Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-09-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP,

W6SoAA0ION NEWS AMI 6USSlP.
The Maine Elsotion.-Our adyices concern.
Ing the Maine election, received up to the hour
mt which we 60 to press, render the defeat of
Morrill,, the Know Nothing, Abolition, and
Maine Law-parties' candidate for Governor,
certain, beyond peradventure. He fails of
election by the popular vote, and his oppo-
nents have carried the Legislature by a hand
some majority. The Legislature elects his
successor, and will doubtless choose Wells,
the Democratic, anti Know Nothing, and anti
Maine Law candidate. Reid, the Wing, anti
Know Nothing, and anti-Maine Law caudi-
date received a very small vote; so small as
to render it certain that bis friends in the new
Legislature will support Wells. The majority
against the continued existence of the Maine
Liquor Law is in all probability sufficient to
Insure its prompt repeal. The grand result of
the election proves, that though the people of
ZONE portions of the United States WILL at times,
gocraEy about new notions, second thought
soon restores them to their senses We Judge
from this contest, and its result, that the era
of sumptuary laws is over, at least in Maine
Our Public sehools.-An indignant tax
payer sends US the following communication,
wherein the Trustees of the Public Schools of
Washington are arraigned and handled with
earnest severity for adopting a rule by which.
as the writer alleges, all children are excluded
from the privilege of attending our public
schools, unless they have previously been
taught the alphabet and other first rudiments
of spelling and reading. We have no idea
that our correspondent impression with refer
enee to the existence Of any such rule can be
correct, and fancy that the child, to which he
particularly refers, must have been refused on
some other account. We, however, publish
his communication, in order to encourage our
fellow citizens to scan tae management of the
public schools with jea Gus care. 1t is their
right as well as their duty; and we trust, as
We believe, that the allegation embraced in
what he writes will be promptly explained:
IcoMMUSIcATED.
MI. Editor will you allow me to throw
myself upon your kind Indulgence and occupy
a brief space in the columns of the Star? :
desire to perform an act of justice to those i'm
medistely interested in the operations of our
public schools has alone impelled me to solicit
this favor. An evil has been planted in the
rich soil of our school system; and ere it shall
take root, /, for one, viii endeavor to eradi-
cate the noxiOus seed.
There does net exist language sufficiently
powerful to enable me to express nv SURPRISE
at the existence of a rule recently adopted by
the trustees of the public Schools rule which
If enforced, will certainly undermine the only
foundation upon which the mighty fabric of
Learning can be erected, and preclude the pos
~ nf rabfI
even of the rudiments of an education. This
unprecedented rule-this colosseum principle
OF pedagogueism-this something new under
the sun is, that no child will be admitted into
the primary schools in the city of Washington
unless 1t possesses knowledge Of the orthog-
raphy OF the language. The child must know
how to spell before it commences to learn the
hrst principles of a language.
what Is the object of the primary schools
Is 1t to induet children into the mysteries of
the learned languages? or is it to learn them
the alphabet, or how to form the letters of the
alphabet into syllables and words? 1t is the
first business Of primary school to teach chill
dren the alphabet and how to apply the let.
tiers OF it. They must take this first step or
they cannot advance; and where are thew TO
take this step? In the primary schools. If
this Is not to be the case, then we nav our
school tax to support nominal teachers and
If our children are to be educated at home let
US close the schools and keep our money. Let
rs not submit to such an imposition. A child
must know how to spell before it can 90 to
school, Is the determination of the trustees
They cannot deny it; for few days since q
glri, who knew the alphabet was sent for to
take her seat In primary school at the navy
yard, and because she could not spell the
teacher would not admit her, and when I in
CURED OF one OF the trustees if such a rule ex-
listed, ne informed me that il did There are
some parents that cannot teach their children
even the alphabet; the childlen of such pa
rents, therefore, must 60 unedueated, when at
tax to support public schools. J. l.,
washington, ID. c., Sept. H. 1855.
sweaborg-The English are certainly the
most elaborate braggarts on the face of the
earth. We refer TO the English Government.
and the press, tina. invariably takes from the
Government its keynote in discussing foreign
Affairs, or in publishing statements for facts in
which Its Governments relations with other
powers may be involved. As additional au.
thsntic news of the late affair off Sweaborg
reaches US, the more the fact to which we al.
Jude above, becomas patent to all who will see
the truth. England and France have in the
oaiuc the largest and most completely equip.
pea Meets that ever existed, yet they have
proved utterly inefficient for military achieve
ments. But as Victoria was about to visit
Louis Napoleon, it was necessary to ge. up a
huzza by way of giving selat to her trip. So
it was determined that a mock demonstration
should bs made against some of the fortified.
tions Of the six isles of Swsaborg that defend
the approaches to the dock yards of Helsinr.
fors, the combined fleets of course taking due
care to keep out Of harms reach. That part
Of the programme was Observed with scruru.
ious care, indeed, and more powder was burn.
Cd and rockets and shells were exploded, thar
Dy the elder Napoleon in either of his so re-
marksbls campaigns that entirely changed
the state of governmental affairs nm the con.