The Wilmingtonian., 1884-08-02


Board from the Ninth Ward, on last Monday
evening at the regular meeting of the Board
of Education, ingeniously advertised the fact
that he was man of wealth-that he was
the proud possessor of landed estates We
WILMINeToNIAN most enthusiastically con.
graduates him upon the extent of his posses.
sions. But as extensive as may be his estates,
we question the propriety of any one parading
either his good offices or fauntng his money
bags IN the faces of those who are less
fortunate. DR.. e. G. Shortlidge directly
implied in his remarks in the Board of
Education that unless our citizens had a
good round bank account that theirvoices
should not be heard in the cause of educa.
tional advancement, and while the conven-
ience of II plethoric purse cannot be ques-
toned, yet when the brains are in close
proximity to the purse, lop-sided and unwise
legislation are too often the sequelae.
DIR. Shortlidge arraigned the editors of
THE WILMINGToNIAN because they, unlike
himself, were not aIrayed in 'purple and
fine linen" The charge, Dear Doctor, is alas
too true. The second count in the bill Of
Indictment is that there appeared in the COL
umns of The WnMrNeToNIAN on the 10Th
inst. under the caption of ''False Economy
in Education" scurrious article which
was direct thrust at him." We would take
this opportunity to state TO the wealthy
member of the Board of Education from the
Ninth Ward that scurrious articles do not
appear in the columns of THE WILMINGTON
IAN, and when comment was made upon the
parsimohious management of the new high
school there was no personal reference made
to DR.. Shortlidge either less or more, directly
tr indirectly; and to substantiate the asser-
tion tina the article in question was free
from even the suspicion of scurrlity we
quote it in its entirety
''The Board of Education of this city owe
il TO their fellow townsmen not to be led
astray by the action of obstructionists who
would thwart the wishes of the taxpayers
to have high school worthy of the name.
The erection Of a proper high school build
ing may cost a few thousand dollars more
than tile cheap and worthless substitute
which seems to be urged on the Board for
acceptance, but moments consideration will
show that in the long run thoroughly sub
stantial and endurable structure is the
cheaper But if we would have Wilmington
become the rising and progressive city which
so many of our tOwnsmen claim her already
to be, we must see that the boys and girls of
the present generation have the best educa-
tional facilities to be purchased with rea-
sonable expenditure of money. Delaware
has had far too much of the obstructive and
non-progressive element of the South, and
as a result the States of the North and West
have far outstripped ber in educational and
material prosperity. The step advocated by
DR.. Keables and his supporters is in perfect
accord with the principles on which all great
modern communities have risen to wealth
and fame"
We defy any rational being to poiut out
one single word in the above which, with the
most liberal construction, can be construed
as even bordering on the outer edges of sour
rility. DIR. Shortlidge may have gilt-edge
Specification for the term "scurrilous" but
such an Interpretation did not occur to either
Webster or Worcester.
Has it come to this that the Press cannot
plead for municipal reforms-caupot plead
for a higher education without having It's
motives aspersed and its integrity impugned?
1t is pertinent to enquire what are the cold
facts in the case? Those members of the
Board of Education whose mental training
has proclaimed them recognized authorities
upon educational matters some months since
advocated the necessity of erecting, at once,
school building which should be in har-
mony with the exigeDoies of the times. After
innunerable and unnecessary delays build
ing committee was appointed by the Board,
and those gentlemen who had been enthus-
iastic in the cause of education constituted
the committee, and it is just to the truth to
state that the interests Of education in this
city were never represented by cleaner
handed or more comprehensive men. The
Committee had but one object in view, and
that was to subserye the scholastic interests
of this city, and they were untiring in their
efforts to devise plan whereby the greatest
good to the greatest number could be
obtained, and at minimum cost. An examin-
alton Of the plans of the proposed high
school building as presented from the hands
of Graham s. Sons would convince even the
most stupid that the building would be a
model of architectural completeness. The
plans were singularly free from ginger bread
work and all extraneous ornamentation, but
especial attention was directed towards the
construction of a safe and substantial build
ing that would measure up to the educa-
tional necessities of this people for the next
fifteen years. The heating and ventilaGing