Daily Republican., 1883-08-23
C0l0reak Education.

The paper read before the Teachers ;
Institute, at Rehoboth, by Henry G.
Conrad, ESQ, actuary for The Delaware
association tor the moral improvement
of the colored people, shows more
plainly than was ever shown before the
great advancement the colored people
of Delaware have made in education
and moral improvement in the face OF
the most discouraging circumstances.
Those who have been in active lite since
the close of the war, and have been OBJ
servant spectators of passing events,
know the difficulties that surrounded
the colored people from the very mo
ment of their emancipation. They
built school houses in some sections
only to be burned down, and when they
applied to the Legislature for help,
session after session, their supplicatiOns
were treated with withering scorn and
contempt. Even the small boon asked
of being permitted to tax themselves to
support their own schools was super.
cilioasly and contemptuously denied.
And these inattentiOns which amount
to denials and insults have not yet
ceased, though through the force Of an
awakened public conscience and pro-
gressive thought, some attention has
at length been paid to the reasonable
request of the colored people and their
friends that donation be made for
their benefit. Notwithstanding all
these discouragements Mr.. Conrad re-
ports siXty-seven colored schools in the
State, with an attendance OF thirty -one
hundred pupils.
Another evidence of improvement is
that teachers salaries have increased
and now colored teachers receive eighty
per cent. OF the wages paid to white
teachers The battle against prejudice
has been hard one, but reason is grad.
ually gaining a foothold and the time is
evidently not far distant when the same
class of school facilities will be afforded
the cOlored citizens as are now enjoyed
by white citizens.
But the drawback to education in
our State does not consist altogether in
the neglect or rather refusal of the Leg.
islature to provide ways and means TO-
their education. We do not believe
colored voters, if they had the oppor-
tunity offered, would vote down school
tax, as the white voters of Sussex and
some sections of Kent County have been
doing. Here is something else that
Delaware has neglected 1t has given
the white voter the privilege of accept:
ing or rejecting a school tax.
When the colored people asked for a
law to permit them to exercise sim
liar Judgment the request was refused.
This places the Legislature in the pre-
licament of gently torcinga people to
themselves that don't want to
be educated, and OF refusing to permit
another people to educate themselves
who want to be educated. However the |
friends of education should take heart
and go ahead. They should hold the
ground already gained and push on to
fresh conquests. Education though |
batiied and impeded in its course is
onward, and under the guild
ance Of such public spirited educators as
Williams and Conrad, the old Bourbon
,obwebs of prejudice and ignorance
will be swept away. Let the good work
90 on until every child in the State
shall have an opportunity of educating
tseIt in all the branches requisite to
elevate society to higher plane of in
diligence ard usefulness.