Evening journal., 1919-11-19

tives and ascribing TO them base and
mean qualities. lie accused the friends
OF the code OF launching a campaign OF
foul newspaper publicity, and referred
TO some articles published recently in
the New York sun, which he denounced
as common slander against the State Of
Delaware. He accused the friends OF
the code OF being behind those articles
and said II was "one Of the ways they
intended trying 10 force the code upon
the people OF Delaware" lie denounced
the New York Suns articles regarding
bound children. and said II they were
true somebody would have heard Of Il
and action would have been taken. lie
said Governor Townsend evidently
/ never had heard OF IT, or he would
i have taken action. and that he had
been deputy attorney general for three
years and he had never heard OF such
conditions.
lie then took up the report that he
was opposing the code for political rea-
sons. lie denied II. He said he had been
accused OF being a candidate for the
/ next Legislature. and he issued an I'M
qualified denial that he would be a
candidate for the Legislature He said
/ he had been accused Of wanting 10 be
Judge. As In his Georgetown speech,
he did not deny this. Neither did be go
on record as not being a candidate. lie
merely said he didn't think he ought to
be candidate for supreme judge. be-
cause although he was professionally
equipped for the position he did not
believe he was temperamentally suited
70. the job and besides II he got the
job some people would die OF heart
failure.
He then attributed his opposition TO
the code TO the fact IL is "autOcratic,
un-demOcratic and un-American." IL
puts power and the spending OF money
in the hands Of men who hold no rom
mission from the people. He said there
were two schools OF political economy.
those who believe in democracy, like
Thomas jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
and those who believe that because OF
sheir birth and wealth and social posi-
ton, they should have the right 10 rule
their fellow men. lie placed himself in
the first class.
lie also said he was opposed 20 the
code because il would make the public
schools OF Delaware the football OF
politics. lie said the school code was
not a political issue unless the friends
OF the code made il so. lie then deliv-
cred an ultimatum TO the school code
friends: Unless they stop their pub
licity for the code, unless they agree
with him and other enemies Of the code
that It is very defective, unless they
pledge themselves TO join with him and
ssFH 20 h.n
code, and unless they join with him.
Republicans and Democrats alike" in
selecting and electng q Governor and
Legislature next year who. viii be re-
sponsive to the people, unless they do
all these things, then the school code
friends viii stand accused Of playing
politics.
Taking up the passage OF the Code
he said it was not understood when
The code was introduced In The last
General Assembly that II was 30 be
passed. Il was merely 10 be discussed
He said late in the session IL suddenly
began TO be whispered about that the
Code would be iammed through. lie
said a friend Of GOvcrnor Townsend
warned him that II would be inadvis-
able 10 pass the Code until the people
had been consulted, but the Governor
replied that IL wouldn't do 20 wait be-
cause II the people learn too much
about IL they never will pass &C." He
said "the Governor then got busy as a
bee in his sanctum. and the Secretary
OF State got busy in the lobby, button
holing the members OF the legislature
10 pass the Code, pleading with them
and even praying with them. Some of
the legislators agreed TO vote for it as
joyfully as a hog looks forward 10 hog
killing day"
Taking up the code he charged Il
lacked democracy. He said the State
Commissioner OF Education Is elected
in 81 States OF the Union; he hs ap-
pointed by the Governor in seven
others. and he is appointed by the
state Board Of Education in only seven
States The whole theory Of the school
code is 20 get as far away as possible
from the people. He said wherever.
here and there. in the code 10 made a
pretense OF comforting power on the
people, on the next page Il took Il all !
away again. He denied the County |
Board Of Education had any power. I
lie said although they were elected. (
they were the servants OF the County /
Superintendent, that they could do /
without the County Superin- |
tendent first recommended IL.
He criticised the minimum salary OF /
the county superintendents, S2,700, |
under the new code and said in Mary /
land their minimum salary was only /
81 500. He charged the code was writ /
ten TO favor Superintendent Hardesty, /
OF Sussex county. He also said the /
code made OF the superintendent car 1
whom teachers all feared. lie said |
teachers today were afraid to express |
their opinions OF the code because Of ]
the power OF the county superintend- |
ent to punish them.
He reiterated his arguments made at |
Georgetown and printed in detail in |
the Evening Journals report Of that /
Regarding the fallacy Of rich .
helping ;he poor ones N The I
program, again citing Bridge
vile. Sclbyville and Stockley, homes of
the three SUSSEX county commissioners
as examples Of getting buildings. by
He again scored the county unit sys-
tenn OF government IIe said the Code
SAID the local school trustees should be
leaders OF education" in their districts. /.
but took all power from them and
treated them with contempt. Yet" 4
he said, "in .he campaign Of 1920
lot Of school code advocates who dc-
'end this opinion OF the local school
trustees. will be become candidates for
ss0ca and want votlr VOtn They Mfll