DELAWARE. 



217 



,:i, :i!i'l r..iltimorc, which crosses the Stato, 



th:vo milori within its territo- 



Dolawaro Railroad, which ia leased 



Hod by tho sumo company, traverses 



entire length of tho Stato and tho 



.MI Shoiv >!' M;iryl:iii<l, uud has numerous 



is with places at a distance from tho 



Tho Junction and Breakwater Railroad 



ots with the Delaware at Ilarrington, and 



'u'lu-.o to tho ocean at Lowes. The value 



lino will bo greatly increased by tho 



lotion of a pier at Lewes, for which tho 



United States has appropriated $225,000. 



Tho school system of the State is not well 

 organized or efficient. It is thus spoken of by 

 the National Commissioners of Education in a 

 1 1 report : " The provisions for education 

 in I'olaware remain the same as before eman- 

 cipation. There is no State supervision, no 

 State provision for training teachers, no school 

 law adequate for keeping schools open; mu- 

 nicipalities may tax themselves for school pur- 

 poses or not, as they see fit. The schools gen- 

 erally are of an inferior class, and, so far as 

 organized under the school law of the State, 

 provided only for the education of tho whites. 

 It is noticeable that the school fund is divided 

 among tho three counties on the basis of the 

 population as it was forty years ago, in 1830." 

 A movement was set on foot, during the 

 year, for the establishment of a Normal School 

 and Polytechnic University at Wilmington, but 

 no practical steps toward the accomplishment 

 of the purpose of the movers has been report- 

 ed. The colored children of the State are not 

 at present admitted to the public schools. 

 Tho "D-elaware Association for the Improve- 

 ment and Education of the Colored People," 

 which was organized about four years ago, has 

 done much for them, but has not the means to 

 accomplish the work which is needed. The 

 Howard School, at Wilmington, has had about 

 180 pupils in the primary department, and 50 

 in the higher classes. Besides this, there are 

 23 schools under the charge of the Association 

 in different parts of the State, with an aggre- 

 gate attendance of 1,470. Tho work is carried 

 on by private subscriptions, and during the past 

 year $10,483.24 were received by the treasurer. 

 Tho ratification of the fifteenth amendment 

 to the Federal Constitution was celebrated 

 by the colored people and their friends at 

 Wilmington, on the 14th of April. At a pre- 

 liminary mooting, in which this action was de- 

 termined upon, the following resolutions were 

 adopted : 



W/tersat, The nation has restored political rights 

 to the colored citizens deprived of these rights here- 

 tofore simply on the ground of the color of the skin ; 

 and 



Whereas, The nation has thus planted itself anew 

 nrion the imperishable doctrines of the Declaration 

 ot American Independence : 



Resolved, That our grateful thanks are first due to 



that God who is Lord of lords and King of kings ; 



who controls the destinies of nations, ana who mak- 



eth even the wrath of man to praise Him. 



Ritolved, That tho President, Cabinet, Congresses, 



Legislatures, and loyal people, who proposed and 

 sustained this restoration to us of political rights and 

 privileges, have won our lasting gratitude. 



Jtaolaed, That we hereby pledge to them to prove 

 the fitness of the trust, by the worthiness of our con- 

 duct. That, realizing the responsibilities noting up- 

 on us, wo mean to use the ballot for no merely narrow 

 or selfish ends, but for the best good of the state and 

 nation, thereby aiding to perpetuate a Union which 

 our fathers and their fathers, their brothers and our 

 brothers, together helped to save. 



J&tolved, That, as soon as convenient after the offi- 

 cial announcement of the ratification of the fifteenth 

 amendment of the United States Constitution, we com- 

 memorate the grand event by a general celebration in 

 the city of Wilmington, in the following manner : 



1. All business to be as much as is possible sus- 

 pended at 9 o'clock A. M. 



2. Sermons or other religious services in the vari- 

 ous churches, under the direction of the pastors, at 

 10 o'clock A. M. 



3. A grand procession, composed of the various 

 society orders, societies, clubs, mechanical and other 

 associations, day and Sunday schools, and citizens, 

 with music, badges, banners, and other decorations, 

 forming at naif-past one and moving at two. 



4. A jubilee mass meeting in the Wilmington In- 

 stitute (if it can be obtained) at 7 o'clock, to be ad- 

 dressed by white and colored friends of the cause, 

 the meeting to close not later than 10 o'clock. 



5. Such other festivities as may be arranged by 

 societies or individuals. 



The people of the entire State, and the adja- 

 cent counties of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and 

 New Jersey, were invited to participate in the 

 celebration, which proved to be a very en- 

 thusiastic one. 



The political canvass of the year in Delaware 

 had more interest than usual, owing to the 

 fact that the colored citizens would exercise 

 the right of suffrage for the first time under 

 the operation of the fifteenth amendment. 

 It was estimated that there would be about 

 4,500 negroes in the State who would be quali- 

 fied voters, and if the Republicans could secure 

 all these, without breaking their own ranks, 

 they could overcome the usual Democratic 

 majorities, as the whole number of voters in 

 the State was little more than 20,000. On the 

 other hand, the Democrats hoped, on account 

 of the prejudice against negro suffrage which 

 existed in the State, to draw off considerable 

 numbers from the Republican party on that issue 

 alone, and thus preserve, if not increase, their 

 superiority in the State. Accordingly, the cry 

 of " White man's party " was raised, and a 

 convention was called to meet at Dover, on 

 the 10th of May, for the purpose of forming 

 such an organization. The convention was 

 held, but the leading members of the Demo- 

 cratic party in the State were not present. A 

 series of resolutions was adopted. 



The first congratulated the Democratic party 

 on its past history. 



The second denounced the radical party, 

 and arraigned it for creating a public debt, 

 banishing the circulation of gold and silver, 

 and substituting in its place a " worthless cur- 

 rency," and for striking down the dearest 

 guarantees of liberty. 



The third denounced the radical party for 





