Evening journal., 1922-12-09
Commend What P.S. DUPONT
Has Done for DeIdlCure Schools

An exposition OF the work accom-
plished for education in Delaware by
=. S. dupont is contained in an
editorial in the December or Christ
mas number OF The Spur. an inter
national magazine published in New
York.
The editorial is entitled "Rich
Men and the Public Schools. How
Wealth Can Save Distinctly
American Institution" and is ac-
companied by n fun page portrait OF
Mr.. dupont. II says:
"Our public school system is the
front line of defense for American
ideals, institutions and rights. The
overwhelming majority OF American
men and women obtain whatever
qualifications for citizenship they
have or may have from the public
schools. Indeed. the overwhelming
majority Of our Federal legislators
and judges, our State legislators
and judges. our municipal legisla-
tors and judges have been trained in
the public schools.
Communism bolshevism. social
ism and sabotism are permeating our
national life. These doctrines OF
destruction are held chiefly by aliens
recently domiciled in the United
States. by our native born illiterates
and by the faculty educated In
the open country and CROSSROADS
hamle;, where the children have
passed at least through the grade
school and in the village and small
town. where high school advantages
have been provided. we find a sus-
tained loyalty 10 law. to personal and
property rights and 10 the consu-
tuition. Also we find more content
ment and social well being.
citizenship is becoming a terribly
complex affair. Both men and
women must now know something
Of economies. constitutional inter
probation and international affairs
in order to use the franchise effec-
lively The voter who brings no
higher degree of knowledge TO the
election OF President. United
states Senator or Congressman than
he does to the selection Of a local
dog catcher is unfit TO exercise the
power entrusted to him. America
cannot remain great and powerful
because each generation produces a
few men of genius; the average
level OF intelligence must be raised.
Mistakes made in education can
not be rectihed. II we build a few
miles OF faulty highway we can
tear 1t up and replace 1.-THE loss
will be only a few thousand dollars
which can be quickly recouped.
But II we dwarf and cripple the
minds OF our children by inadequate
or defective education. the blGnder
can never be corrected. In a few
years we shall have a majority Of
prejudiced and dangerous citizens
debating our national and inter
national policies from the polling
booths.
Unfortunately our public schools
cannot be maintained at a high
level of efficiency except by a weight
Of taxation which falls too heavily
upon real estate. In the rural dis
tricts there should be a consolidated
high and grade school which will
also serve as community center
such a school as Mr.. Miner has
built and equipped at Chazy and
presented to New York state. The
school districts consolidated at
Chazy could no possibly have borne
the costs of construction, bond in
terest and annual mainteance.
"The outstanding example OF what
rich man can do for public school
education is the gift OF nearly four
million dollars by Pierre S. DUPONT
TO rural Delaware. Mr.. dupont has
not only provided this large sum for
school house construction, but he
has created an organization to ad-
minister Il. which enlists the ser
vices of the leading educators, archi- I
tects and engineers of the country to
carry out the work Results are
being achieved rapidly in Delaware; F.
for instance. in 1919 the average
length of the school year was ninety
days OF attendance. IN 1920 It was
one hundred and ten days. and in
1921 il was one hundred and thirty