Middletown transcript., 1895-12-14

Is it wise economyp Word comes
that schools are closed for lack of
funds, why is this? We hear of COL
ored school in our State where the
children can only come week about as
it is so crowded. Which is the cheapest
in the endp Let this continue or build
new school houses? What about the
changing of residences in school dis
tricts. In where educa-
tion is considered necessity. where
parents and families deprive them
selves of every luxury that it may be
gained, the average wealth producing
power of every inhabitant, including
man, woman and child is 73 cts. per
day. While the average in the United
States as whole is but 40cts.
Could not Delaware profit byIthis les
son, that the State in which education
has been most fostered, is the one in
which each inhabitant averages the
greatest wealth producing power. We
sometimes feel We are so far ahead of
foreign countries in this very respect,
but Prussia has had Compulsory Edu-
cation for more than one hundred
years. No wonder Germany has pro-
duced deep thinkers. We see the effect
of this wide spread education among
the working people, they are espec-
tally trained; gard eners, foresters and
mechanics ar far head in their
beautiful and intelligent workmanship.
The penmanslip Of the most ordinary
man or woman who hands you bill is
exquite in neatness. Germany requires
every child between the ages of 6 and
IA to attend school. France compels
attendance for eleven months. En-
LAND compels attendance for over
eleven months, giving but three W eeks
of holiday. Let lis compare that with
the duration of some of our country
schools. In Switzerland every educated
man speaks at least four languages,
French, German, Italian and English,
and We must appear half savage in
deed in the denseness of our ignorance
to the ordinarily cultivated Swiss gen.
tleman. To-day in Austria
and Sweden there are many
public schools with gardens attached
where botany and many sciences are
taught. Sweden alone has two thous-
and of these, no new school is without
a room where books on agriculture, etc.
are kept. Austria by law orders in
every school gymnastic ground, and
a garden in which the teacher may dem.
onstrate agricultural instruction. was
interested lately in reading that Swift
zerland is engaged in new industry,
namely the manufacture and exports
of highly educated and scientific men,
who are in demand as professors all over
the world. F. w. Hewes in one of his
recent articles in Harper's Weekly on
Education in United States speaking
of certain section said: They have
not yet come TO feel that the public
schools are their own local institu-
tions; they are not yet making Ier-
sonal sacrifices for the schools. So
long as we do not value the privileges
of a Christian education and 1 would
desire no other without sectarianism,
80 long will Delaware stand still. We
have gone to our politicians they will
do nothing, we come to you and plead
earnestl, with you to use every in
fluence in behalf of the little child.
The child who is the drudge at an
ea'ly age in a forlorn home, or ON the
remote farm, the child in whom are
tho same hopes, fears and desires as in
oar beloved aud we'll Cared for boys
and girls, ] believe nothing appeals 10
my heart as the Ill used child. Tni, k
Of the large interest . wide awake