Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-05-28
GENERAL.
Free schools for the Society of F.ien. =.

THEIR SYSTEMATIC ORGANIZATION PROPOSED.
At meeting Of the Joint Committee of the
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, held on the after
noon of thrs17th inst, the following views were
presented by a member Of tile Society, who ap.
pesred for the purpose
Although not me mber of the Committee,
feel the importance Of the subject will be a suf.
icient apology for my thus coming before you
to state the views | entertain in regard to edu.
cation, and the establishment and maintenance
OF schools for our Society
consideration will show, am sure, that the
subject at present is not treated as II should be.
Sixty or seventy meetings. more or less, have
the matter in their separate keeping. The views
which are entertained are discordant and crude.
Money aud means are Ia localities where schools
are not needed. and sohoOl-houses or accommo-
dations for schools, are in districts where there
IL no money. In many places where there is the
greatest need, there are no schools at all.
Two Friends have said they have school funds
IN hand Zone TO my knowledge has twelve thou
sand dollars at Interest," yet both say schools
do not prosper with them. There must be other
sumo unused, or, il in use, affording AZ little
satisfaction.
II we are to succeed, all this must be changed,
and cireumlocution and red tape be put aside
IL the exactionH OF the times are met, it must
be by plan at once systematic and general, the
result Of concerted action.
The conclusion have arrived at is that the
business should be entrusted to an executive di
recting head, appointed by the Yearly Meeting.
and the work done through Superintendent OF
Schools, literally paid, and having ample office
room at his disposal for such subordinates and
appliances as shall be required.
Under such an arrangement, the monies in
tended for school purposes could be gathered
into common fund and intelllgently dispensed
fiscal school year, in advance, would indicate
to the Yearly Meeting the amount required to be
rsised to supplement that already in hand
such system, in charge of our friend, I. Clark
son Taylor; during his life, would have been, l
have little doubt, crowned with complete success
and there are doubtless at hand those equally
competent for the work.
Swarthmoro College. excellent as it is, does
not meet the want. Near a third of a million
has been expended to domicile some two hum
dred and fifty scholars. That which will meet
the need will have to rest on broader founda-
tJn. take it, the true system for Friends ia
that which will plant schools at the homes OF
the pupils, SO that schools and homes may be
interchangeable daily.
In word. l am convinced Friends Free
Schools, liberAlly endowed, and in Friends To-
calties, can be supported and maintained. and
such schools as are already established, be made
to form part Of the whole, and that there is no
difficulty in the way but its business aspect.
view presents itself which ii is clearly the
duty Of Friends seriously to consider. 1t has
been the good fortune Of Friends to solve the
problem of education in so far a. IL relates to
different religious preferences.
The teaching Of Friends lie acceptable to all.
Their schools are a common ground on which,
as We have seen, all sects eau meet This is a
boon which may not be put aside. We must in
terpret it properly. II will form an interesting
consideration in proper adjustment Of the
question.
Our friend, William Dorsey. used the fitting
words yesterday, when he said 1T is amazing
that such body as the Society OF Friends con-
stituted as it is is unequal to this subject Of
education
Limit the present unwieldy management to
the proportions Of small but capable and eff
oient working head bestow upon ii tride only
OF the ample means which is our portion, and
this Yearly Meeting, and in time, the five or six
others with which We correspond, may be in pos
session of system of schools which will en-
brace all the requisites we are seeking for else
where, and be means of spreading the benef-
cent principles which it is the object of our
Society to dispense freely to ALL G.