Middletown transcript., 1895-12-14


life and earnest thought to the educa-
tion of the children of Delaware can
endure such an imputation. Cannot
you who are leaders in education and
moulders Of public opinion for its
standard, raise that opinion so our
laws may risep Is there any greater
wealth to state, any grander resources
than its children? Do they not exceed all
else, exceed our commercial or our ag-
ricultural riches? Think then what at
titude we shall assume on this question:
What fathers, mothers, and teachers
can devise and advocate that will give
every child Of our State full chance.
ample opportunity for the development
of all it's faculties.
A New Jersey friend recently in
formed me their truancy and CON-
pulsory laws worked like charms.
Since the first had become operative the
number of inmates usually committed
to the girls reform school had been
reduced two-thirds, and here is where
the question appeals to me especially.
for as an Associated Charity visitor
1 know there are little ones working
in our factories who should be reap
ing the benefits of school attendance.
Also there are boys in our Ferris H.
dustrial School to-day who were CON-
mitted there because we are without a
training school in our city.
have seen also, boys playing idly on
the open lots learning deeds of dark
ness and ways Of sin. 1 have seen
again New Castle Jail filled with either
ignorant criminals or with such a
meagre education, with few exceptions.
they were virtually ignorant, and
strange to say on this point the only
Compulsory Education We have in our
State is compulsory education in crime.
Mark it, dear friends, for with our
present iniquitous Jail system which
where inmates are kept in idlenesS
more shames are hatched in this school
of crime. Ex-Sheriff Simmons in
formed me recently that he had fol-
lowed some of the people of whom he
had charge while serving in his official
capacity over our county Jail and he
knew of no instance where even one
was leading better life; they were
falling lower and lower. So dear
friends shall we not stand together on
this vital question, for we must give
our children nobler chance. Will
you not clasp hands with the New
Century Club and take the stand for
the protection Of the little ones for the
future good of our homes, society and
the State? If it is just it is right, and
justice and righteousness must preva i.
Mrs. G. S. HoWland's Paper, read
before the Teachers of New Castle
County, Dec. 9Th, 1895:
The New Century Club of Whining
ton, which l represent, is deeply inter.
ested in the cause of education fol
Delaware's children, an association
mostly of mothers, we plead for the
motherless and neglected ones of oul
State.
The words Compulsory Education
seem to have to many sense of some
ironclad law which will cause great
Irritation and trouble. May l explain
our demands? Some five years since it
came to the knowledge of some Wo.
men that there vas not among the
statutes of Delaware one law to pro
tect child from any labor which its
parent, guardian or employer should
choose to require, so long as actual bod.
lily cruelty was avoided.
Do you realize what this means !? Ii
means the baby when but six years old
may be set to work and will probably
keep at work demanding little intelli.
gence for perhaps seventy years OF un.
til death mercifully releases the worn
out machine from its round Of toll.
What a life What chance for any
ray of light to penetrate the darkness
of that mindl An effort was made some
years since to secure the passage Of a
law limiting the age of employment
and requiring the protection of the
child's life while in the factory. The
bill had no chance of success and was
defeated. IL was far more important to
manufacture woolens and to protect
the canning business than to manufac.
ture good citizens and good women.
Said one member Of the Legislature
to me at that time "down our way we
put them to work at six, in the shingle
factory"
Again last winter we approac he'd the
subject from another point; we thought
they dare not refuse, in this day, to
see the need and benefit of education
for some part of the year for the chill
dren. We only asked for twenty
weeks, and again { member of the Leg
islature confronted us with these words
sNo! I'll not vote for the measure.
have peach basket factory and en-
ploy from fifty to a hundred children
myself, and they are all under ten
years of age.n Are We living in a
heather countryP Are the good peo-
pie of Delaware asleep, that there is no
law to step in between the greed of
parent and employer and say, "the
child belongs partly to the community,
you have a duty to the State, the child
must have chance" Is there sad
der expression from man than 81 never
had chance''. Look out, away, to
other States, are we behind them in ed