The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-16

the public schools of our city, and
especially the intent to establish one
in the Howard school, the more ad-
yanced public colored school in the
city:
while It Is right that all girls should be
taught TO sew aud cook, the Justice OF 10
comes with stronger.1urce TO the colorel
SCHOOLS. Colored girls have hardly any
other thought, even when children, than
that when they are old enough they may
10 10 service"
We We're surprised to find ourselves
almost sayagely attacked in commu-
nication in the Every Evening last
evening by colored gentleman sign
ing himself Il. c. b. Van Dyne, who
says he has been n teacher of colored
schools. We do not know this gentle
man, but had he brought his commu-
nication to the REPuBLIcAN, us he
should have done under the circum-
stances, we might have become ac-
quainted with him and might have
had an opportunity to have explained
our position upon this question posi-
bly, more to his satisfaction. 10 show
the general trend of his fault-flnding
we publish this paragraph:
Il would like TO be informed where the
writer OF thai editorial derived his infor-
nation nS 20 the aspirations of the femi-
nine part OF the rising negro race rs his
assertion IL somewhat astounding. IL Ia
news TO me. and IL II news TO my fricnds.
Ihe writer has Travelled among his negro
brethren through good Part OF the
Southern States and TAUGHT in mnnN
SCHOOLS Tor negro childrcn, and has had
thousands Of girls atdiiferent times under
niS care, and moreover ~ Il negro himself
and as such associates with them md he
heves he has us good an opportunity as
the average white man, and perhaps even
uetttr one, to ascertain the IDEAS of both
the rising and adult generations of negroes
aud their needs. Among the many wishes
Of our young ladies' have failed to note
that one OF them was to educate herself so
~ 70 become skilled servant and able 10
cook good dinner and wash tine pots and
pans la some white mans Kitchen"
We were not aware that we were
stirring up a hornets nest when we
referred to the matter, or we might
have explained our feelings more in
detail at the time. Far be il from us
that we should say word derogatory
of labor or OF those who arc compelled
10 labor. Is IL not an actual fact that
colored girls, while young, look for
ward with dread to tho drudgcry OF
the kitchen?
They may look beyond it to the
stnres and the counting houses, or to
u life Of ease without labor, but owing
70 the present constitution Of society
the outlook IL not at all encouraging.
We wish it were more SO, 1t ought to
be better. But the barrier walls are
there and they are very slow to give
way to the force of advanced public
opinion, that like a battering ram has
been trying for many years to break
them down. Colorcd girls are showed
into the kitchen and wash house
whether they want TO go there or not.
While We favor the teaching Of white
girls sewing and cooking, il was of
course to make better wives and bet
Ter housekeepers OF them. Could we
advocate such training for colorcd
girls without the same object in view
As colored girls, owing to the I'M
founded prejudice against them, as a
general rule are excluded from stores,
and from some branches even of
manual labor like painting and carv-
ing, whore white girls make them
telves useful they arc compelled to
enter tile kitchen and nursery and
rough it along rs best they can. For
these reasons we said that the justice
Of teaching sewing and cooking,
came with stronger force to the col.
ored schools We do not sec that we
have any apology to make or any
thing to take back The aspirations
OF colored girls to rise in tile world
will be accelerated by q thorough
knowledge of how to do everything in
nskillful and Intelligent manncr. We
would rcquircnothing NOR" OF colorcd
than Of white girls Educated cooks,
educated nurses aud educated dress
makers and seamstre5ses are the de,
mand Of the day.
The educated part of it takes away
the slavery and drudgury part OF it
1t is greatly to be regretted that tn,
white girl has to great extsnt been
driven out of the kitchen, and the HON,
sewing circle hus become unpopular
The manual training school is t.
bring white girls back to the kltche,
and the sewing room, US well as tC
educate the colored girls in that dI
rcctiOn.
We agree with our friend that col
ored girls have too little disposition [,
educate themselves to become skille,
servants "and able to cook a goo
dinner and wash the pots and pans il
some white mons Kitchen"
The latter part might have bee
omitted. There is too little dispos
ton to do it IN their own kitchens an,
the same thing IS true In regard I
white girls. The trend Of q youn
lady's education Is too much in tn
direction Of Incidence and life q
ease and pleasure, instead OF u bus,
active life Of Usefulness. Dresslun
dansing and music arc the nttyr-da
',As&Soomplishmnnil that are dcyradig
tie Eferhen and lie sewing room. I
bring society back by superior cdr
cation TO the kitchen, nursery an
sewing room is the grand object of Il.
manual training schools, and the girl