Evening journal., 1893-01-03


The recommendation which / had the
honor to make in my last message, that
the required school books should be sup
piled to the pupils free of cost. having
met the approval of the Legislature has
been productive of the most gratifying
results From the superintendents Of
each of the counties il is learned that the
attendance of scholars, since the law
went into operation shows a marked in
crease, and at the same time the school
fund, which is derived chiefly from license
fees. has increased in proportion with
the expenditure necessary to furnish
school books free-the dividend for 1890
being SlO2, GAS 60, and for 1892, after
deducting the cost of text books, being
1921, 0S0 "a.
The cost of free school books for the
year ending August, 1892, wasS22, 9S4. 1s.
As this was the first year. the amount
necessary to put the lawf into practical
operation was greatest, and it will be
diminished in future years, so that a
very small portion of this amount will
be expended hereafter; but it is believed
in view of the benefcent operation of
the law and of the popular benefits de.
rived from this assistance to the poorer
classes of our com munity, that every
dollar, so expended, will receive the
hearty approval of all good citizens.
Upon examination of the auditors
report it will be found that at the close
of the school year in June, 1892,
the total amount in the hands of school
clerks was SOL ,433. 49,
This statement would seem to show
that the receipts for school purposes in
many districts are in excess of the
amount required for running the schools
in such districts, and that the tax nee
essary to be levied as condition upon
which they receive their proportionate
share of the school dividend is unneces-
sary. In view Of these facts, l would
recommend that the law be so amended
as TO reduce the amount Of tax required
TO be levied by the school districts, and
the people thus relieved of the unnec-
essary burden.
A due regard for the protection of the
public funds demands that such legisla.
tion should be enacted as will prevent
them from being held without ample
security to the State.
CoIored schools.
While good results are reported from
the legislation for the benefit of colored
schools, regret to say that the progress
made by the children Of this class of our
citizens has not been commensurate with
the advantages offered. l am led to
believe, however, that this failure is not
entirely the fault of these citizens, but
that it results very much from the fact
that the laws regulating the schools Of the
colored people and the expenditure of the
moneys appropriated for the benefit Of
their schools are crude and imperfect.
u IL
l would again submit for the considera-
tiOn of the General Assembly the ex
pediency of creating a State superin
tendent of public schools.
The Judiciary.
The requirements of this occasion con
strain me to direct your earnest atten
tion to another subject Of very urgent
Importance
At the last legislative session a bill was
introduced providing retirement salary
for members of the state judiciary, who,
having reached the age Of seventy years
and having held their commission fol
ten years or more, shall retire from the
bench. The object of this bill was u
provide the means of immediate retire
ment for those who, owing to the infrm-
tiles of advanced age, shall be no longer
able to bear the burden of arduous Judi
cial labors. Although this measure was
passed by the Senate, yet it failed in the
House because the gravity of the situa
tion was not then fully realized.
Since then, for more than a year past,
/ the actual transaction Of judicial bust
ness in each county has entirely depended
2 upon two only of the four law Judges OF
: the state. The inability Of either Judge
l by reason of illness or other casual disa.
bility, to attend his respective courts
? duling this period, would have abso
5 lutely suspended the administration oi
justice throp pghout the state. and left its
people without protection or redress 10y
D either criminal or civil proceedings 81
4 great has been the anxiety concerning
q this grave situation, especially in New
r Castle county, that more than sil
months ago, an organized effort wa
l made to induce me to convene the Genera
{ Assembly in extraordinary session Il
s make suitable provisions to meet so ser
D ious an emergency.
= After due reflection, however, it wal
J. deemed most advisable not to pursu
s this course, but to wait, if possibl
( your present meeting in regular biennia
S session. The urgent duty, therefore, il
t now devolved upon me of drawing you
j favorable attention TO, and recommend
p ing your earliest practicable action upOl
!, this pressing subject. The exigency
j. such that. if suitable provision to NEE
(, it shall not have been made during tn
I present session, a special session, wit
d its attending expense and other OF
e jections, may have to be convened 70
? that purpose.
l. The provision in that behalf whic
/ seems to be viewed with general favor
L that embodied in the bill introduced q
d the session Of 1891, to which have T,
e ferred. If similar bill, providing a
II adequate retirement salary for the age
# and honored members of the bench, VIII
II have long devoted the best years an
d efforts of their lives to the able and faitl
l. full administration of justice of this stat'
IS shall promptly be enacted, it is believe
ic that all which at present is really needle
D. will be accomplished. That such
a measure will generally be regarded a
eminently just now seems manifest. n
D. other course seems so well adapted {
vs. the attainment of so desirable resul
a and to the urgency Of the existing situi