The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-01

TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Our readers in general may omit these
remarks If they choose; they are addressed
especially to the eighteen Directors Of Schools
for what is known as the Sixth Division, or
the city of New Orleans as now constituted.
In way entirely respectful as to terms, as
it is in intention, we want to indicate to these
Directors tina! it has Lecome their duty
to resign and make room for another Board
which shall represent more nearly the wishes
and sentiments of those whose money goes
to support the free public schools OF the
city. We say to the members of the present
Board that four-ffths of colored parents and
ninety-nine in each hundred of white parents,
disapproye of the course which the board has
pursued We tell them that most decidedly
preponderant majority of colored citizens join
with the general mass of white citizens in con-
demning the attempt to mingle white pupils
with the colored in our free schools. We tell
them that the attempt to install coloredipro-
lessor over the white boys Of the High School
is construed as wanton, needless, gratuitous
and studied insult to the one hundred and
fifty thousand white inhabitants of this
city. We tell them that the COM
PEELED mixture Of colors in twenty
or more Of our city schools is in violation Of
instincts as deep-seated as the love Of life,
and is only submitted to as an alternative
which is altogether repulsive, white parents
permitting their children to go to mixed
schools only because their poverty gives them
no choice. We tell them that they have shocked
the sense of justice of all honest inhabitants
by discharging without cause, or the pretense
of cause, numerous worthy, honorable and
efficient teachers to make room for friends
and favorites of the members of the Board.
We tell them that female teachers occupy
positions in the schools who are NOR
ally unfit to occupy such positions, and
that in common and current opinion such
impure women owe their appointment to a
species of favoritism, which can only be
alluded to here in general terms We tell the
members of the Board of Directors for this
city that they have suffered themselves to be
led wholly astray by ambitious politicians Of
the Radical party, and have permitted them
selves to be made instruments for the stirring
up of strife and discord. We tell them that
enormous sums of money have been dis
honestly distracted from the public school
fund of the State at large, and that they can
only escape share of the guilt by giving up the
positions which they occupy. They have
heard for the past fifteen days the angry
denunciations of the people and the free
comments of the press. The public as they
well know have confidence in them no longer.
They know that they no longer represent
popular opinion or the will of the inhabi-
tants, if indeed they have ever tried to repre-
sent any class outside of the partisan influ-
ence to which they owe their appointments.
They know that the whole city would rejoice
in unison to hear Of their resignation. We
advise them, in all seriousness, to resign.
The position has no pecuniary value to an
honest man.
Public opinion seems to discriminate in
favor Of few members Of the Board To
such we can only say that they can accom-
plish no good by remaining and that their
associates give to them bad odor. We ad-
wise them to resign and cease to give further
countenance to the acts Of their confreres.
Let such be the first to resign and shake their
skirts free from the shame of corruption. If
they stay longer with the Board as now COM
posed they indorse what the Board has done
and must share in thu blame.
What happens now to the Board OF
Directors is not at all a new thing The use
fitness of men in public as we'll as private
positions very often Deepen DIS upon the conf
dence in which they are held. The most ca
pable, the most skillful accountant, the most
astute counsellor, cannot do justice to an en-
ployer unless he has his confidence. The
board has lost the confidence of the people,
and in that loss is included their power Of
being longer useful even if they were now to
try. Let the directors resign and let others
be appointed in their stead.
Leaving the system to be changed as the
General Assembly may in its wisdom see fit,
what is wanted without delay is such an
administration of the city schools as will
restore the confidence of parents and take
away the reproach which now attaches to the
shoots themselves