Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-25
STATE SCHOOL LAW IS.
DEFENDED BY HANDY
Senate President Takes Ex-
csption to Criticism by
Rev. v. S. Collins.

Dover, March 2b.-Wollace y.
Handy. President Pro TEN OF the
Delaware state Senate, has taken cx-
ception TO "A statement attributed TO
Rev. Vaughn =. Collins. superinten-
dent OF the Salisbury District OF the
Wilmington NJ. r.. Conference. ron
tanned In DIR. Collins annual report
TO the Conference, relative to Della
wares School Law and yesterday sent
DIR. Collins. tho following letter;
Z" Dover. Del. March 20. 1922.
"Rev. Vaughn s.. Collins. ID. D.,
sCambridgc, Nd.
Dear Sir. You are quoted I'm the
press OF Wilmington in part az. fol-
lows:
The most progressive scheme ever
offered for statewide education Is now
before the Legislature In Annapolis.
Let them discuss Il. and improve II II
possible: but woo be to the man who
dares TO attempt TO kill lt, al Della
ware did. The curses of n generation
of youth with minds dwarfed by lack
of training win haunt him TO the end
OF time
81 am not concerned. slr, at all IA
~ NAhtA N'h iANN AhlilN VI ivy nllt
M one OF those who are responsible
for the repeal of the Delaware School
Code OF 1919. |. cannot, however,
maintain an attitude OF indifference
when you carry to our %neishbors In
Maryland the charge that Delaware,
meaning. ] suppose tho General AS
sembly. or a majority OF the two
bodies of the General Assembly, and
the Governor OF the State OF Della
ware, have been guilty Of some das-
tardly crime against the youth Of the
state.
The charge you make IL absolutely
without basis IN fact. I refuse TO be-
&, fieve that YOU make such a charge
q, knowing Il TO he untrue: I prefer 10
think that. since your duties are In
, largo part outside the state Of Del
aware, you have been unable 20 ac-
I, ~curately follow the trend of school
/, legislation I'm Delaware. and that you
, are, therefore, basing your Conclu-
sions upon faulty or incomplete In
, formation. | am taking the liberty
OF reviewing the history of school
i legislation In this State from 1878,
l. feeling that when you understand
l. you will wish TO retraCt the Islander
against our State To which you have
given utterance. l feel ! may be al.
lowed to do this without being con
sidered presumptuoua. since l voted
for the School Code Of 1919. served a'
b. chairman of the commission of which
- Mr.. du ront was "A member. whicf
re wrote the code in 1920 aud wa
10 ranking member of the joint com
h mittee OF which Senator Alice wa,
chairman which WAS responsible fol
d the legislation which In 1921 repealed
h the code and enacted tho presen
d school laws.
The so-called code was offered (,
the 1919 General Assembly very lat
in the session. Wa lacked tho tim'
Ito thoroughly consider tho measure
All sorts OF pressure wns brought q
: bear 20 pass tho bill. the plea bein,
. that delay would be i~nexcusable.
Il think that most OF us realizes
. that the bill had two bad faults: Tn
measure was thoroughly undemocrati'
and absolutely dishonest I'm Its Ia
provisions. My memory IS that w
amended tho measure something lik'
one hundred times before It's passage
We thought We had brought Il dow
where the people could reach II |
they wished. We did not attempt q
Il remedy the tax provisions. as w
a realized We had not the time. TIL
bin would not have passed. however
had we not been assured that the pro
. visions would be put into effect yer,
n gradually, so that taxes would no
be greatly increased before the mex
:. session OF the General Assembly, IN
e idea being that at the next sessio
= IL would be possible TO secure legis
lation which would place the tax bur
h den as nearly as possible where Il be
10 longod. This pledge was not kept o
=. the contrary, the most indefeuslbl
efforts were made 10 so c%ompromis
! the situation and TO 30 involve III
- various districts In financial obligS
tons that the General Assembly woul
" be unable to unscrambie the egg
when next IL had the opportunit
The short special session OF 1920 can
= along; an honest effort was made
:, this session TO give back to the peop
some Of the power we had usurpe
"A You see the people OF Delaware al
80 inclined to believe that they are quii
., capable OF running their own affail
l. without dictation from self-appointe
9 guardians Of their children's welfar
= Some OF Is are foolish enough
TO agree with them. We did improy
n matters IN this respect ard succeede
in lowering taxes on real propert,
n, You remember, OF course. that priC
to that time the 500. 900, 600 OF weali
S, in rural Delaware represented by re;
property was bearing almost all Il
Il tax burden; this was but a small pa
r. OF the wealth Of the State. but so Il
tn as my memory serves me | do not T,
IN call that our volunteer critics and AZ
viscrs shed one tear or spoke OF
q word IN condemnation Of this COZ
q, dition. We had not the time to a
l. tempt to do more than alleviate col
or dltions at the 1920 session.
IL THE session OF 1921 came along Wi
u the. small property owners OF the sta
u almost I'm actual revolution, and. 81
" your opinion or n other man
n opinion 10 the contrary. | say tn
~ they were largely justified in the
~ attitude. II is true that some few d
play the ~demagogue In order to fu
~