The New York herald., 1876-03-09
More Air for the Little Ones.


hand.
More Air for the Little Ones.
There can be no much-needed reform in
which our citizens will take more gracious
interest than that which aims at reducing
the dangers to health of the children in the
public schools There are some leather
lunged individuals who think they have a
right to a strap in q sardine-packed horse
car, but we do not think that the most in
veterate ''strapper" would hesitate to de-
nounce o system ruinous to the health of his
own, his brothers, or even his neighbor's
child. We do not believe in coddling chill
dren, but we should at least give the little
ones pure air to breathe during the six hours
they are enclosed in the schools. In another
part of the HERALD will be found the
statements upon this important question by
Mr.. Riddle, the superintendent of our
schools, and of DR.. Moreau Morris, formerly
of the Board of Health. From the first can be
seen the present condition of the schools in
respect to dangerous overcrowding, and from
the second what the schools should be. Read
ing these carefully the public will see the
defects of 1.-THE present system and how they
may be remedied or ameliorated. In a great
and rapidly spreading city like New York it
is inevitable that we should outgrow our
accommodations as the boy outgrows his
jackets; but the liberal and wealthy
parent -Manhattan-only requires to have
its little children's wants put plainly
Before it to supply them. The schools
want air, more of it and better
From the gentlemen above named and
the sanitary authorities they quote it
will be seen how grave the danger is and
how quickly the cure should be applied.
We are not at all prepared to see the matter
disposed of by turning the surplus thirty
thousand little scholars adrift. That would
be cheap way to settle the difficulty, but
no father would deprive one child of his
dinner because there was only room for his
other four at the table. We are too proud of
our schools and our children to accept any
such solution of the problem. The way to
reform is clear. Let the Board of Education
take prompt counsel of science and common
sense. Let them say where the erection of
new schools is absolutely necessary, where
alterations of existing buildings are required
and where the introduction of suitable
ventilating appliances will make the class
rooms fit for the use of scholars. There
should not be an instant's delay in stating
these things, for the statistics are at hand for
collation.. 1t is matter the necessity of
providing for which monetarily is appa-
rent, and the Board may rest assured that
the money will be furnished ungrudgingly.
Superintendent Riddle thinks quarter of a
million dollars would remedy the present
disgraceful state of things. We do not like
approximate sums, and we call on the Board
to make such report as we have indicated,
with close calculation as to the cost. This
is the business way of setting to work, and
there should not be day lost about it.
Tho New Hampshire Election.
If the republican party should elect its
ticket in New Hampshire next Tuesday it
would be more incomprehensible phe-
nomenon than has ever been presented in
American politics. Last year Governor
Cheney's plurality over Roberts, his demo-
cratic competitor, was only one hundred and
seventy-two, and if the recent scandalous
exposures do not wipe out that slender ma
jority no reliance can afterward be placed on
any political calculation. The people of
New Hampshire cannot affect to dis
believe the charges against Belknap,
and after every allowance is made for
bribery, it will be strange if revolt
against exposed and scandalous corruption
does not prevent the success of the admins
tration party. change of eighty-seven
votes would reverse the republican majority
of last year, and il the recent disgraceful ex-
posures should not have that amount Of in
tiuence there would be reason to despair of
the moral sense Of American citizens. In
spite OF bribery, in spite Of brazen political
lying, in spite of the attempts made at WASH
ington and repeated in New Hampshire to
confuse and befog the Issue, we cannot be-
lieve that the democratic party will fail to
overcome the slender majority by which it
was defeated in the Granite State last year.
ArFoNsos TROUBLES are by no means over.
The fight has been transferred nearer Madrid,
that is all. The Carlists could never cross
the Ebro, but liberal opinions can crop up
anywhere. What is in the near future may
be guessed from the fact that the Spanish
government have requested France to expel
Spanish republicans from her dominions.