National Republican., 1873-06-03
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THEIR HISTORY.


The Oriain OF the Csmmou-syehool aysterr
In washinstoa-Its Growth and Present
Cenaition--IuterestinH "Reminiscences.
Of Its Peunders-The Career Of Many
Of the Pupiis-The R.riy Patron. Of the
system-The Statesmen OF the Past
Aiding In Its Estabii-hnent-iftu Pres
cnt Proportions aud UsefsIne-s.
the season OF the greatest and at the same
time mo Joyous excitement 10 tho teachers and
pupils OF our public schools, has again come upon
US In the course Of events-the annual examlna-
ton and distribution Of premiums. To teachers
and pupils this season Ia practically an end Of
the years hard labor, and witnesses the dawning
OF the welcome holiday time, when compulsory
studies may be laid aside, and when for a time
a. least such terrors a. may have attended the
school exercises may be forgotten, while those
whe have found pleasure In the schooi-room and
school duties will md the delights Of the holI.
Gays enhanced by the recollection. T'his then,
Is hitting time to trace the history OF popular
edneatlon IN Washington from the penhd Of Its
Inception, through its various ramIucatlons to
the present time, To tell brle1y OF the dlnicu.
ties that have been encountered aud surmounted;
the barriers Of ignorance and prejudice that
have been demolished; tho ungenerous taunts,
which in years gone-by were lavlshed upon II,
and nnally how the opponents and defamsrs Of
the "publlc school system" were at length COM
PEELED to yield and forced to acknowledge Its
vast dement's to the masses. until to-day no one
would be seriously willing to abandon the system
or dispense with lts advantages.
THE EARLY LEGISLATION on EDUCATION.
| As carly as 1904 the city authorities saw the
necessity Of some legislation on the subject Of
education, and on December OF that year the
Third Council passed an act, the preamble Of
which was as follows;
"imprcssed with sense Of the lnseparable
connection between the education Of youth and
| the prevalence Of pure morals, with the dnty Of
| all communities 10 place Within the reach Of the
poor a. well as the rich the lpestmable blessings
tabllshinR az the seat OF the General 0oyernm enf
proper seminaries Of learning. the clty councils
do pass an act TO establish and endow perma-
the city Of washington.-
Thls act provides for thirteen trustees, seyen
to be elected by Council, and slI to be selected
by contributors Of SO or more, each contributor
to have a. many votes as no contributed sums Of
$40. Provision was made for the education Of
children whose parents or guardians were un-
able TO iefray the expense. Taxes on alaye-i
hacks, public amusements, &C., not exceeding
tl,oOO was applied to the support OF the schools
SThis clause was repealed BY act Of October 10
iScs3 Tue emPloymsnt OF agents was authorized
On October ~, 1908 an appropriation Of $500
was made for the support OF "a permanent In
stitutlon for the education OF YOUTH" and under
this the nrst school was opened with about one
hundred pupils
Under The charter the city was empowered to
yided the amount so raised should not exceed
$4,000 clear of expenses In each year. The res
olutlons authorizing these lotteries were TO be
approved by the President OF the United States.
In November, isi2, resolution was adopted 20
raise $4,000 In this way. .'for building and en-
dowlns two public school-houses on the Lancas-
terrain system." Similar resolutions were
adopted In succeeding years, which were ap-
proved respectively by Presidents Madison, Mon
roe and Adams, and funds were raised by this
means not only for schools, but for a penlten-
tiafy and q city hall. "The result Of The er-
pertinent, however" We are told by Mr.. W. J.
Rhees IN the twenty-second annual school ne
port "was unfortunate for the city, as, Instead
OF proving profitable speculation II eventually
entailod debt Of over sioo,OOO on the corpors-
June "a, 1916 two school districts were est.a,
llshod In the city. the First composed OF the
First and Second wards, and the second OF the
Third and Fourth wards: The board Of the Sec
ond district consisted OF seven members chosen
BY Joint ballot OF the City CouncilA, and that OF
the First district OF niue membera six Annually
esostn q BY joipt ballot q the CITY Gouncils and
The latter clause was repealed In 1918, and It
was provided that the school Of the First dis
nc, should be conducted upon the principle Of
appropriation for this district was reduced from
81 800 to $1,000, and the trustees were 10 be
elected IN the same manner as the trustees for
by the year 1870 two new wards had been
formed, and the Third ward was added 10 the
First district while the Second district was COM
Eosel OF the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth wards.
For the former 81, 900 were appropriated, and for
the latter $3.50. The trustees were forbidden 10
receive any ..pay" pupils, but the schools were
TO consist entirely OF children whose parents or
guardians were unable TO pay for their tuition.
In 1871 President Monroe granted the use OF
the building corner OF Fourteenth and q streets
northwest, and the Councils appropriated $500 TO
nt II up for school purposes. The building has
been schoOl-house ever since, except for a year
OF Two, when Il was abandoned In Consequence
OF Its dllapdated condition, but the necessity OF
more buildings for school accommodation COM
PEELED It's reOccupation. The lot and building
was donated to the city OF Washington by act Of
Congress approved June 8, 1900, but q proyiso
was inserted that It should not he sold or con-
yeyed for any other than school purposes. This
RroTiso was subsequently repealed, IN order that
eeeds for the erection OF a building elsewhere,
BY act OF July 2s, 1924, the mayor was empow-
cred to reserve and set apart much Of the rev.
enue OF the wards as may be appropriated for
| the support OF the public schools, over and above
interest on the public debt and contribution to
the general fund, aud the fund so reserved was
| schools.
BY act OF July %, ls2s, there was made an ap-
preparation oi 10000, out OF funds previously
1
public charity schools, one In the and the
other In the western section Of the city. With
| this fnnd the mayor was directed TO purchase
| corporation or other safe stock, bearing six per
cent. interest, TO be kept vested forever for the
| support Of said schools. At this time these two
schools constituted our school system, nor was
| the number increased for eight years. Meanwhile
the legislation OF the Councils had reference al
most solely TO making appropriation for the sup
port OF these schools. On October %, 1854, how
| ever, an act was passed authorizing the mayor
to invest 1000 more, also from the lottery fund.
Tho whole endowment was thus made 80, 900.
| For some years the fund was overlooked or neg
lected, until In 1871 1t was AsceTtained that the
amount Of accrued interest was tl9,I0i 40, the
fund and accrued interest thus making a total OF
tIs, isaac. In his last annual report Superinten-
| dent Wilson recommended that the fund be used
10 purchase site and erect 4 building for high
school.
Ia 1850 and 1891 efforts were made to induce
Congress TO make an appropriation TO endow the
schools, but they were no more succesSful than
the Efforts OF later day have been.
From 1881 TO lsiI, inclusive, the most In
May -, ls4O, appropriation Of isco for aiding
| gratultous Instruction OF four female children
IN the charity schools OF the First anil Fourth
priation OF 500 for Central and Capitol lin
Female free schools. said schools were TO pro-
vide for not less than 80 scholars In each school,
the amount appropriated for the school IN each
district was $50 per annuin, but In lst2 isis and
lstI 4 was 800 per annun. In lsts the First
ulhtIlCt was huluOIlLbu 70 q female
| teacher 10 teach girls at q salary OF $3.50. The
salary OF the principal OF each school lInale) was
tsO0.
SEw ORGANIZATION oP TIE sCHoot. sysrKN.
In 1870 and 1871 Mayor W. W. seaton, who had
always eynced great interest In the cause Of
education, ascertained that out Of population
Of 200 children between the ages OF six and six
teen not more than 300 were In the public and
private schools Of the city, and In isi2 Mayor
Seaton invoked earnest attention to the subject.
The Mayor indicated that either the system then
existing might he extended, or the New England
system Introduced, and any deficiency that
might arise from the inadequacy Of the income
Of the school fund could be provided for by .
small tax on the assessed properly OF the city.
The city councils took up the subject, and q COM
mittee reported bill for the establishment OF
seven public schools, open to all white children
between the ages Of six and sixteen years. II
also provided foi school tax OF one-sixth OF
one per cent. upon the assessAble properly OF the
| city. by the system then existing only portion
/ OF the lndlgent poor were being educated, and a
proposition TO open the schools TO all encoun-
| tered serious opposition. The Idea OF an Addi-
| ti0nal tax was TO many serious objection. The
| discussion that followed was earnest and eNclt-
| ing, The people met In all sections OF the city
| and were addressed by such men m Hon. John
Quincy Adams, Mr. Justice Woodbury. Hon