Daily Republican., 1890-02-01

The Coioresl school Question.

The great importance Of the eiuca.
tion OF the colored children OF our
city and OF our State II Q subject which
assumes collossal Importance when We
look upon Ito bearings upon the future
prosperity Of the colored race and
upon society in general. If education
has the refining. enrolling and lifting
up character attributed TO 1t, and we
believe 1t has, 1t should be made easy
OF attainment TO the classes that need
il beneficial influences. Is education
made easy Of attainment TO the colored
children Of Wilmington and do the
colored people really appreciate the
school privileges afforded theml have
become subjects oflively debate among
colorcd dcbaters before large public
assem- blages Of col0red people. That
subject Of this kind should be select.
ed for discussion lie creditable to the
COlored people, "a II Ia ono that cannot
b discussed without bringing the sub
ject before tho people in manner that
will recommend itself.
In the discussion between A, Worth
ington Brinkley and David Anderson
on Thursday evening in Congress
Hall. the question Of whether TIE col
oEed people Of this city fully appfe.
Ciated the school privileges given
them was fully discussed. Mr.. Brink
Icy seemed to think that they did, and
that their privileges were not what
they ought to be. Mr.. Anderson was
OF tho opinion that the colored people
ought to be very grateful for the priv
ilegea they have, and found fault with
them for the ANAL appreciation they
showed for those favors. 1t seemed
unfortunate that 30 much Of the blame
tor the failure of a full appreciation of
school privileges should be shouldercd
on Miss Edwin B. Kruse, principal of
No. 16 school. Miss Kruse came here
with an advanced New England edu-
cation, and 1t Is just possible that she
may have set up too high . standard
OF attainment for community OF col
ored people that had no public school
privileges when she came here and
had to be lifted up by slow degrees
ever since.
She 10 accused Of not only using her
influence against high school Tor
colored children, but of actually clos
ing the one that was provided by the
Board of Education. 1t ia said that
being q graduate of high distinction
herself in New England institution
OF learning, she still favors those Tor.
elgn institutions and has Lad sent to
Lincoln University at Oxford, and in
situations In Philadelphia and else
where, bright, intelligent colored
scholars who should have been ECU
Gated in high school al home, and
thus impoverishing the high school o
material to such an extent that ii hat
10 be closed. We do not know how
true these charges are, but If the paucitI
Ofscholars has been the cause for CLOSING
the high school the complaint assume
solid proportions and 1t matters no
what may have been the causes which
bed TO the closing OF the colored higl
school there ought to be one main
tsined, even should II not be appre
ciated as fully as desired. and III
Board OF Education should see TO
that q high school ia kept open. Tn
colored people are entitled TO schoo
OF this kind, and they should have
even. II there were but few scholar
ready 10 take the graduating course
ii colored children are to be atforde
school facilities only in proportion I
the taxes that tax collectors do No
want to collect from colore1 taxpayer
what is TO become OF the thousand. {
children oil white parents, who al
meyer asked 10 and never think OF pa,
ing dollar OF school taxes il the San
rule was applied 10 ihem2 The Bear
Of Education has done well by Ii
colored children, but 10 do its who
duty i. should keep high school opei