n when lie seeks votes fur his man:
"lie paid money for S mouths to the Abbeville
1!i^rli School, to which for children we readmit
ted free only a fractional part of the
t iuie."
In tiie first j.lace if this charge were true it
woiilii apply with greater force to Capt. Cowan
than 10 me. tint il is not true. Any ill an
of ordinary intelligence knows i hat it is the
husiiicss of the trustees to disburse the* school
luud so hs to best promote the educational
interest of the township. If therefore, the
plan agreed upon by the school trustees and
tii<- authorities of the Abbeville High School
for conduct in;; the High School is acceptable
to all concerned, what right has a ineddleson.v,
editor to arraign them for partiality and unfairness
in the distribution of the public funds?
Does Mr. Y\ ilson claim that the children i.f
the llifjli School? about 100 in number?
ought not to have the benefit of ihe fl ee school
fund hecaus their parents arc willing to pay
some t uit ion ?
1 toes not Mr. Wilson's own words answer
his charge on the eve of the election : ''It is
utterly impossible for more seholats to be
accoiumodatcd in the building now occupied
by the High School." Also : "Owing to the
crowed condition of the High School," etc.
Mr. Wilson well knows that though the
lliifli School was in a crowded condition" for
years under my predceessors, no one came
to the relief of the < xc/?<?/?.</ <///(.? until 1 did so.
This fact is notorious in Abbeville.
\\ hen the ami' Haunt r desires to
catch votes for his man. and to intlamc the
minds of the uninformed against the Teachers
Institute lie speaks thus: "It is generally
understood that he paid their (teachers)
1 ..I .1- .. V 11.11- -
.?? me iiiiu'i iasi year, ought of the
childrens money "
"Are llit* teachers of / hbcville county paupers,
that they want any contribution from the
brethern at I)uc West, ctc., "Teacher's Institutes,
theoretic ally and practically, may
be of ".visit public good if tlie business of
teaching slionbl occupy their t'ine ami aitention.
Hut if it is to be a sort of trade's union
to devise ways and means by which the teachers
mav secure the public money for the least
work, then we think the teacher's institute an
actual and positive injury to the children to
say nothing of the principle of taking their
money for the institute itself. If our readet s
have read the account's of their procedings
they know that the mutti r of salarv has not
been entirely overlooked. There seems to be
a sympathy between teachers that does not
exist elsewhere, and not bet ween the teacher* %
and the children." What, no bond b etween
teacher and children.
He who asserts this knows nothing about
the matter. There is no stronger bond ot love
and sympathy and affection outside of parental
and conjugal relation snip?than exists
betwen teacher and pupil.
Vet this "bo-sing" newspaper would deal
in "wholesale denunciation" of this honorable
and honest class of our citizens. Teachers
will not thank him for bis "sneering and
contemptt'.otts" sentiment.
When Mr. Wilson has no candidate to elect
and none to crush he speaks thus of Institutes
: itTho teachers institute last week
was a success in every respect. At the close
of the exercises the Institute passed a vote
of thanks to I'rof. Iludires tor his efficient
services in conducting I lie institute which had
been of so much advantage to the members
personally."?J'tts# umi Banner.
Again "It will be seen that the Institute was
organized in compliance with the express provisions
of the school law, and we think there
can be no uoubt as to the wisdom of the law,
ii11vi iiic iiiMicuciut liiuucucc oi the Institute.
The expense id u mere trifle, when distributed
over the county, while the advantages
which tlie pupils derive from the improvement
i>t (liu tcaclier will repay tenfold. If the in.meuse
r.inount of the taxpayer's money which
is spent in teaching negroes is to be commended,
then we see no reason why the slight
expense attendant upon the ellorl to aid (hit
while teachers of our own chil'iren should he
regretted, If the publio receives an adequate
return for the money extorted from us to teach
negro children, then how much better are we
repaid when we spend a part of that money in
training and cducatit.g our own teachers ?
The only persons whom we think have the
least pretext for complaining are the colored
people. The expense, ($ll>l) ) of this Institute
was taken from the school fund of the county
?of this amount one-half was taken from the
whites ami one-half iroin the colored people. i
The colored people claim the right to a divis- /
ion of the school money, but tlu-y get no part I
of the $lt>t) which was paid as expenses of the 1
white Teachers' Institute. j
For our own part, we should not object, if /
the School Commissioner spent half the whole (
school fund, instead ot $1<>(), in teachimr nnr >
teachers how to tcucli. This would certainly j
be a more profitable investment than that > f
money spent in negro education. This, too, /
would certainly be better than the act ot rais- i
ing the salary of our teachers without incrcas- f
iiig their usefulness. J
We are by 110 means an enthusiast on the f
subject of educating anybody at public expense,
but when the fund is raised, wo prefer
m see the people wbo contribute most; receive i
?t least a fair share of the money. Ninetenths
ot the school fund is raised by the j
ivhite people, and we see no reason for deny- {
ing our white teachers the benefit of a portion /
>f it merely f? r the purpose of adding to the \
'nnd for the Oduc uion of those who pay so
ittle,? 1'ft*# and llanutr }
Also from 1'rtxx ami Jlttnner, July S, 1885 : f
"The teacher needs the indescribable or |
indefinable art of success in teaching' ami in fi
>o way can the tencher receive more benefit $
bun in meeting and commingling with 1uh i
veil informed brethren of the school room.
Let the teacher's nhilifv mwl i
-...w.v..v7 i .au \\
n the top, auci his salary will rise in like i;
nanuer to (ho highest notch. ij'
Any man with the least degree of common ??
sense can see that u large number of the V
itateinents of the Presx and JJutmtr are abso- /;
ntelv false as well as foolish. I cannot fot >
rant of space answer thein all. .
Take one morit. Tim l'l'fsx and Jlamier
,ays : "Asa matter of fact did nix the Schonjl
'ommisssoner take the money out of tWa
ublic treasury to pay the board of teai^irs."'
f
Here is what the School Commissioner, ft ho V
\ninty Hoard of Examiners, and the faculty \
f the two Colleges at Due West advertise as \
la matter of fact / iw
The faculty of the Institute have genejronsly %
ontributed the sum allowed bv law fi\T thci'r %
ervices toward providing free \joare foijpteach- '
rs attending the Instiute. /
This arrangements was made last {year as
ell as this year
Surely this combination of schor>I.^j oflicers,
'residents and l'roferaors of Colleges, consisting
of some of our best men an<* women,
ould not perpe"rate a fraud on thu county
lid advertise it. * '
Yet this unreasonable editor wl<5??e inso;nce
konws no bounds, gravely chafges that
hat the managers of the Institute ^advertise
a "a fact" was not a fact. Verilv ?! there is
otliinir so'pnre and pood, there ial no man
d eiauitctl. und ilicro are none so fcjjpmblo or
?tirud as I<> be beyond (he contaminating
realli of this immeasurable ass wl^'se feverrl
bruin should be fanned with his fears until
cools down to common sense' common deL?ncv.
*
There nro many other misrepresentations
? the Jiatiutr but I will make no
trther corrections at present. \
Hesoetftfully,
OSko? C. Hodges
Gon. Jas. F. Izlar, of Ornngoburg, do- ' ;*
lined a re-elcction as Chairman of tho
tato Democratic.iVxecutivd Committee
i which capacity for four years he has
one yeoman service for thfk Democracy.
? is a true, tried and faithful public
>rvant, and the State will <tre long call
iin to high position)>nd honors.