Evening journal., 1919-11-05


Sussex county than Bridgeville. They
have good schools there They built a
fine new school house there a short
time ago. They haven't paid for II yet
They owe several thousand dollars on
10. Under the new law that debt which
they contracted for their own schools Is
now shifted 10 the county. You must
pay II. That isn't the end. Bridgevllle
has now decided 10 build themselves q
100000 school house, while Mr.. du-
Points offer still Is good. He VIII fur
nish half, That leaves $4,000 TO be
paid by taxes. Who pays those taxes
FOR Bridgeville's $4,000 halfg You do.
You poor districts do Is that the rich
helping the poor? Why must Bridge
willie have this new 100000 building,
since she has a good school now, which
Is new and unpaid forg Well, you
know one member OF the County Board
OF Education in Sussex lives In Bridge
VILE, Mr.. Hill lie Is going TO dip in
the bucket while the dipping Is good.
Then Ed GOslee. another member OF
the county board. He wants a 100000
building In his town, at the expense OF
the county. al your expense. He has
told me so frequently. lie has told
me on several occasions that after he
gets his 100000 building he doesn't
care a rap FOR anything further regard
ing the code. There's still another mem
ber, Baker. OF SelbyNille. Laughter In
haln. ! guess from the smiles see on
the faces of lot Of you, you know
what he Is after. Oh, yes. that's the
way the rich districts are helping the
poor. But when do you poor, small
districts get your 100000 buildings 2
You don't get them. Long before your
turn comes they'll wipe you out by
consolidating YOU with some one else.
There's another feature that / don't
like. the consolidation feature. Chill
dren should go 10 school IN their own
neighb0rhood. There's lots OF work
connected with getting children ready
for school Think what ii means to
get little children ready for an early
start 10 some consolidated school, Ave,
six or even more miles away. Think
what 10 means 20 have them getting
home late from such a school That
isn't right. 10 keeps them away from
home all day. 10 depriyes you OF their
work of an evening.
Taking up the local school commit
tee, Mr. Layton said they were elected,
but they had no power. Their election
by popular vote Is farce. because
they cannot represent the people after
they are elected. They can DO nothing
without the approval OF the county SUI
perlntendent, not even hire a janitor.
He said the local school committee,
couldn't drive !
nail In a shingle put a window light In
the school or buy a stick Of wood with
out the permission OF the county SUI
perlntendent But he said the law said
they must have charge OF an the edu-
cailOnal activities In their school dis
trlct This is a trayesiy-a sad Joke
What Is a man, whom the law says
hasn't enough sense 10 hire a ianltor,
going 90 do In leading educational mat
ters? That law Is a hollow pretense.
10 was purposely written 90 deceive. 10
give the appearance OF guaranteeing
people a voice in their school affairs.
But after you cut out the useless Ian
giIage in Il and strip IL 0f It's pretense,
YOU will find il really provides for just
one thing-the autOcratic control Of the
public schools OF Delaware by the state
Superintendent and the three county
superintendents. They have all th'
voice: all the power. They are czars
That was the intent OF the law. Tha
was the intent Of those who wrote 10
That Is why they didn't allow any sal
airy 20 the State board and the county
board OF education. They wanted mel
on those boards who would not wOrl
and the way 10 get them Is 10 ask then
90 work for nothing.
"Of course, ] know that the men who
are back OF this new code may be
sincere There are men in every com
munity and every State and every coun-
try who really think, because OF their
wealth. their social position, their edu-
cation and for other reasons, that they
are especially fitted TO rule The rest
OF their people No doubt the Car OF
Russia thought that and was honest
and sincere in his belief. No doubt the
Kaiser thought the same way. And so
don't you fool yourselves. Don't you
forget gentlemen, that you are up
against a real danger The men back
OF this school code mean business.
They intend 10 go the limit. They may
be sincere. They may think theirs is
God-given right 10 rule you. But they
mean business. Backed by unlimited
money they have started propaganda
Backed by newspapers they are telling
their tales. Why they have their re-
porters right here In this meeting
There sits one and there sits another
indicating representatives OF The Eve
ming Journal and Every Evening They
are writing this meeting up In their
way 10 suit these men. When you get
these papers you will find they have
made fun Of you and OF Sussex county
and have lied about this meeting.
fCries OF Throw them out. Put them
ont" "Throw the reporters out ana
tableaux OF Daniel J. Layton, assuming
a heroic pose and raising his hand 10
1uiet the crowd and offer the TWO re-
porters his protection. Very Impressive
to the crowd
DON'T forget the propaganda the ad-
vocates Of the code are spreading Is
very adrolt Don't let them deceive
you. There r. no politics in this sohool
fght. There Is no factlonalism IN TINS
school light. You must let none get
I'm II. You mustn't let anyone make you
believe there Is any politics In this
school flght. for that is just what the
advocates OF the code or trying to get
YOU TO believe. That's their game. II
they succeed. you are lost. You must
hang together ] am in this night not
because OF any penOnal OF political mo-
tive. II thought the code were right,
would be with us advocates, even
though n made me unpopular / am
not afraid Of my popularity You all
know that. ] am not a candidate for
any office and / won't be a candidate for