Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-03-12


their disposal, with whom Il rests % give IL llp,
that oheerfnliy meet Nay issas ybich may be
presented. I'LL ~ II
You are all aware, ASA part of the history
of educational movements in this country, that
every objection which you can imagine was
started In other States at first to the creation
Of ,Normal Schools by Legislative enactment,
aud the'appropriation Of money from the public
treasury for their support. But when after full |
discussion, the legislatures of these several /
States established themfand the people con- |
frmed their action, tas they. always have dome 4
all these difficulties vanished into thin air. |
Theory against fact is always sophistical.- |
When Zeno demonstrated, as he supposed, |
there was no such thing as motion, one of his |
disciples reiuted his principles by walking |
about the room. Aud there IL no objection |
which can be presented that we could not re- |
flute by pointing to these institutions as they |
now exist.
| With your permission, however, shall refer
to some OF the difficulties, which may be sup
posed to attend the successful working of this
plan; and if these can be met and ohyiated, we
have no doubt this honorable body will grant
the prayer of your memorialists.
1t may be said, the time has not yet come
when the State should make any direct appro-
priation for educational purposes.
Aud will that time ever come 2 The common
school system went into operation in this
State, in ,-twenty-Pight years ago. Since
then, New Castle County has held twenty-one
conventions, advocating greater attention to
this subject; and whole generation have
passed off the stage. In other States, mean
while, great results have been effected by legis-
latiye actions and when ii has been urged and
urged again, that something more liberal and
efficient should lie adopted in Delaware, each,
preceding year the response has been, the tinie.
: for This has not get come. A
4 Ii is as true principle in philosophy asin RI
HIT. Ia ,tn.r
. notc is the best time. However long delayed,
: by all iaeritabis destiny, the great question OF
o popular education must receive the attention
! Of every State in this republic. And why
. should not this Legislature iEaugurate q new
era in our history--take some decisive action
: which, AM sure, no succeeding Legislature
will ever retrace, but the rather confirm.
+ In other States, the time has long since
4 come, when the importance of this subject
: has been recognized In 1856, Rhode Island,
4 with one-half your territory, appropriated ior
= common schooleducation, Sl54,6lSi and gave
: in addition 81 900 for the support Of Norma
School. or this msney, S62, 1854 was raised by
n voluntary taxation. And not satisfied with this,
IL last year, they added Sl4, 900 more.
- Connecticut is not large State. She has
- about eight times the number Of school districts
~ wc have in this State. What did she eXpend
a in common schools last year2 $3.50! And
i | Sho keeps in successful operation her schools
: for the education OF teachers by liberal ap
IN preparations
~, III New York raises by tax for common schools
$780, GOO, besides the vast sum which, in thu
d. city and other places, is raised by yoluntar.
Va additional taxation.
- Pennsylvania raises by tax, exclusive of tn
-, city Of Philadephia,) about 81 100000.
Virginia appopriates annually-to one OF he
l. institutions 1000. And TO her Univer
" sity, the Legislature appropriates, each ycal
- 5000
"a How is it in New Jersey, sister State, wit
rs as sparse population in some OF her counties
10 and with much more sand than we have. j
,to Dclawarel What has Nav Jersey done in thi
~ matter7 She expended in public schools i
q" 1865, $40, 1858; increasing the amount OK
~, pended over that of185i, $50, 1886. How niue
a. Of this did She raise by Tux S25o,OOO for he
~ Schools and 100000 for building schoo
~; houses In addition to this, the State mad
lr9 an appropriation of $4,000, and then for
Au- Normal School gives annually $4,000. This
., done by the State, oyer and beyond what
- raised by voluntary contributions.
,,ia Massachusetts, appropriated Sl,O0O,OOO
~ 1851. In 1856, she added to that amour
''' S123,O0O and in 1856, increased the amoul
w. to Sl,500,G00. And for Normal Schools, q
~ stated in the mcmoria,) $4,000 is appropriate
H., UyorY yer.
'l i' Michigan educates every year 13l 900 chi
l,sS dren, expending some S200,000i large pc
~, ton OF which is raised by tax and appropr
,,5 ates annually for her Normal School $4,000
90 New hampshire, in addition to the lari
Wy expenditure for edueASiQnai purposes, .rais
.dTr. ahnually Tor tbs support OF Eor schools mo
"a, than S2JG 900.
'ois Why, in Ohio, in 1852, the Legislature a
III thorzed the purchase ami distribution of Ba
,nnI wards school architecture to every townshl
10 , at an immense cost, and two years afterwar
9it over half million Of dollars were eXpcnd
80" for the Improvement and construction Of scht
,.t, houses. In 1876 the cost OF school librar
;nt' distributed in that State was Sl50,7S7. But
''"' will not weary you with statistics.
~ What has Delaware done for education
~, ~ She has a permanent fund, and gives the u
~. ceeds of that. So have those other Suites,
H. they regard the amount derived from it as
~, drop in the buckct. We have seen the v
a., amount raised and expended by voluntary ta'
',, ton. And | respectfully ask, what has Dc
- ware done to complete and perfect her syst
40 of popular educatioui And when We pres
~, - a measure whose influence for good Will
A. n realized in every portion of our State, VIII
~ is the very heart and hand of the entire syst
IN, can it be that any will still say the time has
: y, yet come TO make any advanced Shall it
] said the Legislature will not make an approx
~ an, alton Tor Normal Schoollest it be unpopl
=. = with the people I | reply that will not ad
I.4, for one moment that such tine-serying sE
"a y chardcterizes this honorable body There
- - ~ questions, indeed, where statesmen may
~ | 10 crafty tho wishes of their constituents,
ciorc Ia' = - =. ;',at.ad "a
tsi. Ing the prosperity and well-being of the y
= ~ or nation, are they to have no opinion OF Il
,, ~ own-a mere weather-cock to tell which
acher 'i1 1 i" ~ I'M ~ y ., CO., ,,,t
,srt pcrchnnce at first there was as much preiut
In, ssainst any direct appropriation for Nor
,ron schools as You can imagine,) the people
liz II Without a solitary exception, sustained
80 Legislature in what they have done; and
oa,'. not only sustained them, but each succeed
: tn. year have increased their tax, to secure TO
- the children Of the Stata q better education
,,,'lai. II is very worthy of observation, that
,ason more any legislature has given to this ca
$50, the more each succeeding year arc the pc
,o,t ~ willing they should give. That where
- have been the most heavily taxed, and for
longest time, there it has ceased 10 be,
'lways said, a debatable question. Now why is t
,hools Have tb,, citizans of New York and New
land no regard for money! Are they so Il
ter oil icrent to the main chance that they CT ser
al ar bear so great an impositioni Whatever
erect you may think, you do not doubt their shr'
tilat ness, or that they pay so much for poi
100, education without thorough conviction
10 al it is for their advantage. They calculat
N INC this US in all other things, and have most
teach dant proof that expenditures in this dire'
hteHl- increase the value OF property, and every
Is nut contribute to the well-being OF society.
d and And why is it, Of the 300 Normal SCI
Whlch which ilayu been established in Europe
Is time America, not one, as is affirmed has ever
to our abolishcdl The cause OF education
nc IN triumphed over all indifference, difficulty
-, opposition; always advancing never rect
Nv mo- prAy. can dstinpuisb our naonle from all o
the OBJ thmt tIav tno wand moi Snnction Ieqisl
aver Of action m 90 ,nornnntons nnnstion
lt OF u create a Normal School will not he popul