Smyrna times., 1883-06-27

warfare between capital and labor is
dark cloud on the horizon. 1t is
caused by ignorance-ignOrant labor
ers and narrow minded capitalists.
The interests of capital and labor are
one. Universal education would pro-
claim perpetual truce to all such fra
tricidal warfare.
The State has good reason for under |
taking the education of its citizens. |
The foundation of government is laid |
not in statutes and judges, but in the |
intelligence and character of the indi- |
Vldual citizen. Were it not for the in
telligence and honesty of its citizens,
the political fabric of Delaware would
crumble in q day. The public schools
will make law and order more secure
in the future. The political corruption
ofthe day is alarming. The ballot-bOX is
rapidly becoming cesspOol of bribery
and fraud. The state must either edu-
cate its voters or close up its ballot
boxes. Liberty is a precious thing.
Wise and good men have struggled and
died for it in every age. But free gov
ernments have invariably fallen before
! the ignorance of their citizens. Thus
was it with Greece and Rome. Thus is
it to-day with South American Repub-
lies.
| In comparison with the nenefits of
popular education, the 1927 900 year,
! is but a sand on the sea shore.
ADDRESS OF PROF. GROVES.
The second speaker introduced was
Prof J. II. Groves, who made short
speech on the Benefit of Good School
Houses" He said if you must educate
your childred you must have good
schools and to have good schools you
must have good houses. This is mat
ter that has been greatly neglected i'll
our State and he read from his last
annual report to the Governor where
the facts are succintly stated as fol-
lows:
"A majority of our school buildings are
unfit for the purposes for which they are
used. They are flimsily constructed
wretchedly arranged, built on small lots
and in low places, and contribute in no re-
spect to the comfort of the children
Nearly all of them seem to have been built
without Il thought of ventilation.
In some, the windows are too small, in
some, they are too high, and in some too
low. The same disregard of the acc0mmo-
! e.
The rooms are dingy and gloomy enough
to ruin the eyesight of both teacher and
pupil. Stoves are supplied in winter, which
produce suthcating heat, and the remedy
is found by opening windows to let in
draughts, which carry with them colds,
fevers, rheumatism, pneumonia and con-
sumption. One child is seated close to the
stove, where he stews for hours in the foul
atmosphere and the sickening heat
Another chances to find his place near an
open window, where the chilling draught
soon adds his name to the victims of croup
in the bills of mortality. In these wretched
houses the poor children are packed in
numbers that would make even Il bright,
well-ventilated, well-lighted house un-
, healthful, and kept for hours breathing in
the seeds of sickness and death. And in
most cases the furniture is in keeping with
the house.
f SPEECH OF PROF. WILLIAMS.
The next and last speaker introduced
was Prof. Il. n. Williams, State Super
intendent of Public Schools, who made
/ a stirring address of nearly half hour
He commenced with some pleasant and
: witty allusions to the absent speakers
whose names appeared on the printed
programme, Prof. Tarr, Herman Roe
and Assistant Superintendent Carpen-
! ter, explaining for the latter that he
| was engaged in school examinations in
. the upper part of the State, and then
5 passed on to his subject, Duties of the
l Public to the Public Schools" first
9 however, setting forth clearly and
5 strongly the advantages of q we'll
r trained intellect. Mr.. Williams is 8
1 fervid speaker and throws his whole
a soul into his subject las speaker
: should) with that magnetic influence
/ that permeates the audience, whose
warming fires weld the orator and his
: audience into harmony of feeling
e We could not, if we had the space
# transmit to paper the eloquent passage.
:, of the address, but in dwelling on the
: duties of the people to the public
!. schools he stated that in visiting the
: schools of Kent county he found only
e six out of 109 which had been visited bN
:, even the school commissioners, and il
= scarcely any have they ever been VisiteC
e by the parents of the children. 1t is t.
arouse and stimulate this interest tina
It these Educational Meetings have beer
|, inaugurated. He looked around anC
seeing on the platform some chairs in
e tended for the members of the SchOO
l. board, he asked pertinently why they
n were not there to fill them? He dwell
:, earnestly on the Importance of NANTES
ted interest on the part of the people il
our public schools, and said we canno
maintain them in any efficiency anC
success unless the school commissioner
It and parents give them more attention
l. During the progress of the meetiHg
d young brass band was practicing in tn
e upper rooms of the building which
, compelled the speakers to elevate thei
d voices at times to be heard. Their
l. was no complaint, but one of then
: afterwards remarked soto UOce that hi
e position was very similar to an ole
e preacher on certain occasion. A do,
7, commenced to bark while he wa:
preaching and kept it up to the grea
annoyance of the congregation, Fin
l. ally a brother jumped up to so an,
h SILENCE the brute, when the preaohel
= called to him, Hold on brother hol,
+ on brother! if | can't out preach do!
- - I'll quit"