National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-20

then the sppuauemsue Of trustees b. the Gov
9nor vaS eqEAeE1ned, -thsrs was no consro
whatsv9 b t1s 0pvesuH oy9 their expend!
turss; they got thef money - before, and IN
disbursemeofs were sseluavely made BY tn,
treasurer who was provided for In that act.
The Chairman. Thy neAyed the money a
provided BY the oct Of 16o6 :.
K Mr.. Stanton, Yes, CIR; and an the expendi
lures were made BY the treasurer, and no con
troll Whatever on the amount TO be expended
or the manner 10 which Il was to be expended
was given TO the local authorities. In connec.
ton with these eolored schools, I produce herr
others, those for expenditufes paid, and, q
here stated, 70 Alexander R. Shepherd, now
Governor Of the District, and to Moses Kelly
Why attention was called to that I do moi
know. Why, unless It was for the purpose oil
limiting an accusation when none was squarely
made, cannot say. Here are all of them.
Representative Wilson. called for them.
Mr.. Stanton. know you called for them
but the reference was made In tho frat place
BY the counsel for the memorialists.
Representative Wilson. They were referred
to the other day, and Il was stated in the testi.
mony before, that the school buildings had
been made to cost largely in excess over the
original contract prices, and Il was stated BY
somebody that furniture had been put in under
the new District government; heating appara.
tus had been put In under tho new District gov
ernment, which had been charged back to the
old government. For the purpose Of ascer-
called for these papers.
Mr.. Stanton. was not referring to the rc.
quest ut different timcs made BY Mr.. Wilson,
or to point out specially those of Mr.. Shepherd
or Moses Kelly. was referring to their being
pointed out without any such explanation given
by Mr.. Wilson, but pointed out to the attention
Of the committee as though there had been q
der r. Shepherd under old contracts, for which
the Board of Public Works had nc
contract whatever. As for Moses Kelly
here they are deposited With the National
Metropolitan Bank, q bank of which he ID
cashier; and they are Endorsed by him al
cashier. He had not one dollar OF Interest In
them. THERE'S another fact stated in the let
ter which submit, showing exclusively that
this money which Syphax said was paid over to
him as treasurer, was Afterwards paid by the
District of Columbia; 80 that, after all, whethe!
the trustees got money by having II discounted
or not, It still had to be finally taken up as
payment made; the ultimate payment OF the
warrant was made by the District Of Columbia
There is one other statute that desire to cal
attention to upon this school question, and
that touches the relations between the General
Government and the schools. 1t will be re
membered by the committee that Il WAS stated
by Mr.. Wilson that some 81 per cent. of these
children were the children Of employees Of the
General Government, and large proper
ton of the pupils were not the children Of
taxpayers. In addition to that II Is known a.
historical fact that during the war, and q
the close of the war, there came here troops oil
emancipated bondsmen, whose children hare
received their education here. Because It hap.
pened to be the capital Of the United States the
burden of an education which should have
been borne by the General Government, had
to be borne by the taxpayers OF Wash
ington. There seems, therefore, simply
equity In the General Government bearing its
proportion, and that will be found to be recog-
ni1ed in the organic act. The organic act, SEC
ton twenty-threc, expressly recognizes the pro-
priety and expectation that money should be
voted for school purposes By the General Gov
eenment, and on page 20 Of the Governors re-
port will be found the resolution BY the Ma
sense of the Obligation of the Government In
this regard. But inasmuch as . good deal has
been said here about the general powers Of the
committee beg leave to AJAX that their gen
eral power of investigation may be considered
also as bearing upon this subject, as to
whether or not something Is not due from the
General Government here.
Senator Thurman. I think with you that VIC
ought to consider that question whether we
may recommend anything on that subject, !
speak for myself alone, but still thought
would make this suggestion. III recollect
the testimony right, and the answer OF the
Governor correctly, it is stated that of the chill
dren educated In the schools, about "a per cent
of them are children of taxpayers. Is that 90;
Governor Shepherd. Yes, sir.
Senator Thurman. Twenty seven per cent. OF
the children Who attend are Taxpayers, or q
per cent. of the taxpayers send their children
to school
Governor Shepherd. No, sir; 81 per cent. Of
the children who attend arc the children OF
taxpayers.
Senator Thurman. 1t is the old story that
poor men have more children than the rich.
Mr.. Harrington. Except In the case of Meth
odist preachersi $500
Governor Shepherd. Ifyou will let me sug-
gest, will say that the class of whom he speaks,
to show the difference in the increase In the
colored population within three or four years
after the war, went from II to IS per cent.
Senator Thurman. So I was aware. was
school director myself for six years, and feel
interested in schools Do you suppose that
there is any other city In the United States in
which 81 per cent. Of the population own real
estate3
Mr.. Stanton. 1 do not know. That is a very
ereditasle showing for our community.
Mr.. Harrington. It demonstrates the fact
that the board has not ruined the District.
Senator Thurman. That is the question. It
Is complained that q per cent. Of the people OF
the District bear all the expenses. The ques-
ton is whether or not there lie q greater pro-
portion of real estate owners than 81 per cent.
Mr.. Harrington, Would not that come from
factories to a great extent. In manufacturing
towns where the employees in the factories pay
no taxes, and where the proprietors pay all the
taxesl ~
Senator Stewart. Is there any way of ascer-
taining what proportion Of the colored popula-
ton own Property-what proportion OF the
q per cent? 70 --.-.- --.~a-- .ar1er
Mr.. Stanton. The 81 per cent. is only of the
white owners. We did not have those statutes
In regard to colored schools. I suppose there
10 very small proportion probably.
Senator Thurman. I was under q misappre-
hension then. Isupposed It applied to all.
Mr.. Stanton. Only to the white people;
about ten per cent.
Senator Stewart. OF the colored pcoplel
Mr.. Stanton. Yes, sir; and in other cities
the taxpayers educate their own poor, but here
the taxpayers Of Washington have been obliged
to educate the poor and ignorant who have
come from all Of the Southern States. If the
committee shall consider this matter at all
events II Will Uc euUJcCs bueS Ceu uc Gull
sidered without stirring up animosities here
which are already sufficiently furious.
Mr.. Merrick. The point that make, the
committee will observe, was that they have
now attempted to. charge to the school fund
and to bring It in debt BY the sum of Sill, 900,
thereby to create deficit Of SITS 900 to relieve
themselves Of the imputation Of not having ap-
propriated the school funds - received by them
during the administration Of this government
to its proper purposes. That was not only an
afterthought on the part Of the District gov
eminent to make that allegation and defence,
but was An afterthought which occurred even
after this report of the Governor was made to
this committee which hold In my hand. For
the purpose Of demonstrating that to the COM
mittee beg leave TO refer to the account which
the District government have here presented,
under the signature of the Governor Of the Dis
trict, to show that they never did regard nor
contemplate the charging OF the school fund
received BY them during the course Of their
administration with this debt Of SAL, 900.
Now, sir, nyou viii refer to the report Of
the Governor, made to this committee, You
VIII find at page ia recapitulat:on, and that
same account which I pointed out to you - ex-
isslng in the report Of the commissioner Of the
sinking fund, charging the general fund Of the
old corporation, not the current receipts of the
present corporation, with the debt Of 1215, 900.
You will observe under the title, about mid
way Of the page, Reimbursement for expen-
ditures; drafts on ACCOUNT Of expenditures
made by the District Government, received
from commissioners of the sinlxinr ftind 1884 :.