The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-05-07
Doubly Flooded.

annual report of the State Superintendent
of Public instruction of the State of Louis
lana, an'epitome Of which is published il
a Chicago paper, furnishes a startling
illustration of the sad results of malad
minstration in that commonwealth
shows that the entire revenues from al
sources, for educational purposes, i
scarcely sufficient to pay the current eX
penses of schools tor one-fourth of the
children in the State for six months OF the
year. In this estimate no provision il
made for building school houses. the pur
chase of school sites, OF school apparatus
With the exception of few buildings il
| New Orleans, and one or two of the Older
! towns, there are no school-houses in the
State that are worthy of the name The
| children in many of the parishes have
been taught under trees, and in sheds hay
| ing neither doors nor windows. Nearly
one-half of the entire population over SIN
years OF age are illiterates. There are
l
| Years of age who can neither read MOI
write Nearly 100000 voters in this State
whose entire population is less than $780,
| 600, are in the same condition of utter
ignorance.
The superintendent says that the alb
| sence of official integrity is alarming that,
notwithstanding the exercise ofthe great
| est vigilance and careful inquiry as to the
character and antecedents, bad men have
| secured responsible positions in our school
boards" that ''this is to be deeply regret
ted because of the difficulty in bringing
offenders to justice y that up to the present
time, every effort to punish offenders has
resulted only in designating crimes and
criminals There are five division super
lntendents, and their reports are Durdened
with the same mournful refrain. 1t stated
that donation of 81 ,24O, 900 made a few
years since for the education of the children
in the Sixth division, has been diverted
from the purpose for which it was donated,
and large portion of it squandered OF
expended in unlawful designs. In the
Fifth district IAN immense fund was
squandered in 1871 and 1872" it "was
| lavishly used, and the records kept very
imperfect" The superintendent Of the
Fourth division states that although he
| had expected to find many irregularities
in the proceedings of the different parish
| boards in his division, yet he was in no
| way prepared to meet such demoralized,
corrupt, and inefficient class of men as he
found composing the retiring boards. From
the Third division comes the report THAT
in number of the parishes great frauds,
and the alienation Of large sums of money,
mark the administration of the former
boards of school directors" In one parish
$500 were taken from the fund to liquid
ate certain old claims that had no shadow
of legality, while schools were almost to-
tally unprovided and uncared tor From
the other two divisions similar reports are
| furnished
There are only 81 ,433 children enrolled
in the public schools in the whole State
yet the amount paid for salary of teachers
last year exceeded a half million of dol,
lars. The State superintendent drew
$4,000 for salary, $1,000 for office rent
$1,000 for travelling expenses, $4,000 fol
his contingent expenses, and $4,000 fol
salary Of his secretary Upward of $22,-
600 was paid for salary and expenses Of
the six division superintendent.
What hope is there for Louisiana? Hel
legitimate State government is overthrow
through fraud and carpet-bag rule sustain
ed by federal bayonets. Her people are
enslaved politically, and plundered merci
lessly, while their appeals to the genera
government are unheeded Every day
growing poorer, and smarting under
wrongs which would justify armed revo
luton in any other State in the Union
their condition is indeed pitiable to con
template.
In Boston last week the high wine
blew down a tall chimney, and the cool
in q neighboring kitchen was much aston
ished to see thousand Of bricks com,
through the roof The dinner was ruined
Last Monday morning while the groun,
was covered with a foot of snow, lady in thi
village noticed some robins in a crab-apple tire,
in her garden in search of something to eat
She sent out a lot of bread crumbs, which wer,
put on a board in the tree, and in few minute
large number of robins had collected, ant
were making their breakfast therefrom. Aftc
eating all they wanted they filed the air witt
songs. as if to thank their benefactor. 1t was
beautiful sight. Dover Observer.
Undoubtedly. On the same day we saw
a sight quite as touching. A tender heart
ed person had cleared the snow from a hi
Of ground scattered lots of food over it
and waited for the result. 1t came in TIL,
shape Of a half starved pup that licked NJ
the provender and leered up at thu
window in dog-eyed way for more.
There are strong symptoms in the Belfas
Journal that Mr.. Editor Simpson is medtatin!
upon the sublime topic of matrimOny. Water
vile Mail.
Yes-we have medtated upon the topi'
more than usual since we have perceived
that the editor of the Mail is the daily sub
ject of broomstick correction. We cal
k$enerally tell from reading paper wha
domestic discipline the editor undergoes
j., Tho nnxtn,. hoh;nd fbo +Iro,,a NJ tho Mai
is female.
e.