The sun., 1919-10-31

has had upon the State, one must know
that almost all OF Delaware Ia made
up of farm lands The city Of Whining
ton is the one and only Industrial centre
That Is because of its geographical To-
cation which puts II in close touch with
Philadelphia. Lying on q railroad line
which connects New York and wash
ingtcn, and with the Delaware River
opening It to ocean trade, II has out
grown the rest Of the State
Pant of State Isolated.
But I'VE miles below Wilmington, the
traveller passes into the agricultural
country q realm cut of from the big
lanes of travel because of the fact that
IL is situated ON that peninsular which
lies between Chesapeake Bay and the
waters Of Delaware Bay and the At
lantic Ocean.
The only railroad running into Della
| ware below Wilmington is a branch line
that passes through Dover and into
southeastern Maryland; further develop
, ment of the country having been Bit
terly opposed by many old natives who
( didn't want no outsiders coming In"
So about ninety per cent or upward
| OF the territory OF the State has been
! kept to this day in a condition which vir-
| tually isolates II from the rest of the
United States
1t Is In that part Of the State that f.
farthest removed that the opposition to
the new law is strongest. That Is in the
| county of Sussex. Kent county, stu
ated In the middle of the State, also
possesses many opponents of progress.
while Newcastle. which Is the third
county and the one in which Wilmington
is situated Is most strongly In favor Of
| the reforms.
Another cry which many farmers
raised against the new law was the COM
pulsory education. Under the old sys-
| tenn the children were required to at
tend school but i've months year at
the most and II the trustees saw At they
| might reduce this term to three months.
| They frequently reduced 1t to three
months 80 that they might save a little
| In the way of expenses and thereby save
a few cents taxation.
The section of the old law providing
for this reads as follows ct Is Section
II Of the Truancy Law and contained
in the Revised Code OF Delaware of
1879: Every parent. guardian or other
person in this State having control Of a
child or children between the ages of
quired to send such child or children to
a day school in which the common Eng
lish branches are taught and such child
| or children shall attend such school con-
tinuously for at least five months each
year during the time In which the public
schools in their respective districts shall
be In session, beginning not less than
one month after the opening Of said
school, unless such child or children
n hall H. a4N -Iax I<xr
majority of the commissioners Of the
school district which the parent guar
dian or other person resides, upon the
presentation to said commissioners OF
satisfactory evidence showing such
child or children are prevented from at
tendance upon school or application tc
study by mental, physical or other ur-
gent reaeons. and such excuse must be
countersigned by the county superinten-
dent of the county In which such dis
trict 10 located, but the urgent reasons
shall be strictly construed and shall moi
permit of irregular attendance.
Reduction of Attendance.
Each school district shall have power
, each year ct It's regular annual meetins
to reduce the period Of compulsory at
tendance to not less than three months
, In which case the school meeting mus
: at that date fix a time for compulsor,
attendance to begin, but such date shall
not be later than January second Of eaci
: school year."
This law permitted cruel and ignoran
farmers to get a maximum of work on
{ of their children At school the,
thought the young ones only learned Z
be sassy At home there were mil
: lion and one tasks for them to perform
{ Therefore when the new law undertook
to compel them to send the children 3
school at least $50 days a year. that !
/ nine months Of i've day school weeks
/ the men that had been working tn
children like slaves in the past fel
: greatly outraged.
3 They attacked the law with fury. Tha
Y their children were entitled to an edu
E cation never entered their thoughts
; Lrhey saw in the n1w saisool code merel
f4 ipw that would 6spnve them OF son
VERY acknowledgement -~@@f
D Still another cause for widesprea
|. complain was found. Delaware was al
Q most devoid of teachers. Tho 10,
v salaries had driven the capable ones
a other States or to other occupations
: They had also discouraged others froI
studying to fit themselves for q teacher'
career. Although the new law provide
for the training of prospective teacher
: II was very hard to get any for immt
n diate needs Some competent ones cam
: from other States and then the enemie
. of the new law protested that the
4 didn't want their children under "foreig
( influence"
: ANY teacher coming from New Jerse.
n Pennsylvania or Maryland was reearde
A In certain sections as a hated foreigne
' and one from whose influences the CHILD
v hood of the community should be car
fully guarded.
4 with opposition thus raging. Governo
r Townsend asked Pierre s. du Pont, on
a OF the chief exponents Of the new scho'
y code. who had spent fortunes for pull
1 lie welfare to act as vice-president {
= his State Board of Education. Despii
n his enormous business interests as hea
q CT the great Du Pont concerns, Pierre
/ du Pont, accepted this post and pegs
n 10 work for the new school law.
n But there is another Du Pont In WI
minRton with whom Du Points genel
1 | ally are not on good terms. He Is Attire
n 1 du Pont, who after some persons
d and private disagreements with the otht
X members of the Du Pont family BEGAN
d quite unwelcome in their circles. Short
after the outbreak Of the European wa
d the other members of the family d.
l. cided that Alfred's influence In Il
o Du Pont munitions works was not
o their liking, and they ousted him fro
" the board of directors Of the Du Pont {
d Nernours Powder Company. Later wht