National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-10
,, THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.


. THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS
'Tn the intelligence Of the people Is the
safety Of the republic" This is truism
that has been uttered so long and 20 fire.
quently that no one can be found with the
hardihood to dispute it. Upon It has been
founded that system of ffee education which
iseverywhere, in all lands throughout the
wide world, the great and crowning glory
of our country, This system of free educa-
ton and the general diffusion Of intelligence
that results from it forms the chief attfac-
ton for the immigrants who flock to our
shores from those foreign lands which are
less liberal than oun In their provisions for
the encouragement of scholastic acquire
ments. 1t has been for many years the pol
icy of this Government to bind this free
educational system to the soil indissolubly
as It were to ingraft it into the organic law
of each new State and Territory as they
arise by the donation and conservation Of q
fair proportion of their soil to the support
of their schools. The wisdom of this pol
icy Is vindicated by its success in guarantee
ing to each child born upon the soil, how
ever humble, the rudiments Of sound
English education. 1t Is no longer the case
that young men or women can justly COM
plain of being left behind in the race for
preferment and success in life by lack of
the means of education. They are accessi-
BILE and free to all. The numerous instances
of persons of both sexes rising to distinc-
ton in the world of politics. letters, science
and the mechanic arts by their own per
sonal efforts, aided only by the common
school system of the country. demonstrate
that such fields are open to all alike, and
their honors attainable through industrious
and assiduous application. @ sErl %
The owners of real estate in the District
of Columbia have been taxed for the sup
port of the common schools since the close
of the war upwards Of two millions Of dol
lars. And they have paid this tax willingly
as general thing regretting only that it
was insufficient to provide tuition and seats
for all the children who should be educated.
The returns show that only about two f1fths
of the children of the District between the
ages of six and seventeen yearsare provided
with seats in the schoolA They also make
known the fact that fully one fourth Of the
children here are those Of temporary So
journers, persons employed in some gov
ernmental capacity, residents of the several
States, who pay no direct tax in support Of
the District government or Of the public
schools. Their property investments are in
the States where they vote and hold their
residence. That property Is taxed for
school purposes in those States, while the
children of the owners IRE educated here at
the expense of the property Of this District.
Again, Congress has largely and literally
endowed the schools OF almost all the States
and Territories with lands and money, ex-
cepting only those in the District of Colum-
bia. This little area alone, the special ward
of Congress, commended to its conhding1
and parental care by the Constitution itself,
placed under its jurisdiction, without voice
in its councils, subject to its rule and in
some measure dependent upon its benef-
cence-this is the only spot within the
bounds Of this great Republic whose educa-
tionnl system has been treated with utter
neglect. 1890 80
1t has received neither lands, nor
college sciip, nor money from the pro-
ceeds of the sales of lands. It has
simply received the distinguished honor of
educating in its schools some Of the chill
dren of Senators and members of Congress
and of high officials in the various Depart
ments of the Government. This latter
honor is highly appreciated, and, while We
would not scout it, nor scorn it, nor in any
wise deprecate it. nor have it Withdrawn.
we beg to suggest that common fairness,
simple justice to the children of many of
our humble citizens who are deprived of
seats in these schools, demands some con-
sideration of this subject at the hands of
the National Legislature. "
1t is susceptible of demonstration that our
school-burdens are far in excess of those
laid upon the property of other cities.
Boston, for instance, pays less than eighteen
cents on the hundred dollars valuation of
her property for school purposes; Chicago,
less than seventeen; B'sMiSnore, twenty
three; Philadelphia, twensy-six; Cincin-
matt, thirty-fve, and st. Louis and San
Francisco. forty each. while Washington
pays sixty cents. /
Since 1860 we have been taxed two and
quarter millions for public schools, more
than one fourth of which was for the edu-
cation of the children Of non-residentA
Here is over q half o million dollars paid
out for the education Of non-resideDts.
There is no valid reason why this amount
should not be reimbursed. We are now
taxed over one hundred thousand dollars
per annum for the education Of the children
of non residents. There d nowhere In the
length and breadth Of the country parallel
to such burdens. More than this, It d
doubtful whether there 4 any other com
munity in this land which would submit TO
such burdens uncomplainingly. Were they
laid upon any other city or district or Ter
Yfsory, Congress would be importuned in
petitions by the carload for the redress Of
the grievance. And perhaps # Is not too
much to say that II they came from people
who were represented BY votes determin-
ing the choice of Representatives 6enatofs
Governors and Presidents, those petitions
would gain. not only respectable hearing
but careful consideration and liberal redress
Under these circumstances the people Of
fhis District appeal 70 Congress to deal with
them fairly In the pgennisea 4, AID thar do