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MB SUMTER WATCHMAN, KatablUbed April,.1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THK TRUE SODTHKON, Egtabn*hed jone, 126G Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1895. New Series-Vol. XIV. So. 50. Cijc afecta w? ^ou?ijroii Published Every Wednesday, KT. Gr. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. T8RMS : Two Dollars per aooam-in advance. ADVERTISEMENT: One Square first insertion...SI 00 Every subsequent insertion... 50 Contracts for three mon tbs, or tocger will be made at reduced rates. All communications which subserve orivate interests will becbarged foras advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. Education and the New Constitution. The following paper was read before the State Teachers' Association by Maj. H. Fraok Wilson, of this city. It presents a matter of great importance to the Stats ?Q a light that all should see it : The iovitatiou to prepare this paper assigned three reasons for my under? taking the task. "With your experi? ence. " says the invitation, "io public life, in law and in Education, you are just the man to handle it." At first I was inclined to resent the inference which could be drawn from even the at* tempt to follow such varied pursuits, and to suspect that perhaps ? was a sort of "Jack of all trades, a "rolling stone gathering no moss ;" but then I concluded to console myself with the reply of the irrepressible gamin, who answering.a taunt of this same kind from his mother, said, "Well yes ma that's ?o. but theo you know, its the settio' ben as never gits fat.". Realizing tb&t to be proficient io * either of the Hoes suggested, should he eoougb to satisfy the ambition of any ooo mao, aod that to attempt more is in itself perhaps prima facie evidence of proficiency io neither ; still, whatever of ezperieoee I may have gathered from them, shall be used to treat io as practical a way as possible, tb is impor? tant subject, the proper seulement of which, mast tend to the advancement of the commonweat 1 h we love so well. To attempt, within the limits of this, paper, the full discussion of a sub? ject, so big with living issues, so far reaching io its results for good or iii, would be a futile task. The question of prime importance, which meets us at the very threshold of this broad sub? ject, ts that to which I shall confine myself, for, I am persuaded, thar, upon its final adjudication, depends the real success of the public schools of South Carolina. I say public schools advisedly, and io that I mean to include primary and secondary education, from the kinder? garten through the graded schools. While there may be force and merit io the arguments of those opposed to the State's educating her citizens, when applied to the higher institutions of learning-the right and duty of the State to teach music aod art, latin aod greek, the ologies and higher mathe? matics ;-*-tbey lose their convincing power when applied to the common schools, for the reason that io a gov erotoeot like ours, when the sovereign power is vested, at least, io the people, aod they constitute at ooce. both the governors and the governed, it is of paramoQot importance, indeed a vital necessity, upon which the purity and efficiency-nay the very existence-of tho government itself depends, that the State should provide, and if neces? sary enforce, at least, such instruction as will fit ber citizens intelligently to exercise the right of suffrage. How best to secure this end is one of the burning questions now agita? ting the public mind, io view of tb.3 approaching coostitutiooai convention. I hid almost said the burning question, for indeed, it is second to none, not even to the freeing from corruption and fraud, the election laws of tbe State To the question then, should pro? vision for public education be consti? tutional 7 ? answer yes, at least so far as the public schools are couceroed. By provision we mean that the consti? tution should itself provide and defi? nitely fix the tax which should annual? ly be collected for the support of the public schools. The political leaders are committed to maintain and support the education? al institutions of the State, but this pertains more, perhaps, to the Institu? tions for higher education, thao to the common schools. Io the compromise sought to be made between conflicting views, as to incorporating in the new constitution definite provision for the public schools, to wit the present 2 mill tax and the one dollar poll tax, it was suggested that there should be no con? stitutional provision but that this should be left to the Legislature, with the saviog clause that if the Legisla? ture did oot make an appropriation, theo that the Comptroller General should be empowered to levy and col? lect tbe present 2 mill tax. This plan, even with this saving clause above mentioned, will, I am ; convinced, materially impair the efl cieocy of the public school system, an prove the entering wedge to ita ult mate disintegration. There is no wa by which we can judge the future since history but repeats itself, save i the experience of the past. ? calm ri view of the lessons to be drawn frot the history of the public school* sioc the adoption of the present constituyo in 1868, will demonstrate the unwii ? dom of attempting to maintain a pul j lie school system, at least for the pre* I ent, tu South Carolina, whose founds tion stone is uot imbeded, deep and fis edly, in the organic law of the land When the present constitution wa adopted, one of the commands lai upon the Legislature was to "provid for a liberal und uniform system o? fre public schools throughout the State. How much obedience has the Legish tare given t0 that command from the till now? How much future Legisla tures will heed a ?ike command, in new constitution, is at least a doubtfu quantity. All we have of a publi chsool system to-day, and surely it i little enough, is due entirely to the fae that the constitution as amended ii 1878 provided-did not leave ic to th Legislature to provide-but itself pro vided, that the "Board of Count; Commissioners shall levy an annua tax of not less than 2 mills oo the dol lar upon all the taxable property ii their respective counties, which lev; sha'.l not be increased unless by specia enactment of the General Assembly for the support of the public school in their respective counties," and afte stating that 'the General Assembl; may provide annually for a poll ta: not to exceed one dollar on each poll which shall be applied exclusively to th? public school fund,' further provide 'there shall be assessed on all taxable polls io the state an annual tax of on dollar OD each poll, the proceeds o which tax shall be applied solely ti educational purposes.' Bat for these constitutional provis ion?, bat for the fact that year afte year, with persistent constancy, thii constitution knocked at every man' door and demanded the payment o these taxes, permanent, fixed, unyield? ing, the public schools would long ag< fallen into disuse and become a thin; of the past. Even as it wa?, for al most ten years, our people reseating the insults of a foreign power, and de spising every institution fastened upot them by a voice not their own, sa supinely down, and refused to admi that auy good thing could come out o Nazireth-refused to accept the inevit able and to reap the benefit of wha had not been originally intended foi their especial benefit. Some ten years ago, perhaps more a change of feeling began to set in. prejudice was dethroned and reason re sumed her sway. The people of thi State realized at last that the nublii school system was here to stay, and st they wisely concluded to take th^ exist : ing and make the most and best of it Appeals were made to the Legisla ture to supplement the constitutiona taxes by special appropriations, upot the ground that the school fund wai sufficient to keep the schools open onlj from 2 to 4 mouths in the year. Suet appeals were io vain. The Legislature was too busy appropriating money tc the higher educational institutions, where the show aod pomp aod parade is made, and so the common school* were affectionately commended to an im proverished people with the injunction, help yourselves Never was like injunction bettet heeded. Then, indeed, was the wisdom ol fixing in the constitution definite pro? visions for the maintenance of the pub? lic schools demonstrated. The consti? tutional taxes became the foundation stone upon which to build, the nucleu? around which to work. Supplemented by private funds, old school-districts were reformed, old school houses were repaired or moved to more convenient localities. New school districts were created, new school houses were built. New and better books were introduced, more efficient teachers employed, better j methods of teacbiug adopted, the j school term increased fr^in 2 and 3 j months to 6 and 7, and in some cases to 8 and 9. Local option, allowed by the Legis? lature, of levying special taxes for spe? cial schools is becoming operative in most of the towns and villages and in very many country districts in the Stat?. Until. to-day, besides the J efficient graded schools in every town j and hamlet, there is a fairly good sys? tem of common schools in most of the counties, doing fairly good work. The time is iot far distaot, unless so?ie check, by unwise legislation, is g;vea to the sure and steady progress along this line, when good schools will be within the reach of a large majority of the children of the State. This con? summation, 'devoutly to bewitched,' has been made possible only by reason of the fact that the present constitution i provided for the collection of speoific taxes for the support of the public schools. But for this our people would have repudiated the entire system, aod possibly returned to that which obtaioed ia this State io ante bellum times, by which the well-to-do received instru rion and the poor were left to take cai of themselves. If any good reason h; been given why the provisions of th present constitution should nor be it corporated into the new, I have faile to note it. Tbe most plausible argi ment used by those opposed to a cot stitutiocal provision for education, th one which sounds the most reasonable and is most frequently advanced, '.that it is unjust to tax A's property t educate the children of B. with a tu neb justice, *' they say, "you coul require A to feed and clothe B's chil dren." It will be seen that this argu ment pertains not so much to the que? tion in hand, as to that larger question the duty of the State to educate he cinzens ; and yet its danger lies in th fact that it is being used in this issue and that many are being led away by it apparent reasonableness ; forgetful c the fact, that the safety, thc security the very value of the property the; seek to exempt from these taxes, de pends upon the purity, honesty an< efficiency of the government, whicl in our country at least, must depen< upon the general intelligence of th people, who are the rulers and th ruled. "It is for the good of all," 6ays ? recent writer, "to support the frei schools rather than allow children ti grow up in ignorance ; precisely as is for the general good to hav< police and courts, although som* are rich enough to have private watch j men, and others may not need a police man at ali. It is believed that, upot the whole, the community is better of providing free schools, aud requiring foi attendance upon them." Much that passes for argument it this issue, and is most effective upon tb< stump, is, of a piece, with that whicl has aroused an apparent desire for : new constitution (and I have used som? of it myself on the stump)-the appea to prejudice-the argument um ac homnium of the politician. "This con stitutiou," says the politician, "wai framed and put upon us by bad men men who were our natural ennemies seeking our burt; therefore it is a bac constitution, let us away with it anc make one of our own." I apprehend that those who bav< given to our present constitution cala and dispassionate study have founc much in it to commeod, nothing per haps, more far reaching in its conse quences for good to the white people ot tb? State, than its specific provisions foi the maintenance of education. The time has come, in the history o this State, when we should cease un doing, unless those, who propose tr undo, come with something better ic their hands . Tearing down is an eas) process, and any cobbler eau perform this work ; building up is a slow, tedious, "laborious task, requiring the trained mechanic's skill. The great body of tax-paying people, country people, whose children must bc educated in the public schools or gc untaught, are not only not complaining of this constitutional schcol tax, bul have grown accustomed to its coming year after year into their schools, re? gardless of the faction io power or the temper of any particular Legislature, To say that the Legislature will make ample provision is only to 6ayso; to make it certain, is to incorporate it into the constitution. The one is positive, the other contingent ; the one is sere, the other uncertain : the one will con? tinue the progress already begun, aud lead to a more and more liberal and uniform system : the other, by the very fact, that it is uncertain and contingent, will lead to confusion, disintegration, distruction. In discussing this very matter some months ago with ooe of the school trustees of my own county, (who by the way is a strong Reformer, a most competent trustee, paying fairly good salaries to efficient teachers, and run? ning all the schols in his district, a j country district at that, for 0 mouths io the year) he said, "I do sincerely trust that the convention will incorporate into the new constitution at least the provi? sions of the present constitution for the maintenance of the public schools, in? crease it if desirable, but at least give us the present 2 mill tax and poll tax, and fix it in the constitution ; to do 'ess would inevitably cripple the public schools, aod turn back the tide of pro? gress which for the last ten years bas been steadily going forward, if we can't advance, at lease, let us be care? ful not to retrograde " I mention this to illustrate two points: one is that, there has been and is a steady, healthy im? provement in the public schools, io the country districts as well as in the towns and cities, and in this, I take it, that Sumter County is no .?xceptioo. The other point is that the people, and especially the country people, depended solely upon the public schools, are not in favor of leaving tbeir maintenance to the whims of politicians who happen to be elected to the Legis? lature. Let us concede, for the sake of argu ment, that the new constitution has been made, and that it enjoins upon the Legislature, yes even commaods it, to provide liberal support for the public school, but does not fix any specific tax. li there any certainty that such command would be obeyed ? Could any language be strooger than that ic present constitution, which says: " General Assembly shall as SOO? practicable after the adoption of constitution provide for a liberal uniform system of free schools tbroi out the State, and sholl also make vision for the division of the State suitable school districts. There g be kept open at least six months in < year one or more schools in each sc district " I take it that these commands addition to fixing the coostitutii taxes, were laid upon the Legislati in order that if necessary, special ap priations should be made to suppl?a these taxes, that the system mi develope into a more and more Ii tn and uniform one. It will not do to say there was necessity, for while the constitutic t8x was the foundation upon which structure was erected, and made pc ble its erection ; still but for the ai< private funds, and money arising fi special taxes under the local option 1 the public school system would be worthless and inefficient to-day, a< was 20 years ago. If then in all these years, notwi standing the fact that the conslitutio tax had to be collected, the Legi? ture did nothing for the support of public schools; is it reasonable to s pose that, if there was oo constitutio tar fixed, the Legislature would m? liberal provision for the support of public schoois io the future? It is. to say the least, risking mt upon an uncertainty. In the langui of thc darkey who saw his neigh about to mount a refractory mule "You trus' um V trow you v Look at it from another point of vie see how year by year the appropr tions, for even the higher State in.? tarions of learning, hs.ve to be fou< for upon the floor of the Legislature friends and alumni. Does it not 6ta to reason, that the common scho without any special champion woi feel the pruning knife of the politi economist on every side? The institutions for higher educati would probably hold their on in the unequal contest at the e pease of thc public schools, until t whole educational system of the Sta already top-heavy would totter and fa Perhaps the strongest reason foi constitutional provision for educatk remains to be stated : White supremacy has again becoi the political slogan of t he hour, and w continue to lift its hydra head, threate iog the prosperity of our State, so lo as it is sought to be maintained by su terfuge-political intrigue and tricker j Such policy, instilling into the you j of our State tho pernicious fallacy th "the end justifies the means", has fc come a deadly upas tree casting abo us its baleful, hurtful shadow Better face the real issue, recogni and appreciate the truth, that the on white supremacy worth the havit which w;!4 bring peace, power at prosperity, must rest at last upon int? licence, must result from, and depe: upon a uniform system of free publ schools liberally maintained. At leas until this vital truth finds permane: lodgement in the minds and hearts tbe people at large, 'twas wise to pr vide such a system and fix its revent in the organic law. Martin Luther .'brought the scho master into the cottage," and laid tl foundation of the system which is th chief honor and strength of moder Germany, a system by which the chil of the humblest peasant, by slow bi certain gradations, receives the be; education which the couutry can afforc Let South Carolina's new constitc tion become her Martin Luther, fostei ing with tenderest care her commo schools, bringing the school master int the cottage, that she may lay the foun dation, broad and deep, of a syster. which ishall be her chief honor an strengtb, that her boys and girls, he future men and women may be taugh to perform justly, wisely and magnani mously, all the duties of citizens, botl public and private Ose more consideration-South Caro ina percentage of illiteracy, even among her white citizens, is out o proportion to her population. There if no time to lotier by thc way-no time to lose in experimenting with bet school system. Dole in his .'Ameri? can Citizens," page 156, discussing national education as one of the open auestions says : "The intention of our government has been to leave the sub? ject of education to each State to man? age for itself. If any State neglects to educate its children to be intelligent citizens, that State wiil be the first to suffer the consequences of its neglect. It is, therefore, for the interest of every State to provide public education. The ignorance of the voters allows un? scrupulous men to cheat at the elec? tions. The voters in any State for the State officers are also voters in United States elections. It might happen thus that the election of the President, would hang upon the counting of the ballots of a few hundred men who could not read. There aresome, therefore, who ad? vocate the granting of aid from the national treasury to help public educa? tion, on the ground of national protec? tion." As yet rbe States are conceded the j right to operate aod maintain, to con j trol and manage their own schools, free ; from Federal aid, and unembarrassed j by Federal interference. But the time may come, if there is failure along this line, if the limited progress al? ready made is hindered by unwise ex? periments, if the system is relegated to the Legislature to become the foot ball of politicians at each succeeding election, the time I say may come, when the Federal Government may in? terfere on the ground of national pro? tection. In a State like ours, where every man of consequence is a South Caro? linian, by birth or adoption, with a South Carolinnian's patriotism, and with full knowledge that the constitu tioo is the safeguard of the poor and lowly, as for the rich and lofty, no unwise, injudicious experimenting with ber school system should be tolerated. There is no question but that South Carolina can aod will maintain her educational system and educate her children, if only her statesmen are wise to strengthen and broaden the foundation of that system, by incor? porating into the organic law. liberal provisions for her public schools. The Atlanta Exposition Its Financial Affairs Admira? bly Managed. ATLANTA. June 5-At a meeting of the directors of the Cotton States and International Exposition this afternoon, ; Mr. S. M. Inman, chairman of the ! finance committee, announced that more bonds were to be placed before the opening of ihe gates. In about fif? teen minutes all of the remaining bonds were placed and the expenses to the opening of the gates fully cov? ered, thus absolutely securing the finan? cial status of the Exposition. The 6nance committee bonds were taken en? tirely by members of the directory, and three-fourths of them were taken by the members of the finance com? mittee and officers of the exposition, conversant with the details of the busioess. The finance committee is re? ceiving congratulations on its superb j management. Three hundred thousand i dollars in bonds have thus already been i placed for cash. j The management of the exposition i has received from Mr ?. Macchi. com- I missioner general to Europe, a pro? position from Messrs.. Herbert, Sauo- ? ders & Co , of London, offering to build i on the lake a face simile of thc trans ! Atlantic steamship, St. Louis. The j ship will be exactly the same size as j the St. Louis, and will be elegantly j fitted out. The interior will be used as a re-rauraot and the vessel will be reached from the shore by gangways. This is the duplicate of an exhibit now being given at the Antwerp exposi? tion. Hon. Henrv C Kittredge, the secre? tary of the Massachusetts commission to the Cotton States and International Exposition, is in Atlanta to-day confer? ring with the exposition management in reference to the Massachusetts dis? play. He went out to Piedmont. Park this morning to select a site for the Massachusetts building. While for several days it has been understood there would be a bull fight in the Mexican village at the Cotton States and International Exposition, positive information has been wanting untii now. A letter from the conces? sionaire just received gives the follow; ing description which indicates that this feature will rival the Wild West Show as a drawing card : The arena j will be arranged in the regular way aod some of the best bull fighters in : Mexico with a supply of trained horses j and of the finest bu ils will be brought to Atlanta. It will be an exact, repro- j ductiou of the famous bull fights of Spain with ono exceptioo-the bull's horns will be padded so that he can do no damage. The horses will like? wise be protected by embossed leather shields, PO that the whole fight may bc carried out. without the slightest cruel? ty or more bloodshed than is seen at a Wild West Show. Last June Dick Crawford brought bis tweWe-months-old child. suffering from in ?antic diarrhoea, to me. It had beeu weaned at four mooth? old and had always been sickly. I pave it the usual treatment in such cases but without benefit. The child kept growing: thinner until it weighed but little more than when born, or perhaps ten pounds. I then started the father io giving Chamber? lain's Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy. Before oce bottle of the 25 cent size had been used a marked improvement was s?en and its continued used cured the child. I ts weakness and puny constitution disappeared and its father a?d myself believe the child's life was 6flved by this Remedy. J.T. Marlow, M.D., Tamaroa, 111. For sale by Dr. A. J. China. Highest of all in Leavening Pow Carolinas Exhibit. Commissioner Roche's Head? quarters Opened. Columbia State. Mr. Roche, tbe fctate commissioner for the International and Cotton States Exhibition, to be held at Atlaota this fall, the man who is engineering the getting up of a suitable exhibit for the State of South Carolina for the exposi? tion, spent yesterday in the city estab? lishing his headquarters. He now bas his headquarters in shipshape and from thia time forward the work will go ahead with a rush. The commissioner has been given a most convenient room in the Southern Life Insurance Company building, at the corner of Main and Washington streets, by Mr. W. A. Clark, who is deeply interested in seeing this State properly represented at the exposition, and the office was fitted up yesterday. In the afternoon Mr. Kocbe went to Winnsboro to meet the gentlemen from Fairfield who are working up that county, but he will return to the city this morning. Ile talks very interest? ingly of the outlook. He stated yesterday afternoon that none of the counties, excepting Char? leston, were doing what they ought to be doing ic regard to the State ex? hibit. He says they all seem to be waiting for something, he knows not what, but thinks that now. as the time is drawiog near, they will get down to real work. He says that all along, up to tile preseut time, he and the committee have bad no funds with which to do aoythiug. Now, he says, they have in bank at their disposal a fund of some ?7,000, which has been sent in from several counties where it was raised in various ways. He says, however, that the subscriptions from the several counties are not comiog in as rapidly as he would desire them to. He says that the State is going to have an exhibit that will be highly creditable to her. He is very much surprised to see the lack of interest being taken in the counties of the Piedmont section, for that section, of all others will reap the principal bene? fits. He says this State has gotten her space, and now the committee is get ting plans and specifications as to the cost of the arrangement and construc? tion of the exhibit after it has been collected. In the low country macy exhibits are cow being prepared. The specimens of fishes, ere , are being col? lected as rapid'y as possible. The Phosphate Exchange in Charleston is also making great hollway with the ex? hibit of phosphates and fertilizers. _ .ill? -C^* - Welcomed by Russians. Marked Courtesies Shown the Cruiser Marblehead. ST. PETERSBURG, July 5.-The United States cruiser Marblehead, which unexpectedly arrived here yester? day, is anchored near the Nicola bridge, where crowds of people are flocking to see her. When she arrived at Con stadt Wednesday, ber reception was of the most cordial character. The ; Russian flagship Alexander II and the Russian cruiser Asia, which were anchored in the harbor, macned their rigging and gave her three hearty cheers. As the Marblehead passed the mer? cantile harbor, the garrison made their appearance on the more and fired a sa? lute, while the warships in the harbor hoisted the American flag, together with the national ensign. The Mar? blehead replied with a salute oftwecty one guus, aud ran ap the Russian flag, which act of courtesy was answered by the garrison by hoisting the stars and stripes The officers of the Rus? sian warships then went on board the Mablehead and formally and cordially welcomed the Americans. Later Com? mander O'Neil of the Marblehead and Admiral Kasnakoff of the Russian flag ship Alexander II, exchanged visits. Kour Big Successes. Having the nee<ied merit t<> m<.<re thar. make good a!l the advertising claimed tor the:::, the following tour remtdies have reached a phenomena"! sale. Dr. King's New Discovery, for Consumption. Coughs and Colds, each bottle guaranteed-Kieetric Bitters, tile great remedy for Liver. Stomach ami Kidneys-Bucklen's Arnica Salve, the best in the world, and Dr. King's New Lite Pills, whi.d: are a perfect pill. All these remedies are guarantee! todo just what is claimed for them and the >ie.nler wh? sc name is attached herewnh will be glad to teil you mofe of them. Sold at J. F. W DeLorme's Drug Store. I er.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report Baking Powder