Smyrna times., 1874-09-16

NILIFYING DELAWARE INSTITUTIONS Some
one has sent US the Erentag Ecprcss, of Ro-
chester, \. T., with the following nara-
graphed marked
Education in Delaware is in deporabe condition The
absence OF any supervision renders impossible TO give
authorized concerning IT, In Iso ,her ,vsr h. ~
iO Persons over 10 years Of who could moi write
Another item of similar inport. which il
being published in papers farther from home
than Rochester, is this:
The total expenditure for school nnrDoso - 1,,. =.
p0r capita, % cents; while in Pennsvlvapia ;, ia a. IN
su "i the long continued neglect popular education m The
Ypaen' ~ certain melancholy and humiliatng ac,,
The population Of Delaware ~ 0OO OF mi, nunh o, IN,
persons cannot write and can neither read nor
lszO OF these are co.lred people and H. 2O are
~ are ns'lves OF the state 10 order give this statement
stronger effect We may that while P-nnsy!yapa ,b ma,
eehtSae OF iterate native white persons over twenty v,
age is 800 and illiterate blacks % "a in noI.. 49,,
centsse ct literate native is I.42 and Of
blacks 6357.' ~ VI ''''''@'e
1t Is unfortunate that such comparisons as
these should be made against US, and the most
unfortunate feature is that we have no Incans
OF showing that the figures are not correct
But we cannot prevent criticism. exc.n, bv
remedying the defects criticsed-we cannot
hide them. A Sussex paper, the Seaford
Citizen, last week published these facts. 1--WE
have no reason to doubt them as facts where
al number OF its readers, who favor the nres.
ent school system, if they favor anv. took
great umbrage at it for assisting foreion"
Journals to Vilify Delaware. What n foolish
set OF readers, to hold to a system that is so
Vulnerable to assault and then take umbrapc
because unerrIng critics train their guns upon
60 inviting target The State is iniurod no,
by the criticisms but by the system criticised
All the criticism in the world could not Loor
over one-slxth Of our adult population from
reading and writing. Our best friends oro
those who tell US Of our faults, AMI our worst
loes are 'hoee who hold back in the breach and
refuse 70 a hno"ledge or remedy our faults
FOR the last eight years there has been a
W." d' i''i.'t to improve our educational
with few amendments. con;d
De made equal to those OF our sister States
out the party in power have defeated sucb
enorts at every attempt. Gov. Saulsburv IN
DIS message to the II session of the Lev;slo.
ture, urged the subject upon the attention of
Ihe UeneraI Assembly, and afterwards State
Educational Convention was held in Dovor
tAnd an intelligent, earnest body il wasl but all
70 no purpose. The Democratic leoislators
seemed to think an improved educational svs.
TEN meant jeopardy to their party.
But Improvement will have to come. sooner or
later, and VIC hope these mortiiyiDg criticisms
Will stimulate us to action. What we want is
some one to steer our educational interests
'ne system needs this as surely as an armv
needs captain. We need some comnetent
Individual to look after the 326 public schools
Of the State, with their 3S8 teachers and ~.
wv pupils--some one TO sec that the forces
are properly applied and that tho one bundrod
and twenty thousand and odd dollars taxed
'iOr public school purposes are proporlv ex.
pended. Ii Wilmington, with its concentrated
population, could not get on without Suner.
'intsndcnt Of public schools, how can the hal.
ance OF the State. with its diversified popuIa.
,'Ont And why should special privileges bo
isi:ia'ed to one section of the State TO the ov.
0'Ss,on Nr OF nil other sections?
we aie not 50 badly off for educational f.c;l.