Evening journal., 1920-03-17
sussex Faction
AGAINST CODE
continued from FIrst page.

! on"
That these remarks OF Daniel J. Lay
ton reflected the sentiment OF the over
whelming majority Of those present
was evidenced by the uproarious ap
plause which he received, intermingleC
with shouts OF that's the stun Ear
lier In his remarks Daniel J. Layton
said.
"Thls special session OF the General
Assembly has been called because the
School Code has proved miserable
failure and is unworkable, and those
behind 70 know the fact can no longer
be concealed. and something desperate
must be done and done at once. That
Is the only reason and the sole reason
Of the special sessions being called.
The question Of womens suffrage has
nothing 10 do with &C.
"The reason the school Code is a fail
lure is because it was written and is be-
ling operated by two kinds OF people
First. idealisls, who have no practical
knowledge. Second, by men who wor-
ship The Almighty dollar and therefore
worship Mr. dupont He means well but
he knows nothing. absolutely nothing,
lab0ui the needs OF the common people
or about schools lie said, III you will
write a School Code 90 suit me. and
build school buildings 10 suit me ] will
give you S2000OO0. That Is not demOc-
racy. That is not The way 10 get good
school laws"
In the course OF his speech, Mr. Lay
ton went over The same old objections
TO the School Code that ne made in his
/ frequent speeches against the Code last
winter, although be was appreclably
more bitter and uncOmpr0mising In his
manner than formerly lie still insists
there must be a change in the state
Board Of Education. the state COmmis-
sioner OF Education, a radical revision
/ OF The powers of the county suporinten-
dents and a reduction Of their salaries.
and above all the old powers Of the
( commissioners OF local school districts
must be restored so That the people VIII
rule and have full voice and nnal au-
thority In their local school affairs.
Although u was stated in news items
sent out from GeorgelONA by George
town correspondents that the purpose
OF the meeiing were 90 consider the
questions Of Women's Suffrage the
school Code and amendment 10 the
HlHor laws, the leaders Of the meeting
attempted TO c0niine us consideration
to The School Code.
me meeting was called 90 0-der by
senator j. d. short Of Milford. presi-
dent pro TEN Of the state Senate. I'm
call'ng 10 to order Senator Short said:
AS you all know. a few days ago the
Governor issued a call for a special ses
sion OF the General Assembly. lie
dldnt give us much time, only two
weeks notice Aler his call was issued
several members Of the LEGISLATURE
from Sussex county suggested 10 me
mat we have meeting here TO discuss
the school Code and 10 get the view OF
lhe people, so l arranged this meeting.
Nothlng whatever was said or suggested
about discussing any other question
especially the suffrage question. We
want 70 hear from taxpayers and prom
.erty owners as TO why the School Code
should be amended"
Unfortunately for Mr.. shorts claim
TO copyright credit for The meeting
Landreth /. Layton the 0rsi day after
me Governor issued lhe call for the
special session. announced that ne and
Daniel j. Layton were going 10 have a
meeting IN Georgetown for the nnrpose
or taking action against the School
Code and he, Landrcth Layton. was go
ing to'preside Just 20 show that Ian
dreth Layton either knew what he was
talking about or possessed great now
ers or prophecy. he was nominated as |
chairman Of the meeting as soon as
senator short had finished his brief
statement. Harry Clendaniel. member
OF The Legislature from Lincoln CITY. /
an enemy Of the School Code and a /
Layton lieutenant In Sussex county |
placed Landreth Layton In nomination f.
as chairman and moved The nomina- I.
tion be closed. senator Short nut the /
question, declared 10 unanimous and /.
turned the meeting over TO Mr.. Lay /
ton
Landreih Layton opened the meeting |
by a speech. which IN part. was a re- /
Nival OF The charges he made in a
speech In the same courtroom early |
last September when. as chairman Of |
another meeting against mass meeting
hc and his followers had arrangcd /
against the School Code he prodicted 1
the meeting he then held would cause
"a rumble outside the doors OF tho Su-
preme Court Of Delaware and make the
Judges see on which side their bread
was bultered. lie began by relierai-
Ing The old charge that the School Code
was rushed through the last General
Assembly before anybody had time to
know what 10 was He denounced Il
IS unworkable, as outrageous. as tre-
nendously increasing The burdens of
he taxpayers without giving them any
additional benefits. as being operated
by a Stale Board OF Education which
know no1hing about schools or the
reeds OF the people
Mr.. Layton said Pierre s. dupont was
very generous man and no doubt ne
lad good intentions. but that no matter
low good his intentions that was on
" very small part Of the question.
Tor he might have good intentions and
not know anything about the schools
He said although taxes had been doub-
led and trebled, under the new code.
teachers were being paid loss than un-
der the old system, children were going
TO school fewer days and were recelv-
lng less education. lie said there was
one school I'm Kent county which had
been IN session only 80 dsvs since
the school year began last Sepiember
and another one IN Kent county had
been in session only a days-lwo rec /.
ords that were far worse than any
thing ever known under The old svs- /.
tenn. He charged that overhead ex-
penses were eating up so per cent. OF
all the taxes raised under the new
code. that only 20 Ter cent. on the peo-
pies taxes ever reached tho school
children In the form OF education.
Governor Townsend bas eatd ~ ~