The sun., 1919-11-02
SCHOOL REFORM
AIDS DELAWARE
CHILD SLAVES
"Owners" of "BOund" Lit
tie Ones Fight Law That
Gives Education.
WORK. NOT BOOKS, URGED
Youngsters Have No Time to
Spare From Work, Many
Say.
WORK, NOT BOOKS, URGED
sv a stae Correspondent o, The svx

~ O STAFF Correspondent Of The srN.
DOVER, Del Nov 1.--Much of the OPP
position to educational reforms in the
State OF Delaware at the present time
centres about the bound" or "home"
children. The number of these young
sters in this State at the present time
tannot be estimated, but 1t is fairly
Er2e. and while Delaware's leading
cpera,s-while her Governor, while the
)n1Thipf the greatest industry In the
blviy while bankers and business
her, educators and clergymen are
uplting to uphold the new school code
ind raise Delaware from her low lit
&racy level the owners of the bound
children are Opposing them tooth and
nall. They are now lending their sup
4 port to a band Of politicians who are
seeking to elevate themselves into
public office by pledging themselves
| to work for the repeal of the new
| laws.
The reason for this is plain, for un-
der the old laws, which had survived
since the eighteenth century, the ed
ucation given to these bound chill
I days were not many, and their owners
therefore found them very useful
about the farms or in whatever ca
pacity they might be employed. The
new law, however, would change this
In certain respects and it would COM
pei all children to attend school for
nine months every year, thus depriv-
ing the owner OF much of the chld's
services.
Relief for Children.
Advocates of the new school code are
declaring to-day that one of its main
virtues lies in the fact 1t will tend to
emancipate the bound" children, thus
stamping out what is regarded by many
as most pernicious form of slavery.
For the bound" child, according to
many Delawareans has been nothing
more than a slave. The bound child
may be the offspring of a soldier who
has given his life In the struggle for
democracy; 1t may be an orphan; II
may be any child whose parents, though
living are unable to provide for its
support.
r But be 1t what II may. this child. either
boy or girl, because of circumstances
over which it had no control. is taken
into court and legally bound out to an
adult. in the selection of which it has
no voice whatever to serve that adult
Tor given number of years. II II be
a boy the term ordinarily expires at the
age of 81: girls are bound to serve
until they reach the age of 1S.
The person acquiring bound" child
Is described in the revised code of Della
ware of 1915 as the master" and the
law gives to him the right to sell this
Schiid to another person just as he
would dispose of an OK or a horse The
law expressly provides that "if a minor
De bound to person and his executors
administrators and assigns he may be
assigned from person to person by as
signment executed, under seal, by both
assgror and assignee with the appro-
bation of any Judge of the State or
two Justices of the Peace" This as
signment Is referred to in the statutes
as the "order of sale"
The law also provides that such ap-
prentice shall be transmissible to ex-
ecutors, who may hold or assign him
as aforesaid"
Abuse for Little Ones
The bound" child, according to ma
tives of Delaware who have studied the
underlying causes OF the antagonism
toward the new educational laws, is in
variably the farm drudge The old law
merely required the master to give such
child reasonable education in reading
and writing" 1t provided under sec
tion entitled masters rights that the
master, whether original or by assign
ment or transmission, shall have a right
to the faithful services of the minor. so
bound, during the term OF apprentice
ship; and shall have the custody and
charge of such minor. with authority to
enforce his orderly and industrious be-
havior and obedience to lawful COM
mands by moderate correction and by
suitable and sufficient means"
This suitable and sufficient means"
was usually the cato nine tails which
hung within easy reach by the farm
house door and was not spared. II
the bound child rebelled against abuse
II It was sold to an oppressive and cruel
master and tried to escape after the
fashion of many an old time negro
sfaye-the law provided, and still pro-
vides, for its apprehension and return,
and as punishment requires that such
child shall have added to its term
of servitude the time of its absence from
tts master and must also work OUT
the cost of its recapture and return
When its period of bondage is finally
concluded the master must under the
law provide the child with two suits
OF clothes suitable to mis- condition"
There is also a provision in the
Revised Code of 1915 to the effect that
if one of the unfortunate girls gives birth
to child during her period of bondage
she shall serve an additional year after
the expiration of her original term
'and shall forfeit her freedom dues"
Also. any person harboring a child
fugitive from bondage. concealing such
child or encouraging bonded child to
disobey any order OF its master shall
be fined mot less than $50 and not more
than 800"
Work EN-, Then Beat 'Em.
Y Now the owners OF these little slaves
are giving vent to bitter attacks upon
the new school code. One of them was
asked a few days ago II he did not real
Inc the Importance of nine months com
pulsory education for all of the children
In tho State IL he did not feel that Della
ware, q State that has always prided
itself upon its Americanism. should do
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