The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-04-11
COLORED CHILDREN IN OUR
SCHOOLS.
Speech Of Hon. Daniel WOrley in the House Of
Representatives, April 9Th, 1878.

Speech Of Hon. Daniel WOrley in the House Of
Representatives, April 9Th, 1878.
The House Of Representatives on Friday had
before 1t and disposed of the question Of the edu
cation of colored children. House bill No, 105,
by Mr.. Worley, after debate on the amendments
offered by the Republicans, passed the House by
a vote of 63 yeas to only 10 nays. The question
being upon the amendment offered by Mr.. Dal
zell, which in effect would have necesstated the
opening of all schools to white and colored chill
dren alike, Mr.. Worley, Democrat, spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. spEAKER-I desire to make a very few re-
marks upon the question now before the House,
and as l believe in short speeches, mine shall be
as short as the nature of the circumstances will
permit. 1t is matter OF sincere regret on my
part. that the discussion on this question has run
into the narrow sphere of politics as 1t Is one of
the questions in which men should rise above
mere partizan discussions it is a question in
which the welfare and future influence OF not
inconsiderabe portion of the citizens Of Ohio are
largely.cOnCeTned, and 1t was my sincere desire
to find all the members of this body unit upon
this measure, which deem one OF the best as 1t
is one of the first practical members looking to
the universal education of the cOlOred children
of the State, and the elevation Of this long ne.
elected race to the position of enlightened citizen
ship. How 1t comes that the old legislation of a
bvgone age has been kept till this late day upon
the statute books by the Republican party It is
not my purpose to discuss appeal 10 the mem.
bers on that side of the House as do to my
| friends on this side, to unite with one voice in
undoing great wrong by the repeal of the old
| section 81 and by substituting in Its place under
| the general school law of the State O provision
which will place within the reach of every color
ed as well as of every white child the equal priv
| iege of good education.
much mistaken when he charges an unworthy
race prejudice against myself or any other Dem
| ocrat in this House, as the moving consideration
| that we do not see our way to vote with him and
under his leadership at this late day for the sim
pie and unequivOCal repeal of section 81, My
| own efforts and that of many other Democrats in
this and other States to raise the cOOred citizen
and his children to an intelligent and enlighten-
ed estimate of the privileges which they enjoy in
their new position before the law, and of the COL
responding duties devOlving upon them, have
| been certainly as honest and as effective as any
| that the gentleman and his party have ever put
| forth in the same direction. In my own city Of
| Canton though 1t was done only by sutteranCe
and without authority Of law, If not even against
its letter, during the eleven years of my superin
| tendency, as in most of the schools OF my Demo.
cratic part of the State, cOlored and white chill
| dren have gone together to the same schools, IN
the same classes, under the same instruction, and
under the same teachers. And he will allow me
now to say, Mr.. Speaker, that in this measure my
sole and only aim has been to provide, by a re.
vision of the law, for the best interests of all the
children OF Ohio. white and colored alike
And now what is this section 81 sought by my
| bill to be repealed2 We have In Ohio created
and determined by law city school districts of the
first and second classes, village, districts, town
ship districts and special school districts In eV
cry one of these, section 81 the only part of the
old school law not repealed, 1t is made obligatory
upon the boards of education. wherever there are
twenty or more cOlOred children IN any district,
to provide separate school or schools for them.
Now 1t is well known and crying evil that
while in many parts of the State, an enlightened
and public sentiment has allowed this section OF
the law to become dead letter, there are many
township districts in which these colored schools
are established, and in which from the great and
inaccessible distances at which many OF the
school houses are placed and the long way
which many Of the children have to travel In go
ing TO and from school they are practically deni
ed all school privileges. But this is not all: Sec
ton 81 further provides that where there are less
than twenty colored children in district, not
that they shall be admitted into the white schools
or other schools of the district but that their pro-
portonate share Of the school money should be
set apart in the treasury and be applied some way
OF other to their education, which practically
means that they shall not receive any education
at all. Fol instance, If in township with an ay-
erage enrolment Of so youth to each sub district
there be five colOred children their share would
be One'tenth of the amount apportioned to each
b-distTict now If this amount is sutlelent 10
sustain q school seven months, 1t would give
these cOlored children only the tenth Of seven
months schooling, or fourteen days year, If even
there were schools to which they might be sent
really however the fact is, they cannot under
section 81 receive this mere pittanCe.
All intelligent freemen believe that intelligence
and virtue are the foundation of good govern
ment and of good citizenship; and any system OF
education which ignores the rights of so large
number Of children 10 the instruction and train
ing of the schools, which leaves them practically
to grow up ignorant and degraded and well pre-
pared only for q vagabOnd life is disgrace 10
civilized and enlightened state Section 81
which thus ignores and deprives many of the
colOred youth of Ohio, should be at once stricken
from our statute book and be buried among the
dead things Of dead past. In regard to this
however, the honorable gentleman from Noble
and myself do not disagree.
The amendment offered BY him IA only directed
against that part Of my bill which permits boards