Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-09-04


Der of schools, outside Of Wilmington,
hadincreased TO 70 in 1859. The average
salary OF the teachers was 3 IA per month |
and the schools were kept open on an
average four months in the year. An
astonishing fact has been the decrease
in the receipts from the colored tar in
recent years. For example, in 1888,
in West Dover hundred, the eollecti MS
amounted TO $4,000; in 1887 only to
$l38 So; and the same is more or less
true OF ell the hundreds in the State.
30 that, while the colored people are
accommodating wealth daily, they have
fallen of 100 per cent in their taxes.
The fault, the speaker thought, lay to
large extent in the failure to collect the
tax. He oontrRsted the State appropria-
tion of 1925 900 and the annual income of
Sl6, 906 which the white schools receive,
with the colored school appropriation,
and questioned whether the owing was
creditable to the State which had pro-
duced such men ss George Road, Cajar
Rodney and Thomas Mexican, tue Della
ware signers of the Declaration of hide
pendence.
The next hour was devoted to discus
sion Of the paper, in hve-minute speeches,
Chairman Riddicks having stated, apropos
OF the tax question, that the negroes of
Delaware own 81 800, 179 worth OF prop
erty, s'and yet our schools are not SUD
ported to the limit of our basis of taxa-
ton"
William II. Carr said Maryland and
Delaware had always been noted as hard
states; that the schools in the rural dis
tricts amount to almost nothing, and
olY nh IN will W III
or $l2 month will do for teacher there.
But the negro is progressing towards the
heights of moral and intellectual refine
ment.
The Rev. James Il. Scott spoke OF the
need of better rural schools as one that
appeals strongly to the people Of Will
mington whose population is recruited so
largely from rural districts. "We want
education he said, mot for the sake OF
negro domination, but for the sake of
making ourselves better men," TAP.
plause and cries of "hear, y "hear.'
DR.. w. d. Cook considered an ig GRANT
! p ople . dangerous people and that what
Affects one sffects many. He urged the
| education of the hand as we'll as the
brain. While the negro is striving for
the higher branches OF scholarship, it
would BIZ we'll for him to look after In
| dustrial education. We need mechanics.
[Applauss.] We should do everything
in our power to help ourselves, said
he, and then ask our more highly favored
neighbor to help us. He did not think
the negro should go for aid to the Repu6-
liean party, il IL were in power, win any
more assurance than he would to the
Democratic party, when it is in power.
The Rev. M. f. Sluby maintained that
the negro has not taken full advantage OF
the educational opportunities offered
Every door almost in the government has
been thrown wide open and all that is re.
quired OF him to fl himself for any posi-
ton is intellect; head. Everything has
been open for him; the fault is his that
hs has not done more for himself.
The Rev. M. M. Beamer disputed this
and cited d laware College as an insttu
ton supported by the money of tbs
whole people for the benefit OF the wits
race exclusively, while the colored chill
dren have mo high grade educa.ion2
facilities. X is the business OF tho s.sti
to provide an agricultural college for thu
negro. He may not bs improving al tn
opportunities that have been giVou hta
but the State is doing almost nothlnt
compared Win otner sthteS'
a. Worthington Brincklsy spoke dis
pnragingIy OF suoh schools Rs are foupt
down about Frederick ADD Browns Hsek
He wanted tho convention to formulate
plan, for submission TO th5 Legislature
to keep the Oolored Schools open AZ lonl
as the white schools. he did not tsk 70
white teachers or Tor co!Ored childEan Il
go to white schools; that's Ill nonsense
J AS to an agricultural oollega, hs wouif
urge the negroes to make start tor one
buy farm somewhere 10 busin With
and then there will be handsd back t
the race soma Of the fuld that the ma
! tional government has appropriated
, There are plenty of white people wa
would gladly subscribe to huch an inst
ton.
j. E. Williams detailed some persona
experiences az teacher, and, later, AS q
, observer OF the shortcomings Of negr
, schools.
d. B. Anderson oon!rRsted old time
with the present to show how the negro
condition hRs bonn bettersd. Yet, Virtual
he ia still deferred from advantages ths
, even aliens enjoy. An Italian can com
/ here and send his children to schot
without paying any tag. III they WI
!, give us the ssms privileges thoy give til
Catholics" said he, 1--WE wont ask
, division OF the school fund"
George Washington, while cleimin
that history fails to show where rat
, has progressed more rapidly than II
! negro since emancipation, yet though
some did not appreciate the advantage
they now enjoy. When bay he chased
/. goose two miles to get this gall frol
a which he made his first pen.
B. II. Moore spoke Of the noble me
4 and women who stood ready to bel
when called on TO advance the cause
education. The negro is no better ABB
TO educate his children out of his carr
ings than is the white man.
The chair closed the discussion by ga.
: ing that the ground of public nacsssis
will alone Justify demand for battI
n rural schools. "We want in this count
not baptism Of blood but baptism
education. nation is made strong
the individual education OF its citizens
ON WILMINGTON SCHOOLS.
: The subject of oolored education in Il
city of Wilmington was then taken a
i James A. Anderson led of with resume
! some OF tho barbarities Of the old sla'
= code. contrasting the condition OF d
~ | race tnbu anu upW' no kuhionpSA'
= :. whom there was pus one littl4 school roo
= in all Wilmington for Solored ohildre
now there are from 800 to 900 colo;'
: children attending school, II teaehe
= employed with salaries amounting
y 81, 900 per year, aud the other expens
y bringing the maintenance Of the schoC
4 up to IS, 900 or $40, 900 annually. This
; not ALL Provision is being made which "
= probably necessitete the employment
eight or 10 more teaohers and furni
40 school room for 800 TO 400more childra
For these advantages the negro shou