Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-14

Monday nights meeting at the Opera |
House in sympathy with the movement
fayoring compulsory education was ex-
tremely unfortunate SO far as the
weather was concerned. But there was
very appreciative audience of between
200 and 800 persons gathered in response
to the call for the New Century com
mittee. All of them were well repaid
for the exertion they made In Drawing
the storm.
The speaker of the evening, the Rev.
r. ID. Mayo, d. D., of Washington, d.
O., made an extremely interesting adj
dress, one which will do a great deal
towards furthering the worthy efforts of
the ladies' Chief Justice Lore, who pre-
sided, made an Introductory speech
which was very much appreciated.
Two of the ladies' committee, Mrs.
Benjamin Nelds and Mrs. ]. Frank
Ball, closed the evening with excellent
addresses, whose purport, outside of
their valuable application to the points
under discussion, constituted not the
least attraction of the evening" In ad.
dition they emphasized the very definite
value of the public efforts now being
made for this most important measure
by the members Of the New.Century
Club, whom they represented. Chief
Justice Lore, accompanied by DIR. Mayo
and DIR. Hulburd, occupied seats on the
platform, and with them were the fol-
lowing ladies' Mrs. Benjamin NieldS,
Mrs. j. Frank Ball, Mrs. Miller, presi-
dent OF the New-Century Club; Mrs.
A. D. Warner, Miss Mather, Miss Nj. 5.
lIlles, Mrs. A. II. Berlin, Mrs. @. Wes-
ley Wedln, Mrs. William W. Pussy.
In opening the meeting the Chief
Justice spoke of universal education as
the great leading feature of the Nine
teenth century. 1t was born in the
throos of the French Revolution and
has continued growing to this day. 1t
came TO US with the thought that not
with the king alone, nor with the upper
classes is education, but with the COM
mon people, just as surely as govern
ment also belongs solely to them. 1t is
noted that crime is more prolific than is
intelligence. That alone is strong
argument for universal education.
Each individual voter is II law maker
and laws are good or bad in the measure
of the intelligence of the average voter.
That is the scientific fact of government
in this premises.
/ would be perfectly willing said the
SIbehhGI W uuHu Ofti lHU
of the education of the youth of the
State to the good three-fourths of the
fathers and mothers of the country.
But there is another fourth, and that is
the share that is poisoning the com.
munity. 1t is the evil leaven that is
working through and through!
Can you reach them?
The hand fthe law can. If you can.
not trust the parent you must trust the
State. This is no new question. Ii
France, Germany, Sweden, England to-
dav every child must 60 to school
Twenty.elght Of our States have tried 1t
While the system had not been per
tectly satisfactory in all yet in the cities
ut least, 1t has been mainly effective. II
Massachusetts, Maine and Kentucky
the law has been successful. The Chic
Justice was warmly applauded as Ii,
closed his speech and introduced DR.
Mayo.
DIR. MAYo's ADDRESS.
One hundred years ago, the speake
said, the British colonies decided to Gu
connection with the mother countr,
and to set up government for them
selves. They established for the frs
time in the history of the world con
stitutional republic Of the American
type. This republic meant govern
inent of the people, by the people, anC
for the people. A government through
which the people should act throGg
the carriage of flexible majority con
stitutIonally tested. 1t was move
thing for backwoods colony of fey
millions to essay. The young natio
was so poor as to find it necessary t
borrow money from Holland.
What is the result of that expendi
ture! Instead of 100000 population
is now 70,000,000. Instead of ID poo
States, there are now A big, powerfu
Commonwealths. IL has brought acros
the ocean twice as many people as OK
listed here during the time of Washing
ton. The London Times, and that is II
mean authority rs regards this countr,
saws the United States Is tle richie
country in the world. But STILL by /,
the most remarkable of our institution
is that OF the American common scho
system.
When the Continental Congress "a
sembled IL was discovered that iary
majority of the men gathered ON TIL
occasion were college bred. 1t was I'll
brains of the country. That was Il
assemblage that formulated the Const
tuition of which Gladstone, more tina
once remarked, is the most wonderf
document that ever came from the pr
of man.
The people made the State, h
church, the school. Never before had
nation undertaken the job of educatil
4 all the people for citizenship, Outside
y New England common schools did n
N exist before the Revolution. A remaik
bic event was that Of the union of
the States in the idea of II comm
school education, That wonderful wO
of the dedication of public lands
public education is the most signitica
fact in the history Of the COUNT
Every new State following tho adm
sion of Ohio came into possession
Statehood with treasure for pub
education more generous than u
country in the world.
The l6 confederate States of the sou
for the past 30 years have expended I
4 sum of $30,000,000 for the comm
school education, an amount equal
the grant of the British school subsi
for England, Ireland, and Wales. T
people have come 10 the conclusion Il
the common school is the cornerstone
the constitution.
The highest average Of school atter
ance is not in Massachusetts, or in n
England, but i'll Montana, Colorado,
Idaho, and the new mountain Stat
Why is it? The whole thing rests
The fact that government remains W
,he people. We have concluded
knI1 .k t.. no l1aV, 10 g,f