Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-10-02
For the Delaware Republlcan.


For the Delaware Republican.
The PUBLIC SCHOOLS In WILMINoroN.-Ths
city Of Wilmington which 10 Justly celebrated
for Its extensive and excellent manufactures
10 also Justly entitled to great credit for the
Public Schools. The Board Of Public Educa-
tlon Is composed of thirty members, thres from
each Ward. (being the largest public body Ia
the State.) In point of intelligence and re-.
spectability 1t Is certainly SECOND to no public
oody IN the State OF Delaware. On examine
ton OF the business ofthe gentlemen composing
the board, fnd that ons-fifth Of them are pro-
fessional men, five Of whom are lawyers, and
one doctor, the other four fifths are composed 81
Manufacturers, Merchants, Printers. Builders,
U. g. and City Officers. Real Estate dealer and
and one retired gentleman. Those gentlemen
have the entire control Of the Public Schools
Ihey erect echool buildings, employ Superin-
tendent and Teachers, assign the positions Of
TeAchsrs, and aflx their salaries, select and
purchase text books, purchase fuel, and keep the
| school property IN coed order and repair. At
| tbs present time there are fifteen buildings oc-
cupied TOR public school pu, poses, and large
school building 10 now being selected to supply
the pressing demands for seats for children who
nave no school accommodations. The Board
employs Male Superintendent, one Male
Icacher, and seventy-eight Female Teachers.
The President OF the board appoints visiting
Committees consisting of two members for each
school, said Committees are required to visit
their respective schools weekly. Tho visiting
Committees are appointed for the space Of six
months, when new appointments are again
made by the President Of the Board. At n re-
cent meeting Of the board, a resolution was
adopted to introduce Latin and German into
the first grade Grammar Schools, and the Com
lnlttee on Teachers, were directed to employ
Teachers for said branches At the same meet
ing resolution was adopted to provide for the
education OF Colored Children. The large
building known as the "Howard School, with
Its furniture complete, being rendered to the
BOARD Tor the nominal sum Of twenty five dol
lars per annum, which was accepted. For
years past efforts have been made to proyIde
Public Schools for colored children, but owing
to the fact that the Legislature had inserted the
word "Whhe" In the School Charter, the op-
ponents OF the measure contended that the
board had no power to provide for the educa-
ton of colored children, the simple fact of the
word ,rhits being In the Charter caused several
members OF The board on former occasions to
vote against measure they fully endorsed be-
cause they We're fearful they could not do so
consistently with their oath Of office. And 1t is
very evident that more erroneous Idea was
never neiu ny any person or persons. At the
time oil the adoption OF the 18th Amendment 10
the Federal Constitution, there were upon The
statue books of the State one ent ire chapter of
laws, besides portion of other chapters, that
uid discriminate against the negro or mulatto
on account OF his race and color And thew
still remain on our Statute books 10 day unre-
pealed, to disgrace the State; thoy are dead let
ters, aud no Court dare attempt to enforce any
OF them, and Notwithstanding the fact that the
Legislature OF this State were fully aware of the
tact, That all State laos creating distinction
on account OF race, color, or previous condition
OF servitude had been utterly defaced and en-
tireiy annihilated by the 14th Amendment to
the Federal Constitution, (The Supreme law
OF the land,) they blinded by party bigolry, at
tempt cyter Me Constitution ,uas amended, to
iurther discriminate against color by inserting
the word "phite" In the Public School Charter
OF wilmington; thus assuming that All enact
ment, Il VIII not say law for 1t never was
sucii,) passed by the Insignificant Legislature of
tue state OF Delaware, can set at defiance the
Constitution of the United States and threats
were made il the Board of Education disrega,-
ded the word tohite in the charter and prov ided
fubl1c Sceoos for colored children, the Legisla-
lure OF Delaware would revoke their charter:
But II those men thought that they could In
tlmldate the present Board of Education by
threats OF revocation ofthe charter they mistook
their men, as was fully demonstrated by the I'M
daunteo manner In which Messrs. Smith,
+ ram, HIGGINS, Nields and Macallister, answer
O'JNSsh'h
the Board to provide public schools for colored
children the members of the bar above named
uhhesilatihgly pronounced that the Board had
the legal right to provide colorcd children with
public schools, and that they had no riqht to re-
'lse to do so, and that the refusal subjected the
board TO Indictment In the United States courts,
In case the colored people should make applica-
ton to tho board for seats In our public schools
The eolored people have never asked for mi1ed
schools, they have never desired to have such
schools any more than the white people have.
They want their children educated and they
are legally entitled to the same opportunities Of
acquiring an education as the children OF the
white men; and the Board of Education 10
Wilmington have fearlcssly discharged their
duty, ahd they will with as little delay as posi-
BILE take under their control the Howard School,
and give every boy and girl In the city an equal
opportunity with the white boys and girls 10
acquire good education, The Legislature of
Delaware at itslast session refused TO tax color
ed people for school purposes, for fear they
should ask for school accommodations, more
absurd idea could not be advanced than that,
the fact OF leaving fathers name off the school
assessment would prevent his children from
going to and receiving the benefits of public
schools, would any reasonable man for o mo
ment suppose. that the son of any Unite man in
Delaware, who is a minor over six years of age,
could be excluded from our Public Schools un-
was not taxed for school purposes, whether such
omission was accidental or ,ntenttnal? ?, why
certainly not such being the fact, and also the
further fact that the Constitution provides that
no State shall make any discrimination In the
laws thereof, against any person or persons, on
account Of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude, fully establishes the ground taken by
Messrs. smith. Fraim, Higgins, Nields and Ma
calster (the legal gentlemen of the Board of
Education,) in their able defense of the rights
OF cOlored minors to public school education .
In speaking of the members of the legal profess
sion above named, we do not wish for one mo-
meut to underrate the many other excellent
members Of the board who also voted to give
the colored minors the benefit of the public
schools, and the record of HE yeas and nays
upon this question recorded In the minute book
of the board, will DO looked upon in future
years with pleasure by the children of those
gentleinen who answered yea on tits question.
To-day, thank God the citizens Of Wilminet on
without regard TO color, have provided for the
| children at public expense, public school accom-
modations. The citizens OF Wilmington to-day,
| through the Board OF Education have secured to
the poor mems sons and daughters be they
white or be they black, an opportunity 10 not
only study the English branches, but also to
provide them with such classic education as
will admit them TO any Seminary or College in
| this County. The old iogy idea, because man
| IS poor, anu CANNOT aloru 10 give MS son or
daughter an education equal to that which can
be attained by any rich mans son, through the
medium Of his parents purse, he should moi
have such All opportunity afforded him at rub
lie expense, rejoice to know has exploded in
Wilmington, and the Board of Education iu
taking this step. will not full To receive the COM
nendation of the public, already has the miani-
nous press of the city, endorsed the action of
the board in providing higher grade of educa-
tlon In our public schools, and in the newspapers
of other States, we read favorable comments
upon the position taken by the Board of Educa-