Smyrna times., 1880-09-29

CoLoRED SCHooLs.-The Delauarean has
been taking the Daily News of Wilmington
severely to task under the charge that the
Ne,0s is in favor of mixed schools for the
education Of both races which, however,
says it is unutterably opposed to. The
charge will of course be understood to be
political one for political effect and have
about the samo weight as any other cam
paign assertion. There is one thing, how
ever, that cannot escape the attention of
the thoughtful men of every party the
negro is to be an important factor in Amer
can politics. They number between one
and two million of voters and have the
same constitutional right of ballot as any
other voter. 1t was not, it could not be
claimed that they were as a class prepared
for an intelligent exercise of the franchise
privilege on the various issues arising in
government of "checks and balances" like
ours :. but they knew what was for their
individual interests as effecting their free
dom, and the ballot was given them for
protection with the expectation that "tlme"
would fit them for the various and complex
duties of citizenship. Seventeen years have
sinced passed and the time has come for
the rising generation at least to be some
thing more than "wards" of the nation.
The signs are not wanting to show that the
"color line" in the South that was drawn
by the force of circumstances, is breaking
and the " Brgadies" in Virginia, Georgia
and other States are calling on them to
help them through. How soon 1t will
come in our State cannot be definitely
stated, but come it will, and there is no
need of shutting the eye to the inevitable
The desperation of politicians knows no
bounds, and even Sam. Townsend, who is
as honest as any other politician who mixes
his preiudices with his political convic
| tions, may live to see the day when he will
cease to cry the "white mans party" II
then they gN be voters with an equal
power in the decision of great issues with
the most cultured and refined, what is the
| duty-the duty of the whole body polite
| Is it not the duty to give them the privilege
| yea, the opportunity for more intelllgen
citizenship? Political economists have uni
versally deprecated the attempt at self
| government where there was not an ap
preciable and intelligent knowledge o
what pertained to its duties. The founder
of the Republic looked to the virtue of tn
people it is true in giving it stability, bu
it was a virtue founded on such as tn
school-house, the pulpit and the HON
afforded. Even the school boy in his glow
ing periods at our college commencement
unhesitatingly names the first of these a
the palladium Of our liberties. If this vie
is correct, our Legislatures in all the p'
riods since tho act of Emancipation, if nc
hostile have been niggardly in accordin
any right or privilege. Even the fir'
prayer for the privilege of taxing then
selves for the purpose of supporting schoo
was denied. All they ask for, is schools
their own. In the light Of the genius
: Democratic institutions, the teachings
: the Fathers, the Divine sense of Righ
| and all intelligent use Of the ballot, ca
not the Dela,Carean see that not only Il
negro but the whito man without regard
the present political status Of parties is j
terested in the broadest diffusion Of know
| odo