Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-31
A Blow as Education.

Among The disastrous results OF the false
economy OF the democrats in Congress is the
gripping OF the District OF Columbia schools.
II Turns out that the appropriation for
school purposes Ia 30 far Inadequate that the
term must be cut down 10 eight months du
ration. In their blind haste 10 lop Off the
edges OF necessary appropriations, the demo-
Gratis hampered innumerable important
Interests. Their orators are now parading
figures TO show what retrenchments have
been effected, but In order that this boast
should be made the needful operations OF the
government have been crippled and school
childred are turned into the streets.-(N. Y.
Times.
Except that IL IL liable TO create false i'm
preston In the public mind, the above is
true enough as far rs IL goes; but IL does not
go far enough. II falls 10 tell the whole dis
graceful story connected with the cause of
popular education At the capital Of the ma
ton.
From the language used by our contem-
pory the general reader will be led TO infer
that an appropriation OF some sort, and in
some amount, has been made by Congress
in aid OF our schools. Nothing could be far
Their from the truth. No appropriation for
this purpose has ever been made by Con-
gress- That body has heretofore, however,
In view OF the large property interests OF the
general government in this District, and the
necessity for protecting and preserving the
same, made annual appropriations to help
defray the expenses OF the Police aud Fire
departments OF Washington. But In conse-
queHce of the refusal on the part OF the pre-
sent Congress to allow the general govern.
ment to bear its equitable share of these ex-
penses, for the current fiscal year, the Dis
ff1ct Commissioners found 1t necessary to
divert portion OF the fund raised by our
local tax levy for educational purposes, and
use 1t for paying the police force and the
nremen- In other words, they were com.
PEELED TO either shorten the school term, as
stated, or reduce those two Indispensable
departments so as TO impair their Useful.
ness and thus put In peril both the property
OF private citizens and the vast possessions
OF the general government located here
They naturally and, In q temporary sense,
wisely chose the former alternative.
But this Is not all. Nor Is il the worst fea-
ture OF our peculiarly hard case. While
liberal grants OF public lands for the support
OF the American school system have been
made TO every state land also To every terri
tory, We Delieve,) in the Union, everything
OF that sort, or national aid OF any character,
has always been studiously withheld from
the District Of Columbia. The practical
result OF this mean injustice Is that the tax
ridden people OF this small territory have
not only 10 provide all the means for the
support Of their own schools, but they are
also obliged to furnish additional educa-
tional facilities for the children OF a large
number OF government officials who reside
here but pay taxes elsewhere. and likewise,
TO q considerable extent, for the children of
the very Congressman who TINS cripple our
schools II this 10 not "adding insult to
injury" we should like some one to point
out q Gaze which meets that much Quoted
illustration of human depravity.
1t is only fair TO add, In conclusion, that
the latter Injustice complained of has been
practiced alike by whig, democratic and
republican Congresses, so that neither party
can take anything but shame to itself for Its
connection with the m natter.