The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-26
FREE SCHOOLS.
A Compulsory Education Law to
be the Outcome, No Money
for Denominational
Purposes.

| DOVER Feb 25.-The report of the speo.
Ial committee on education was consider.
ed by the Convention to-day. Compulsory
Educatlon will be the order of the day nc.
| cordng to the following section,
The General Assembly shall provide for
| the establishment and maintenance Of
| q general, suitable and Efficient system, Of
free schools, and may require by law that
| every child not physically nor mentally
disabled shall attend the public schools
| unless educated by other means
1t has been the practice in Delaware for
great many years for the Levy Courts Of
the counties to appropriate small sum of
money for the encouragement of Sunday
schools. The sum several years ago was
fixed at $500 for each county, which was
distributed according to the number of
pupils in each school; but recently this
total has been decided by the number Of
schools in county, and the practice was
enacted into law. The Committee on
Education agreed to abolish this practice.
Mr Spruancc regarded 1t as wise pro-
vision that the State should contribute
no money to denominational purposes.
There was disposition in some uuarterI
to claim, he said, that such clause in the
Constitution was aimed at one church,
but such was not the fact. 1t was aimed
at all churches and denominational So
cieties alike
Mr.. Elligood was opposed to any effort
to do away with the Sunday school Sp.
preparations, They enable many school
to keep up its organization.
Mr.. Donahoe, of Wilmington, said that.
so far as he knew, the extent of the benefit
ever received by the Catholic Sunday
schools OF this city was $l50. He wanted
the whole system changed and the State
separated from the Church,
off \
section. After brief discussion the
amendment was adopted. The section as
amended reads as follows:
section 2. No portion Of any fund now
existing, or that which may hereafter bo
appropriated, or raised by tax for educa-
tional purposes, shall be appropriated to,
or used by, or in aid Of any sectarian
church or denominational school,; pro.
vlded, that all real and personal property
used Tor school purposes, where the tuition
is free, shall be exempt from taxation and
assessment for public purposes
The convention during the afternoon
adopted the following section as sub.
stitute for Section of the committees
report. Il
Section 0. No part OF the principal or
income OF the public school fund, now o.
hereafter existing shall be used for any
other purpose than the support Of the
The school fund is composed of bank
and other stock, aggregating nearly $3.50.
oOO, and 1t pays an annual interest of
nearly = per cent.
This income of about $4,000 has been
supplemented by the income from LIQUOR
and other licenses, largely collected in
WilminAon, making a total of nearly
Sl25, 0OO which the state has hitherto, d..
vdcd as follows;-
New Castle County $40 pe8
heht county. INSTRUMENTATION. 4,l35
SUSSEX County. 34Bl3
Institutes and books ks,. 10000
Colofeu schools. S.,..................., 1900
lotal .,..............,... ...... ,.Sl23 7l3
Of the so, 900 thus annually raised OUT
side of tho income for the school fund,
New Castle County has furnished nearly
S75, 600, and received in return only about
1885, 900 of that income. In other words,
that county has been contributing about
10000 u year toward the education Of
the children Of Kent and Sussex Coun-
ties.
The Committee on Education reported
a section continuing this irregularity by
leaving 1t to the General Assembly, which
has hitherto maintained the young. TO
this wrong, Mr.. Spruance offered
q substitute for the committees report in
the following language
Section 4. In addition to the income Of
the public school fund the General Assem-
bly, shall make provision for the annual
payment Of not less than 500, 900 for
the benefit ofpubliC free schools which
with the income Of the public school
fund shall be annually apportioned
AMONG the school districts according
to the average number OF pupils attend.
ing the public free schools therein
during the year ending on the first day Of
January next preceding tho time Of such
lpportionment; provided, however, that
Il such appOrtiOnment no distinction
hall be made on account Of race or color
md separate schools for white and colored
children shall be maintained.
The question, which promises to arouse
intense interest and sharp differences, was
,llowed to go over.