, 1875-07-25
TIE BOARD OF RDUCATION.

We have reserved until to-day our com
t ment upon Aid. Cu1I.RRToN's resolution, intro
duced at the last meeting Of the Common
Council, to abolish the Board Of Education,
| in order that all the people of Chicago may
! have ample leisure to consider the enormity
OF the proposition L is altogether the worst
suggestion that has grown out of the recent
charter frauds. It illustrates more vividly
than anything else the base uses to which it
is proposed to prostitute the new powers al
legged to be conferred upon the Common
Council by the charter Of 1872. But, while
it serves to point out the peculiar instincts of
certain class Of Aldermen likely to favor
this resolution, we are of the opinion that
they have overreached themselves in this
case, and that they are inhibited from abol-
| ishing the Board
| The legal argument against this PROPOSE
| ton is two-fold: In the first place, the pow
create offices is limited by the charter of
1872 to the ninety-si1 special powers emu
merated in that charter, and among these
there is no clause which can be construed as
authorizing an interference with the Board
Of Education, or the present school system
In the second place, our Board Of Education
was not created, like the Board Of Police, by
special act of the Legislature for the use or
benefit of Chicago. It is part and parcel of
the general system of education throughout
the State, defined by the Legislature Of tho
State in general statute, and applicable to
all districts Of 1000 inhabitants and over,
and all cities Of 100, 600 inhabitants aud mora.
In the hitter class, the act provides that the
Board Of Education shall consist Of
three years each, and one-thrd of whom
retire every year- This statute intrusts the
Board Of Education with purchasing school
ates and erecting schoolhouses, borrowing
money for school purposes, furnishing and
maintaining the schools, employing teachers
and fixing salaries, renting buildings and
rooms, designating studies and textbooks,
generally prescribing the conduct and man.
agement of the schools. The came act also
expressly says that "schools in such cities
&. C., having 100000 inhabitants or more1
shall be governed as stated, and no power
given to the Board shall be exercised by the
City Council" We can scarcely imagine that
the charter OF 1872 is 50 sweeping aud COM
prehensive as to confer upon the Aldermen
of the City Of Chicago the power of repeating
any other general law which applies to Chi
cago only as it applies to the remainder OF
the State simply because such general law
may not suit their Aldermanio tastes.
The moral argument against CuI1KRrox's
proposition is even stronger than the legal
argument, and is likewise two-fold. In the
first place, it should be the aim of every hon
est man in the Council who has the welfare
Of the city at heart to disturb the old system
Of city government as little as possible until
it shall be decided whetherthe disputed point
the charter Of 1872-was legally adopted
or not,-a question now pending before the
courts. In the second place,-and this is by
all odds the most important consideration
the abolition Of the Board of Education
would lead to the most disgraceful system Of
blackmail and plunder that has ever prevailed
under municipal corporation. Whether or
not it was conceived for that purpose,
such would be the inevitable result,
We do not hesitate to say that it would |
be less demoralizing on the community if |
the leaders Of an Aldermanic " ring" were
taken bodily by an outraged people and |
hanged to the lamp posts in the street than
to inaugurate system whereby one man |
would nominally control the schools of Chi
cago, but which would, in fact, be prosti-
tuition Of the schools to the money making
propensihes of the Alderman who are ts On the
make"
The effect Of this proposed abolition Of the
Board of Education must be obvious enough
upon a moments reflection It will be to
confer upon q creature of the Council the |
powers now exercised by the Board,-a con-
dition expressly inhibited by the act of the
Legislature creating the present system.
There would be blackmail and stealing every
where. Not Scholastic could be purchased
without blackman and stealing; not a school
house could be built, orfurnished and equipped,
without a combination with or commits
sion from tie contractors The school-funds
and rents from school property would be ie
constant jeopardy. There would be 81 many
changes in textbooks as in the moon, and
not one but woa1d bring grist to the rings
mill. Finally, *he appointment of teachers
would become mere matter Of political pat
ronage, and cur public schools, from being
ameng the bestin the country, would speedily
degenerate into mere vehicles for the benefit |
and promotion of bummerism This is the
prospect ahead, If the Council had the power
to abolish the Board Of Educa:ion and invest
its powers in one of their confederates,
Boards Of Education prevail everywhere,
in every city and State in America, and, in one |
form or another, in every country where the
system exists in any phase. In
Germany, Switzerland, England, Canada, and
in the United Ststea, the public
schools are under the genem management
Of Boarda The reasons for this arc
clear enough. Their relations to the |
public are peculiarly tender and delicate. ,
They arc genara11y chosen from among faith
ers of families, paheo sxdltsd lteeaa. md !,