Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-11-16
Dslaw.re,s semi. Rarbarism.

tetlve elect 70 the Legislature, "u"@"
g. Bradford, Jr, Esq, at his residence
on Delaware Avenue. Onthat occasion
Mr.. Bradford acknowledged the COM
pliment In very neat and appropriate
speech and amongst other things, in
taking . prospective view Of the future
he hoped that in two years more the
Republicans Of Delaware would be able
to redeem their State from the semi-
barbarism Of the Dsmocr aey OF the
State. This home thrust and calling
things by their right names, has terri.
bly, disgruntled the Democratic papers
Of this city and We suppose has not
acted a. . healing panacea to the
wounded and crushed Democracy since
the election. The organs do not like
the phrase "the semi barbarism OF the
Democracy Of theststs, "and in vague
and ambiguous terms point 10 the illus.
trious record Of Delaware and some
leading Dslawsrsans to show that the
term 10 net deserved. Lat us see whether
Mr.. Bradford 10 deserving Of the censure
cast upon him by the Every Evening
and the Gazette, for they both take
their turn In controvPrting the state
msnt.
Bsrbarism and civilization are ex-
trsme opposites, and half barbarisn
would represent the barbarism that
Mr.. Bradford alluded to. Civilization
asserts its sway by the education Of the
people and the formulation and pro-
mulgation Of laws bearing equally
alike upon all, doing the greatest COED
TO the greatest number. How has DELI
ware Jared under this aspect Of the
oasel Where are her benevolent insti-
tutions? Where ara her deaf, dumb and
blind asylumsi Where are her retor-
matory institutions which in other
States mark the road to honor. Dsla-
wars has schools, called free, but they
are only for one race OF people. Selfish
like the semi. arbarsin Of other days
only the strong Is protected but the
weak is crushed TO the earth, The State
gives Of her money to support public
white schools bat gives not q cent to
help In the education Of q oolored boy
or girl.
They must take their chances and
look out for themselves. 1t ia the semi
barbarism Of the Democracy that leads
tothis. There is not State in the
South except Delaware that has not
made handsome provision for the ed
ucatiou Of colored children, and what.
ever may besaid Of them the large
amount Of money appropriated every
year for the education OF cclored child
rem is credit to them. Delaware
alone stands of. In all her legislation
she has never appropriated single
dollar for the education of FIVE thou
sand col ored children. To her shame
what little educational facilities are az
forded them areprovidsd by private en-
tsrprise, by her benevolent citizens who
do what the State refuses to do. Some
Bourbon tells US We are wrong. Did
not the Delaware Legislature In 1875
or thereaoouts pass a law taxing color
Ell people for the support of their own
schools : Yes it did. We know all
about it. II did pass a law that all
colored men should be taxed a certain
amount to support their own schools,
the money to be collected by white tax
collectors for which they were allowed
. percentage, ard thus so cents.was
added to the colored mems County tax
which in addition to their dog tax all
had to be paid before receipt was
given to enable him to vote. Thus
that law while it taxed colored men for
the support Of their own schools, really
acted as o bar of Acknowledgement from
voting at the election. Why, this Law
itself is the very quintescence Of semi.
barbarity.
1t is no excuse for the Gazette TO fall
back on the past and tell US that the
constitution and the laws are the same
now that they were in the days of John
M. Clayton, Richard II. Bayard and
Willard Hall, and as they were admins.
tered by Governors Comegys, Cooper,
Stockton, Maull and Causey who were
all wings. They Lived In a diiferen
age. In an age when human victims
were sold Of the auction block under
sanction Of law. In an age when slav-
cry predominated all over the South,
cursed Delaware and poisoned the foun.
tain of legislation even in the fres
North. In an age when 1t was q crime
to teach a colored child its alphabet.
An age when q cclorsd man could
not pass from one county to another in
this State to preach the gospel without
passport, Or II a slave in the COM
Iany of his master. Those infamous
laws were never repealed in Delaware,
though they are obsolete. The strong