The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-03
THE FRUITS OF RING RULE
now THEY ECOEOMTzE IN mos,
BHEPHERD'S DOMfNIOs

Decrcns'ns Kaucntionsi Factutie. q, ,..e.
portion Of 100 10 75-An this to Me-. n.
the heckless BstravaEansc Of the Rins.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5l-ft Is chnro.d
that the Democratic House Of Representative.
cut down the school fund OF the CITY Of w..b-
inGton and thus struck blow ut cconom,. La,
the facts speak. Tho District OF Column. 4.
now reapinR the bitter fruits Of Ave year, n,
Rlng rule With vensesnce. Up to the pre-en,
wear the Radical Reform Commissioner bays
kept the bankrupt condition Of the Distflc; con-
ceal.d by all sorts Of disfeputable means, such
as the reckless and Illegal issue OF District bonds
In payment OF repairs and similar current ex-
penses, and the steatby osasaes OF mysterious
appropriations by Congress under all possiols
forms and shapes. The House Of ReDreseuta-
tives has this year agreed to the advance Of
aoDut $4,000 for paving Pennsylyania avenue.
and Of about t50o0O0 for paving the annual In
terest on the tbree-extv-nve bonds a. 10 falls
due. II has made appropri atoms for the Gov
ernments proportionate share OF District ex-
penditures by the usual liberal contributions to
the charities OF the District, the support Of the
INDECENT Insane, metropolitan police, fro do
rtment. courts, convicts, aqueduct, &C. 10
has also authorized tho Commissioners, who
have, notwithstanding the most lioeral appro-
priatlons and uBprecedentedly high rates Of
tax tion, run the District deeper In the mire to
anticipate the revenues from taxation to the
amount Of about $4,000. But there n has
stopped. since to do more under the Radical
squandering policy prevailing here. has proved
worse feat than carrying Goals to Newcastle.
Compelled at last TO come down from the
stills and stand to some degree on their own
merits. these Commissioners have undertaken,
among the nrst objects, to curt II the educa-
tionai facilities below the scant limits Afforded
even by the muoh abused old Municipal Govern
ment. They have ordered the school Board to
reduce the expenditures un1er the school sy.-
tom from the estimate Of $'S8.bDJ TO S2v00o.
Here We have the civiliz ,tion mission Of the
Radical party once more ~ It's rue nRht Ia
1870 the last year Of the old municio Titles, the
current expenses for The white schools OF
law com peled AID compes the setting ppart foI
sustaining the colored schools an mount com.
put-d by the Droporti which the colored
children boar to the white children Of school
age. he census OF 1870 furnishes the hguIes
for this calc ulaiion.
The school system OF Washington bas, since
the usondatiOn, been extended over George
town and the county, Inc number OF white
and the number Of col red cntluren & az. lhs
whites Of Georgetown and toe county are re-
corded IA 3,174. aud the colnred children al
19d!. rot., 3l,67l. Mt t. curtall the educa-
tiOnal facilities Of Washington lily In consc.
~ the II ideals, a sum total for the Districi
schools must he provided IN the proportion OF
140j to 3l.611. or $}Ui.6.D. Ibis would be on tue
assumption that the popul.tien ms not IN.
Gre sed since ls70 nut tho weekly reports Of
toe Board OF Health state hat the census popu'
which impheS ;ss41B cbilIr n of school are, ,nd
the assessed vaiue Of tax 'oie real = 10 which
those persnns own has risen fIom s18.977A54 10
1870 TO $gg4j!.Gs4 IN 1875. To keen up mercy Tue
facilities for schooling Afforded Ia 1870 tbs sum
| at bre.enL AZ dispo-al should ne $}1Ong1 IN the
basis OF populdtinn. or $:8O,0OO ~ the oasis Of
| wealth. Nhiie the average wealth per head hu
| decreased the indiviouHi fortunes ~ the he d.
Hl - Ia Ia Va mad
| priuce.s dimensions. the progress OF civIlizs-
| ton In the domioion Of Boss shepherd aud his
successor ~, therefore, evidenced ny decreased
OF educatiOuai facilities IN the proportion of IN
| to 70 after five wears.
| According to the rates OF 1870 there were last
| year 257.7 whites anu l2.7i9 colored pupils Of
school age. of thesr. II ls7 whites aud 6,6S COZ
ored were accominod Ited In tho public scno"isi
aud many a poor urchln sat on the aOxioua
benches hoping that dismissal, death. or misnap
would vacate the seat for which he lonxed. The
| private schools of the Di-irlct accumm odsfed
| 1851. OF which probably 20l were strangers "a
the District. This lie yes f,r the DIS ret 7,01
plpils. OF which 6,5,6 were white and "a coLoted
Consequently, last year 1853 whites aud 5,61T col.
OTed y iIts were ueDarrod from school accom-
| mod atoms. but for the Catholic parochtL
schools 3,UO more pupils would have ornam cut
ed The patent pavtng blocks during school mourn.
| These figures nave bern carefully compiled from
| the annual reports OF the School Board, tha
United states census OF 1870, and the otnctal re-
| ports ~ the BOard OF Health.
| Under the old munirip.litv, class OF build
ings for school purposes was erected which
would be IA creoit 10 any city, but all such
since the profits OF the patent Davina
companies eat the substance OF our
resources The white schools much
! sncOul rooms Last ear the white schools were
kept IN 1eo rooms. owned by t1e District ; ths
/ colored schuois In lO5 sucn rooms. The hIts
schools had To ct along with - illv-ad ,ptsj,
crainped, rented rooms, while the culOred
schools needed bat niue such rooms. This dn-
/ proportion exists because he cOlured trus ees
had their prOpOrtionate share OF the school
| funds IN Jul at "A time wuen their population
Was NOT fuzzy educated to appreciate the viIua
/ OF schooling. that the funds remained Al
their disposal tor buildings with spacious aud
| airs sch iol rooms aud corridors.
In snort, to keep Shepnerd's decayng wood
! paNements and the Commissioners cru thing
louiilces IN rep ", To pay tue Interest on tue
/ di9' topoTiondte uebt, piled up ILLEGALLY ~
Snepueri aud tue X die | rctoriners who suo-
creGed niu, aud TO Keep a set Of cormoIants 10
/ ci"N'r, aus rbs more than ths resOui Ces OF TINS
| rns-l iucn ~ ct. vita ITS sham prI-perity 20
hf"LcalN set torn by the reports OF dishonest
! .ulh n tle,. Sdch results not surprising 10
Vew ot tIe far that Oh April I, 1876, alter tneif
! Improvement swinute had been aUIu ptly ST. pcd
! ny & ngress anu nothing put dlntultlve Repairs
! 81 street WORK was within reach, tue District
Comm ssiOuers reported To tue District GO n
| inlttte VI the House that ON their revised re-
trenrhuent plan s6j,SIg would De necessary per
annum tor salaries Ot tue Epgineer's OIL and ~
appendages, exclusive OF tue Maier ID p.ftmenL
| l. WAS nuped that enc fraud could be- kept secret
until the pending election IS over, but win the
out OF The bag abruptly anu at the wrong Iims