Milford chronicle., 1919-12-05
WANTS RETURN TO
OLD SCHOOL SYSTEM
bANIEL J. LAYTON, R., AGAIN ATTACKS
SCHOOL CODE, AT A PUBLIC MEET
ING in BRIDGEVILLE.
AUDIENCE MOSTLY FARMERS
IN A SPEECH OF NEARLY TWO HOURS
HE CRITICIZED THE NEW SCHOOL
CODE AND ITS PROPONENTS.

Deputy Attorney General Daniel ]
layton of Georgetown addressed a
large audience, composed mostly OF
farmers, in Keller's Theatre in
Bridgeville Tuesday night of last
week. His subject was the new school
code and in a talk of nearly two hours
he criticized the code and its propon-
ents. He said that Mr.. Pierre S. du-
Pont had explained the code as far
as he is capable of knowing, but fails
in knowing the minds of the people of
Sussex county. A man who does not
know the minds of the people cannot
explain their laws or understand their
wishes.
MIR. Layton charged the school code
friends with unfair tactics. He said
instead of defending the code. they
began attacking the critics of the code,
impugning their motives and ascrib-
ing to them base and mean qualities.
He accused the friends of the code of
launching q campaign of foul news
paper publicity and referred TO some
articles published in the New York
Sun which he denounced as common
SANDER against the State Of Delaware
He accused friends of the code being
behind these articles, as one of the
ways of forcing the code on the public
Of Delaware%
Mr.. Layton then took up the report
that he was opposing the code for DO
litical reasons, and emphatically de-
MED these charges. saying if there was
anything political he was after he
would be at home cussing the code. if
he so desired, instead of talking about
the code where he was liable to make
political enemies. He attributed his
opposition to the code to the fact that
II is autOcratic, undemocratic and un-
American. It puts the power of
spending money in the hands of men
who hold no commission from the peo-
pie. He said there were two schools
Of political economy-those who be-
lieve that because in democracy like
that of Thomas Jefferson and Abra-
ham Lincoln. and those who believed
because of their birth and wealth and
social position they should have a
right TO rule their fellow men. He
said the code was not a political issue
unless the people made it one
Taking up the passage of the CODE
Mr.. Layton said it was not understood
when it was introduced in the Cen
eral Assembly, the general belief was
that it was not to be passed, but mere
" discussed. He charged that the
code lacked democracy. He said the
State Commissioner of Education is
elected in 81 states of the Union, he
Is appointed by the Governor in seven
others, and he is appointed by the L
State Board of Education in only seven a
States. The whole theory of the e
school code. he said, to get as far l
away as possible from the people.
Mr.. Layton said wherever, here and p
here in the code. it made a pretense r
Df comforting power on the people, on Il
the next page it took it all away He
lenied that the County Boards of Ed S
lcatiOn had any power; although Sc "
ected by the people they were SER a
gants of the county superintendents
and could do nothing without their u
sanction. He accused the code pro- n
,Onents of wanting a gum shoe" cam o.
)aign, without any publicity whatever
Why not print the code for a year, for a.
he people to become acquainted with y,
,efore putting it In actual force He II
.lso said the code centralizes power Il
n the hands of a few persons, and NJ
hat no district could make repairs to
school house amounting to more >
han $500 without the sanction of the
tate Board of Education.
In his further discussion Mr. Layton -
aid under the old system, after the ~
eachers were hired and fuel bought po
II the winter. there was no more need ~
Or money, but under the code you ~
ill have ample funds to build a po- W
tical machine. He criticised very o. os
harply the minimum salary of the III
Ounty superintendents, $1,000 a year.
lille that in Maryland is only 81 1,S00
Ie charged those who wrote the code
ith being a particular friend of Su. -
Hardesty of Sussex
Dunty schools. He also said that in D'
sveral conversations with rich men =.
Du hear them complain of one tax ~ y.
TER another, and when these people lo
)mplain about taxation why should qu
Dt the poor farmer of Sussex county 70
ave a complaint, and a just one at oil Oh
lat. ,,,- SIe
Mr.. Layton closed with an appeal Il
r a return Of the old system Of edu- pa
ltion, in which pupils were taught ne ne
e elementary things they should an
low. and teachers were fearless and 49,,