Smyrna times., 1877-02-21

III - - 'tS SOOA e. ~ A@Se'AS4
ana returning board, and Just about as fair.
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THE CoLoRED PEOPLES School TAX.-TO-
day committees of colored men from diff
ferent sections of the State so to Dover to
plead with the Legislature to make no al
terations in their present school tax law.
The law, as it now stands, provides that
the organization in Wilmington known as
the "Assocation for the Moral improvement
of the Colored People shall take charge Of
the money arising from this tax, (if they
ever get said money and disburse it to the
colored schools 1t seems, however, that
certain parties have sought to make an i'm
preston on the minds of the Legislature
that tile colored people are dissatisfied with
the present arrangement; and insist upon
having the law changed so as to allow the
colored people themselves to manage the
funds instead Of giving them TO the keeping
of the Moral Reform society. The reason
assigned for the desired change is that said
society is absorbing all the money in sala-
ries, &c, absorbing money, be it remem-
oered. that that society has never had in
hand to absorb, because the counties, at
least Kent and Sussex, have never distribu-
ted the tax collected to that Society or to
any other quarter.
Those who go before the Legislature to-
day, go in the interests of the law as it is.
Their reasoning is good. 1t is after this
fashion. 1t has been two years since the
law was passed authorizing tax from the
colored people for schools among them
selves. And Notwithstanding said tax has
been assessed and collected, their schools
have never been able to derive any revenues
county tax machinery has been so run as
to deprive them of the privileges of the
tax they have been forced to pay. There
fore, they say, if an organization with such
men as Bishop Lee and others, cannot
bring this tax to their support, what coulc
they themselves DO in the matter. To this
society they owe everything, nearly, so fal
as their limited educational facilities are
COHcGfHGOs II WAS through us lAnuCuC'
that the law was passed, and through it.
influence that few colored schools have
been kept in operation, i'll spite of th'
Withholding of the tax. For six years i
has donated six dollars a month to every
colored school in operation in the State
and the schools could not get on withou
this donation, even if they received th'
full amount due from the collected taxes
as they should do. For instance, in thi
town, the whole tax only amounted t.
about 800 (still withheld by the county
while the school has been kept up b,
private contributions and the above fund
Five or six colored men, viz: Lewis Hamil
ton, Emory and Thos. Lum, Thos. Hens
ley, and one or two others have contribute
over one hundred dollars, while twent
others contribute nothing; and those VIII
do the contributing have no children t
educate, or very few. They furnish tn
funds and the twenty furnish the scholars
The Reform Society furnishes about hal
the funds, obtain the teachers. and loo
after the interests of the schools general,
and its only salaried officer is the actuar.
who gets about eight dollars weel-hardl
sufficient to pay travelling expenses. Th
colored men say, that, having had no e:
perience in running schools, they woul
hardly be able to do it without I'll
aid of the Society, a band of benevolen
Christian men. who seek to elevate ii
lowly and promote the good of all me
Their a+sistaucc ; Leelcd, even if the
funds could be dispensed with.
And, another abstacle the colored mC
find is an t,po-a ...ut among theI
selves. @on.e 49, ...-.d to the scho
tax. Being uneduc&tAd. their ignorance
bliss, especially if it save them from al
taxation. This element Of the colored me
with the prejudiced class among the viii
men, were about to misrepresent the matt
TO the Legislature, and the object of t
conference to-day Is to prevent these m
representations FROM being made tc t
neral Assembly. Another object is,
cit a share Of the School faHd. A
fought to be given. There is no reas
csthis fund should be withheld from a