Evening journal., 1919-11-06
CODE OPPOSITION
TO stunt SCHOOLS
say Officials Fail to Levy Tax
Needed for Educational
System
SOME WANT NO NEW
TANGLED LEARNING


The following from a stan CORES
oondent appears in the New York sun
lnder a Dover date line:
In the midst Of all the wranglng as
TO whether or not Delaware is to have
educational reform something in the
nature Of sand seems to have been
thrown into the state machinery. Az
the time OF this writing, officials OF
Kent county, in which Dover, the Stale
,apiial is located have levied no taxes
,or the support and maintenance Of the
new school system. ever which the
Statewide controversy RACES. This TAX
should have been sought two monts
ago, and by way OF explanation ihe
officials are protesting they simply
can't get their assessment sheets all IN.
Becaus OF this the schools Of Kent, one
OF the three counties in the Stale. are
running on faith.
This Is certainly pleasing TO the enc
mics OF the new school law with its
strong provisions for compulsory edu-
.ation. An editor Is quoted as having
'aid OF the attitude OF the people to-
Nard the new school law, They don't
want it and they are not going to obey
l."
This sentiment seems 10 be echoed
By the clique that bitterly opposed Gen.
r.. Coleman duPonts plans for improv-
ing the roads Of the state and that has
tied up The work Of thS dupont boule-
ward in certain sections until the pres
ent day.
Lax Tax Action Praised
10 is encouraged by representatives
Of absentee landlords who own large
tracts IN Delaware, but live in other
states and have no interest In the
people here. 10 also finds favor with
he landlord who IN the past was
obliged 20 pay school taxes only onthe
rental value OF his property which rep
resented only a very small part Of this
interests, and must now pay taxes on
an Of his land. 10 has the support OF
money collected IN their own district
may be used TO build school houses In
other parts Of the equally
one basis for the opposition 10 edu-
cational reform Is TO be found in the
fact that Delaware is "the last Of the
Colonies and that there still survives
among the old English families Of Sus-
sex, Kent and part Of New Castle the
ancient belief that a child is the prop
srty Of its parents until is become OF
age. and that no one has any right TO
compel those parents to send Il 10
school or 10 do anything with Il that
they do not choose TO.
But 10 Is a strange and noteworthy
fact that while these people have been
many cases fighting against any and
AT expenditures proposed for improve
ment Of their school houses. Della
wares negroes have been working IN
the opposite direction. While many
white school officials were making no
efforts for advancement Of education
IN the past. negroes were doing every
ming in their power 10 give their chill
lren better training than they had
themselves. While wealthy white peo-
PIE IN some sections were paying but
% cents on every hundred dollars
worth OF taxable property toward the
upkeep Of their schools, and were pro-
testing That expense, poor negroes were
voluntarily paying twice that rate and
one colored district was paving eight
lines that rate per hundred dollars
worth OF taxable property. II was found
on Investigation that in many negro
districts the colored folk loaned their
coal oil lamps 10 the schools and vol
dnteered 20 chop wood and make re-
pairs, although in most cases their
schools were unspeakably bad because
of the impoverished condition OF those
who were Obliged 10 support htem.
Importance Of School Fight.
fhe pending fight Il made addition
ally important because the Delaware
state elections are 90 be held next wear
end the terms OF office OF Governor.
Justices OF the Supreme Court leelsla-
tors and other officials all expire az the
end OF 1920. II is with this in mind
mat both the expOnents and opponents
OF the new educational laws ara vlgor-
ously campaigning the state The
former are in a condition OF consider
able anxiety because Of the recent
mobbing Of the court house here by
enemies Of school reform. They feel
That such action has violated Della
wares most sacred traditions, and that
II Justices should be refused reap-
pointment because they would not be
swayed by mob clamor. the State will
flnd itself in most deplorable con-
dltion.
George B. Miller, President Of the
state Board Of Education, is trying TO
win the public over TO support OF the
new laws, just as Pierre : dupont.
the vice-prcsident Of the board. is en-
ieavoring 10. Gov Townsend has
thrown the force Of his administration
Into the flght for improvement.
In answer TO the argument thst edu-
cation would lure the children away
from the farms, much data is being