The New Orleans bulletin., 1875-10-14
THE SCHOOL BOARD.

A week ago the committee appointed Il
represent the citizens assembled in Lafayette
Square to protest and demonstrate against tht
notorious and gross abuses committed by ths
Board of Directors of the city schools, re-
spectfully transmitted to the board copy o.
the resolutions unanimously adopted at thai
meeting.
After the lapse of weeks time reply i;
made by committee appointed by the board
not to the resolutions of the citizens, but to
the committee who merely transmitted them,
ignoring the actual remonstrance and com.
plant of the people altogether, and treating
them with sneering contempt and scornful
contumely.
The reply has not been formally presented
to the committee, but it is in type and copy
has been furn ished to tie BULLETIN and will
be found in another column. 1t will be read
with mingled surprise and disgust by all who
take an interest in our public schools. 1t is
tissue of shallow spec al pleading and hair
splitting, supercilious, fippant and wholly
insincere. The argument drawn from the
comparative mum bers present at and absent
from the mass meeting is merely puerile and
ridicnloxs.
The directors know quite well that their
board is not called upon to impeach its mem
bers and therefore nothing need have been
said as to its competency. The directors are
impeached already. The people are their &C.
,bo rpa6a diGt1npt Ej-
rect, explicit and unmistakable. The mem
bers of the board have not been asked and
are not expected to impeach one another.
They have been asked to resign. They have
been impeached and condemned. They have
been tried and found wanting-wanting in
character, wanting in capacity, wanting in
decency, wanting in morality, wanting in
every essential that constitutes good, careful,
efficient and useful officers.
They express their willingness to put them
selves "upon the country" We would mildly
suggest that they have been upon the 50 coun-
try much too long already. The "country =
is weary of them, and would be glad to get
them off its tired shoulders. The country is
as wearied of them as Sinbad was of the Old
Msn of the Sea, and if it can do no better
will get rid of them as he did of his living
nuisance
The board is already directly and severely
convicted Of all or the principal part Of what
has been charged in the resolutions of the
mass meeting, first by the Republican, one of
whose editors is member of the Board ; Sec
onaly by Mr. Boothby, Division Superintend-
ent and lastly, by the sentiment of the COM
munity.
The allegation Of the committee that the
public schools of New Orleans have improved
during the past five years, or any part of that
period, is simply untrue. The standard of
ability, mental and moral, has deteriorated
among teachers. Thousands of the children
of parents who have means have been taken
away, while their places have been taken by
negroes and paupers. The schools are in q
process of decay in all the more essential par
ticulars, and this the members Of the board
know full WELL A few months more of like
management would drive all decent white
children from the schools.
Really, the Board of Directors are trifing
with the people of New Orleans, and the peo-
pie are in no mood to be trifled with.