Daily Republican., 1882-06-28
WEDNESDAY. JUNE IS, 1852
Our Graduates.


Orr Graduates.
Tonight fifteen Of our girls ana poys'
bright from our cherished pubic schools
will be given their certificates OF gradu'
alton at the Opera House, in the pres
ence of their friends, who will crowd
the house and for three hours swelter
in the heat to see and hear the exer-
rises of the occasion. The graduation
of fifteen pupils from the High School
ia considerable of an occurrence in Will
mington, wbele our public schools are
appreciated. There may be many who
think that out of 5000 pupils in our pub
lie schools the number of graduates
should be much larger and it is not un-
frequently said that if not more than
ten or a dozen or even fifteen struggle
through to the front out OF all these
6OOO, the public schools are not up to
the mark claimed for them. In this
view of the case there is miscalcula-
ton and Misrepresentation. tbs true
that of the 5000 enrolled pupils, but tif'
teen have reached graduating honors
this year, but it is not shown yet how
MANY of those 5000 may reach the same
poal in years to come. The school term
of q boy or girl generally extends over
a lause of twelve years-from six to
sighteen years Of age This leaves
twelve years for the 5000 to run the
public school educational race. If there
are IL graduates each of those years the
proportion will reach 1so out of the
SoOO. instead of fifteen as many suppose.
Even this number is small, but not cis'
couraging when we take into consldera'
tion the difficulties in the way. To use
a homely similitude, but one with
which all Wilmingtonians are familiar
and can understand, our graduates from
the public schools are like the strongest
sbad in our own noble Delaware, that
on,v reach the fresh and falling waters
of the river as high up as the Falls OF
Trenton. None but the persistent and
strong mental workers in our pubic
schools stand a chance to reach the
goal that the young graduates OF this
evening have reached. The 5000 start
put few come uuJ viUJUfo. rhoro GRO
msny causes for this. Diseases which
follow the young from infancy, heredi.
tary from the parents, carries Oft many
in the incipiency Of school life. We
may safely say that thousands are the
children of poor parents, who are so
hard pushed to make ends meet that
they are compelled to take their chill
dren from the public schools at an early
and tender age and put them to work,
and whatever kind of work will bring
them in dollar or more a week. In.
stead of continuing the little searchers
after knowledge, in our pleasant school
rooms, they become the waiter and
heater boys of our large ship and ma
chine shops, and the spinneTs, Wrappers
and weavers of our cotton factories
Many . bright, promising intellect is
sauelched out under this ruinous sys.
tenn of child labor. As we have already
said this system takes thousands away
from the public schools at an early and
tender age. Scarcely has the child ac-
auired fondness for learning before it
is immured in a work shop or factory,
and even before such child leaves
school, knowing it's inevitable destiny,
its am bition is circumscribed, ,ardor and
zeal dampened, in view of life OF
drudging toll, AMI it puts forth very
little effort to excel in learning. Re.
1novals from the city and many other
additional causes intervene to still les.
sen the number of those who are hold.
ing ont after the draft for the mills and
manufactures has been made. After
all it is question whether the schools
have not done we'll when they turn out
syen fifteen who have run the gauntlet
of ills that beset our public schools and
have reached graduating honors. Fol
This reason those who will stand upon
ahe platform to night and receive theil
diplomas of honor are fully entitled tc
all the honors they will receive.
Rut this after all is only the com
nencement of life. These boys and
girls who have forced their way to the
front, are the pioneers in the great work
of making the world around them more
Intelligent and better. While they
have been fortunate enough to reach
the highest honors Of our public schools
they at once become the van guard OF
thc future, who are still pushing on af
ter more knowledge and greater attain.
.ments. Ifthey stop here and make nc
further effort their whole school life
will have been in vain. The gradua.
siGn from the school room is but the in
Production TO n higher and more useful
sphere Of life. 1t but unlocks the gates
to richer literary pastures, where the
mind and intellect will have full sway
May the graduates Of this evening stud y
ihe Importance OF the situation. Be
hind them is the road beset with diff
ouities, ,over which they have travelled
Before them is the road to the future
which will be perhaps through thorn
and thiokets leading out to the greer
fertile fields beyond. There are diff
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