Daily Republican., 1883-02-27
TUEsDAY. FEBRUARY ~, 1883.
Education Of Colored People.

alton of six thousand dollars annually
as is proposed in aid of the education
of the colored people of the State, it will
he step at once creditable to a party
that but ten years ago insulted and
drove the colored people from the doors
of the Legislature without recognizing
them in any shape or manner as hui
man, intelligent, beings susceptible of
elevation and improvement by educa-
ton. We recollect distinctly when
Abraham Murray theintelligent colored
man who died yesterday, and other in
telIigent recognized leaders of his race
waited upon the legislature and only
asked the poor boon Of being permitted
10 tax themselves to raise money to
school their own children. We recul
lect also how this small petition was
indignantly and insultingly denied.
The rolored people had to hoe their own
row with what little aid they received
from the Delaware Association for the
improvement of the colored people OF
the State Not discouraged these color
ored people kept knocking at the doors
of She legislature until at last their
humble petition was listened TO and III
the spirit Of the unjust Judge, granted
their small request, more TO get clear of
them than for any other motive. This
point gained the colored people instead
Of ceaSng their efforts to better their
school facilities, appeared the next yer
again at the doors of the legislature
asking for larger recognition. They
and their friends pointed to the gtrat
inequalities that existed between the
white and roored systems of education.
Why, they asked this glazing Iiscrin.
ination against them The force OF heir
reasoning was acknowledged even by Il
Democratic legislature and an addition
al Appropriation of 400 annually was
ma e-SS0G in each county to he placed
in trust III the hands of the Delaware
Association and to be expended under
its supervision for the benefit Of the col
orel schools. This was the second vie
tory wrung from Democratic legisIa-
tur, by persistent and earnest petition
ing for aid. Still the good work goes
on.
So deeply impressed have the Demo
cratic party become with the justice
and necessity Of educating the coorrd
people, that voluntarily their party IN
State Convention adopted resolutions in
favor OF improved school, for all The
people. Whether this resolution Will
be carried out remains yet to be seen, -
II may ike others onl y have been made
to be- broken. At any rate Il measure
Is pending to increase the apprOrra-
zion $1,000 which i'll addition 10 thar ii
ready appropriated will make $500
collected from them will still farther
increase the amount until il will very
closely approximate Sl0,o0o. This Will
be a considerable amount of money in
aid Of colored education. but no more
than will be needed to make their
schools effective. The question arises
here, why have separate system of ed
uCatIon for the two races. As each
either have or will have separate school
houses, will This distinction not be-
enough. Why have separate funds,
and separate Superintendent Of
Sch"oIs? The time is coming, and is
not far Oft when the money spent for
education in the State will be- paid
from III" same treasury. Why fight
against the advancing tide of public
SCI tim"nt This Legislature might us
well take the forward step "a any that
viii follow in after years. The day OF
the white mans party has passed away.
The cnlOr"l man is ii citizen, Il voter
and the more intelligent he can be made
by a well defined system of public ed
ucaion the better citizen he will make
and more intelligent voter will he be
come. Why will Il Democratic leri,.
lature longer block the wheels ol pro-
gresS'