Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-27

An Accidental Repu blican Legislature
Passed tile Law, and Now tho Syatcn--lt
Cannot bis Abolished--A Warming to the
People oil This state.
Eaitor Gascite, In view of the as
sertion of Republicans that they would
not, II in power, permit negro children to
attend the white schools in this State, ask
you TO publish Il bit of evidence which has
recently come to me- They claim that
their party favors the admission Of negro
children only where they are so few III
number that separate schools cannot be
maiutained--So few that it does not much
matter anyhow.
Recently was in South Jersey. That
part of the country is overwhelmingly
Republican. In conversation with Mr.
Cole, a school teacher i'll Cape May county,
and Il Republican who has served several
terms in the legislature / was somewhat
surprised to hear lin say that one of the
schools he had taught was nike checker
board, black and white all over it. III
reply % my expression Of horror at mixed
schools, he laughed merrily He thinks
that Delaware folks will get over such
narrow preiudlceS when they catch on to
the spirit Of progress.
| was led to make inquiry as to the facts
| about mixed schools IN Cape May county.
The county superintendent is Mr.. v. o..
Miller, 4 gentleman known to many of
our Kent countypcoplc. He had last season
u king crab factory somewhere near
Bowers beach. Ills letter follows:
| souTH DENNIS. n. j., Oct. 1S.-DBAR SIR: In
reply 10 your inquiry | can state that white
and coore Children are members OF tho same
school in many districts in New Jersey.
As TO the custom In Cape May county, can
| speak from my own observation and chn give
| you the facts. In districts, Nos u, - and aS,
| fully 20 per cent OF the pupils arc conrcf. and
| these attend the same sChOoi and are neuIDeI4
| Df The Glasses WIN tho whites, In Ms,
| III and -, separate rooms are provided for
| them aud they are taught By II teacher OF their
| own color
| In several other districts 81 the county there
| are small percentages OF colorcd children who
| attend the white schools.
| Hoping these replies Will prove satisfactory,
| remain yours truly, 20, MILLER,
| You will notice that the negro children
form a large percentage Of the children in
some of the white schools. There are at
| least three checker boards i'll Cape May
| county. That county is as far south rs
Sussex county, Delaware
1t is worthy Of notice that New Jersey is
| generally a Democratic state, The trouble
came when the Republicans got tile leS5,
lature in 1881. They made laws then that
it has been impossible to alter. This
| mixed school question is Il delicate one
| When Republicans get the legislature and
let the negro children into the white
| schools how can you ever get them ont!
Whenever bar between the races is Jet
down, the United States judges will moi
permit you to put it up again. Ii tht
| white people of Delaware are weak enough
to let the Republicans get control of thi'
State the evil effects OF their legislation
may never be undone. Gou can vote tho
Republicans out of the Legislature at some
future election. But can you ever vote
the negroes out of the schools into While!
they will then have been admitted? VIZ
must have Il thought as to that.
In regard to the New Jersey situation
quote from letter written BY the stat,
superintendent some years ago:
"a change has been brought about
however by the enactment of u law III tin
winter of ISL, which gives to the Coloret
children the right to attend the whit,
school even in districts where colore,
schools exist. In consequence Of this, tn
attendance in many of the cplured school
has been so reduced that they have beef
closed. Previous to this time the Ian wa
construed as giving to local school attthori
tics the right to require the cplorcd chill
drcn to attend the school which was main
tanned for their use. This act Of 1881 ha
thrown many colored teachers ont Of EN-
plOyment."
The propriety of sending negro children
and white children to school together is
question which may have two Sides to il
Those who favor breaking down race linz
and disrrgnrdng the little matter of coloi
hayet perfect right to think well Of mike
schools. IL 4 man likes hat kind Of thine
of course that is the kind Of thing lie like
and there is an end Of IT,
Iiut Delaware Republicans are afraid t
discuss that little question Of prppriell
! They think and wisely enough pcrchant
! that nurpcoplc are too ''preiuJilcedl an
not sufficiently progressive H. swallo
the Republican view OF miXed sclIoo
with good face. And so they deny iii
whole matter with warmth. They drclUi
that mixed schools are the creatures 4
Democratic inauguration. Every Dem,
crat who refers to the question is accuse
of being 4 blatant denlngOglc.
) But the cold truth is that the Rcpuhl
: cans have never controlled Il state IN Tn
Union for long without forcing ncgint
into the white schools. Why, even i
, louisiana Il state Of the lar south, the
carpet bag government tried the cXper
!; mcnt.
II is no appeal 10 prejudice to warn til
people that Republican success meat
! missed schools III Delaware. 1t may I
> that it is umy prejudice that makes lIs %
!; pose such schools. ! do not discuss tina
But it is not prejudice, it is simple truth I
, say that the Republican policy all over t!
: country has uniformly favored mike
! schools. Whoever speaks 10 tho contnT
! speaks falsely. L.. |. Ii.
/! NhwAEK, DEL, Oct 9Th, 1852.