Evening journal., 1919-11-01
OPPOSITION TO EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN
DELAWARE AS SEEN BY VISITING OBSERVER

Morning News. which is the only morn
ing newspaper in Wilmington.
Now. although Alfred /. dupont has
not publicly expressed himself on the
controversy; although his paper does
not attack 10 ediiorially, many people
In Wilmington refer 60 the leaders OF
the light against the new school law
as the Alfred ]. crowd"
Leaders in Drive on New Law.
Now leading this fight against the
new law in the most illiterate sections
OF the state irrespective OF party afllla-
tions are The corrupt politicians. That
element which is accustomed 20 driving
mp 10 The farmers gate and telling him.
who he is expected 90 vote for; The
demagogues who telain their power
through their hold upon the ignorant
are an making political capital OF the
light against the new code.
Among these people there still sur
Ni,e some Of the old Gas" Addicks in
llucnscs. Gas Addicks. 10 may be re-
called, was desirOus Of entering the
United states senate. and he decided
That Delaware would be the easiest
state through which 10 obtain his ends.
he appeared at Dover one evening. senl
Tor newspaper reporters and introduced
himself as a candidate for the position
Of United States senator.
Money than flower as 20 had never
been known 10 ilow in Delaware before
and there was developed In the central
and lower parts Of the Stale a band OF
corrupt politicians which has never
been cXlinguished. Vote buying Is not
uncommon In certain sections The poll
ticians give money 10 susceptible ones
with The request that they "work for
certain candidates. They would not in
suit them by stating directly that the
money was given In return for their
votes.
one Of the forms OF opposition sug-
gesicd 30 the farmers hy The politicians
Is that they boycott the new schools
that they keep their children away and
defy the law 10 come after them. The
demagogues tell them that II they are
arrested The local jury viii acquii them
Although the people OF Delaware are
not violent as q general rule many far
mers are now declaring that they VIII
shoot any man who tries 10 take their
children away 10 school. They declare
The new educational system is "revOlu-
iionary:' that 10 violates The cOnstltu-
lion by interfering with their personal
affairs. our people fought for less
cause than this in the Revolution" Is a
comment made at protest meetings.
Another feature OF the controversy is
its effect upon the Negroes who make
up 20 per cent. OF the population Of the
State. These Delaware Negroes have be-
haved themselves very we'll despite the
fact that the old educational laws dealt
harder with them than with any one
else and their schools were often
wrelched dens OF Nth But agliators
are now telling them that the new law
will compel them 10 pay heavy taxes or
go TO jail and are circulating other false
statements i'm order TO enlist them
against it. Their talk is having a bad
effect i'm that it is giving many ignorant
Negroes the idea that the law has been
enacted TO pcrsecute them and the fruit
OF this misapprehension is a feeling OF
bitterness towards the whites that had
never before been aroused.
The population Of the sections where
this storm RACES fercest is principally
composed OF persons Of English colonial
descent and the blacks. Those Euro
peon elements that usually stir mp
trouble are lacking. There is no Bolsha-
vlsm. no ]. w. w. ism: there is hardly
any labor union influence. Delaware's
menace Is simply illiteracy; an illiteracy
almost unbelievable In state that was
one OF the original thirteen.