Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-18

/ l.
/ opponents bring woman into the polit-
| ical ring. But she must not blame me for
what her professed friends have done. The
Board neither knew nor cared what Miss
Peters political preferences may have beenp
or whether she had any. She was remov-
ed for cause, not politics. She had a broth
er-an attendant upon Mr.. Seaveys school
and he was one of the young men allud
ed to who was Excused" by Mr.. Seavey,
"from further recitations until he should
apologize to The school for theViolation of
one of the bylaws of the school," prepar-
ed by Mr.. Joseph Sullivant when formerly
President of the Board, and which was
then rs now one of the bylaws of the same
schools.
Mr.. Seavey was of the same political
party with Mr.. Sulliyant and his associate
aggrieved parents, and of course could
not have intended any political oiiense. He
| believed, however, that rules of the school,
| if adapted to others were not to be set aside
in their operations upon the sons of Presi-
dents, or brothers of co-teaehers. The
young men referred to had not only vio-
lated the rules of the school, but those of
common politeness--Outraged every prin-
ciple of civility, and that too against the
most amiable, courteous and inOifensive
gentlemen-members of the Board of Edu-
cation. Neither did these gentlemen, nor
the Board, take any notice of the offensive
conduct; but Mr.. Seavey, the teacher. did
| Young Peters was one of the Offenders
Miss Peters, influenced, doubtless, by the
example of the parents of the associates of
her brother, encouraged him in his insub-
ordination, and he still refused to make the
required apology to the school. The Board
regarded her conduct as subversive of good
order, and detrimental to school discipline,
and as open and dangerous encouragement
to insubordihatiOn. Though less at fault
| than those who led off in this attempt to
break down school discipline, it became
necessary to make an example of Miss p
Mr.. Seavey was not removed as demanded;
and it is worthy to be observed that he is
| pow one of the teachers occupying the
same position he did at the time above re-
ferred to, and that he holds his appoint
ment from the Board as organized last year,
with Mr.. Joseph SulIivant as President.
SO much for the only three persons named
as having been remOUed by Democrats for
their politics.! have shown every charge
to have been false. 1t is well known that
this city has been Democratic for many
years. 1t was the design and the hope of
the trainers of our school system to keep it
aloof from the nasty mire of party politics.
1t was purposely provided that we should
have the whole city from which to select
our Board of Education. The Democrats
for years refused to allow party politics to
be made an issue in the election of School
Directors, and for long time allowed their
opponents the "liOn's share" in the govern
ment of the schools. But the Abolitonists
forced the issue. Democrats took up the |
glove and carried the city; but at no time
under their administration has the political
creed of teacher been inquired into by |
them although from the first it had been |
test with their opponents. The Demo- |
Gratis have had control of the Board large |
portion of the time for several years past. |
And now what is the political cast of the |
Teachers? Under Abolition management, |
at no time have the Democrats had more |
than 10 or II per cent. of the teachers. At |
this mOment-and when the Democrats had |
control of the Board politically-there was
never more than eight or ten of Democratic /
proclivities out of sixty or seventy teach
ers for the children of this city, containing
population overwhelmingly Democratic
Our schools are an immense engine, in
the hands of designing, unscrupulous per-
sons. The taxes, general and special,
wrung from the people for this purpose, are
enormous. They are counted by MIL
LIONS. The Democrats pay far more than
half of these taxes. Federal bonds held by
the rich are not allowed to contribute to
this fund. The hard earnings of the in
dustry of the country is what makes up the
school fund. Why then allow the exempted
bOnd-holders to use this gigantic engine to
keep thOse-the sweat of whose brow earns
and contributes this fund-in perpetual
servitude? #r
am sorry to be compelled here publicly
to ayOw that our schools are not what they
should be. When the writer of this was a
school boy, all the public school funds of
the United States did not equal the present
enormous sums -wrung from the people of
Ohio alone for this purpose. Pupils of like
ages, with all the boasted advantages ofmod-
ern teaching, are not as far advanced as were
the children of those days with their scanty,
hOmelJ schools. THERE'S something wrong
in the system as taught here. The elemen-
tary branches are quite too much neglected.
There is too much c0Uering states acith
broddclOth, or expelling pupils from school
for their unfortunate inability to do so at
tending political holiday celebrations on at
least ten occasions where one should suf-
flee Christmas and the Fourth of July
were the only school holidays known in
my school days)-getting up proper
esprit de corps upon the vetoes of the Presi-
dent, and hike important exercises for loyal
children.
Once day is all that can be afforded to
hear children read in our modern schools.
When was school boy, we always read
four times day, and were four times further
advanced than children in modern schools
of like ages. Once a day is only allowed
for spelling, as against twice when | was
boy. The same of writing and other exer-
cises. The consequence is that boys under
the old regime were as well advanced at
as they are now at sixteen years of
age. But it is to the manners and the
morals of the attendants upon our schools
to which would more especially call pub
lie attention. In many respects these are
deplorable. In these last named matters, /
do not by any means think the fault lies
altogether with the teachers. The war
of morals, and the manners incul-
Gated by parents who would expel teachers
for epdeavoring to establish decent code
ofmorals and manners, and proper respect
fOrsuperiOTs, may account for the depress-
ed condition of these once valued accom-
plishments.
Ihave ever been fast friend of the pop
ular school system and have done as much
TO establish that which is now provided
upon our statute books as any other man of
my humble ability; but am fast losing
faith in it. / have contributed, and still
contribute, as much to its support as any
member of the present or late Board, and
more than any man who is supported by its
very liberal salaries in this city; aud | have
a right to express my opinions freely upon
its present operations and its probable fu-
ture results.
If it is to become mere place of refuge
fnr hn inf aaHt o1, Il