New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-12
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
Bourbems on Public SchooIs-LUsEler's
RecOrd-No Partisan Wanted-Legis-
latOrs.

One OF the chief reasons why Liberal Re
publicans and Liberal Democrats should
withhold their support from the fusion
ticket is the threatening danger to our pub
lie school system betokened by the nomina-
ton of Bourbon for the position Of Super
intendent Of Public Education. This danger
is of no trivial character. The PjcuyH1e,
the organ of the Bourb0ns, followed by a
respectable portion of the Bourbon press
throughout the State, warmly advocates
the claims Of Robert NJ. Lusher. 1Ir.
| Lusher, gentleman of clever and amia0le
| qualities, highly educated, was State Su-
perintendent in 1867, during the last Demo
cratic regime. From the official report of
| Mr.. Lusher to the General Assembly Of the
| State of Louisiana, 1867, make the follow
ing extracts:
Circular No. 3-To the parish assessors:
| As you doubtless concur in the opinion
| that it is indispensable to the future honor
| and prosperity Of Louisiana, and to ti8 SUI
premacy of the Caucasian race in her cOun-
| ellis, that the benefits of liberal education
| should be extended to every white child, etc.
! Circular No. ito sherifs:
| You are aware, sir, that for forty years
| past Louisiana has made persistent efforts
| through legislative enactments to advance
! the cause of education, and that, during
| the last twelve to fifteen years, she has
| raised by taxation alone a half million
| of dollars per anDnm for the support of free
public schools. She has, nevertheless, been
reproached by Radical politicians with hay
| ing neglected the education and enlighten-
ment of her poorer citizens 1t IS trusted
| that her people will no longer tolerate this
foul 40 JTNn hI1t hot h in
tegrity of the State is imperilled by faction,
and the dignity of her citizens is ob8oured
by vindictive legislation, they will, with
one acclaim, yindicate the homer and sU-
premacy Of the Caucasian race, and to this
end will cheerfullY make such contributions
to the educational fund as will enable your
parochial authorities and local directors TO
train and improve every white child in the
parish.
Circular No. 5-To presidents Of police
juries:
You are also requested to confer with
the treasurer as to the boundaries OF exist
ing districts, the number of white children
in each, etc.
Address to presidents and members of
police juries, July 30, 1866:
1t is hardly necessary, gentlemen, to say
to you that a liberal education is in1is
pensable to every white youth in our State;
that without 1t the agricultural and indus
trial pursuits of eur people can not keep
pace with the march of Improvement in the
States of the Mississippi valley nor the rich
material resources OF Louisiana be devcl-
oped to the advantage Of the rightfui own
ers of the soil. 1t must also be obvious
that immediate and energetic action toward
that end is, at this period of her history, Of
vital Importance to the dignity Of opr race
and generation, and to the honor of our
State as an enlightened commonwealth
Circular No. SO directors of free pub
lie schools in the respective parishes:
You can not have forgotten, gentle
men. that soon after the last gen
eral election of State officers the |
executive, who had been hon9rcd
with the sut1rages of cOntiling ma
icrity, took occasion, in his message to the |
General Assembly of November %, 1869 to
denounce tour public school system out
side the parish Of Orleans" as "a miserable
failure, whose :, impractica 5lllty' IN forty.
mendinp man however, HAT ali taxes for edu-
caticnal purposes levied upon colored |
people oe applied 10 the edtc&tlon OF
GonotCn aP6soj31fo rnrIact of iii inagont
white children throughout the State while |
suggesting that provision should be made
Ior tne mental H. tLalnlnS u a. m lllle[1oa tlJ
State State Senate abolished the system Of pu6- !
lie education as too expensive and too un-
equal N ITS operation to 6e maintained
G[ SUI w +o I boo ~
of eduCafien according to its own djscre- |
tion) Apprehending from the
mSfortunes attending me agrllc9t[I'ral I n
ton Is9 to Wbirb M She She has been exnosed by an
unscrupuous faction, that nothing could
be done by the next Legislature,
conee1ylng l Il II 10 De 1nolsPonaaole} gtntIBe tBo
hon6r H,t If nacb7 naT;sb in the STATE that ali |
white children between ten and eighteen
years of age should be educated, morally,
a anu Hehtalts, 5oE an -
etc h1iIdin@ Of pscbooI76ouses and yol6n- !
tary contributions are urged.
In 1867 MI Lusher was appointed ny
Rev. Barhas Sears, OF otaunton' Virginia
agent for the Peabody tnnd III LOUISIANA
which position he stlI holds. Inc f'e"-
y"'e OF August 4, 1872, gives a detailed
statement OF the Distribution OF tnlS Iuno'
destined especially to assist III the estao- 1
lishment and support OF Tree puoilc schoolS
in the Southern States 1t IS interesting 10
note that only one institution admitting OF
for colored children, the Straight CnlYer-
sity, was for time aided from this fund
The assertion is made that MT Lushef
promised to aid Others but when the gen
etal eager uesito VI 'lio vs. ~ .,,s.ss':s