The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-10-03
THE SCHOOL BOARD.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT

EDITOR DEMOCRAT
Some time since "Third Ward Tax
Payer" plain and outspoken cor
respondent of yours, saw fit in the
interest of the people and taxpayers
of Alexandria, gently, and as I be-
lieye truthfulIy, to haul over the
Goals the City Fathers your Town,
and | think you allowed him several
times the use of your columns to
ventilate these little misdeeds of Off
Gals. Therefore, make bold to
tread on the same liberty, and ask a
small space in your columns con-
corning an equally loose manage
ment of our affairs.
The subject, Mr.. Editor, I allude
to is the management and commence
ment in Office Of the new School
Board Of our Parish, the so-called
reform one par excellence, which was
to wipe out all the ills of Radicalism
and ignorance, open wide the doors
of the inner secrets of the star cham
Der of what is called Public Schools,
and let the interested public, the
taxpayers, have some insight, some
information into the workings of re-
form. Fair promises, among other
jewels, glittered like the diadem of
all the Caesars into our platform,
before the election, and I, Mr.. Edi-
tor, with many others, are being
more and more impressed that all
that glitters is not even tin, and that
great promises have been forgotten,
and were only made to catch gud-
geons and votes.
To come down to time, and to
to gently reprimand the new School
Board for maiden short comings, 1
charge that they have been in Office
sixty days, under full Roadway, have
drawn round sum of money from
the State Treasury, have repaired
and added to the School Houses of
Alexandria, and thus far the public,
that public who are the people who
grease the machine, and have an un-
deniable right to be posted, fully
posted, know nothing except by mere
rumor. And, Mr.. Editor, it is
strange, passing strange, that all this
could have been avoided, and the
people posted, if the School Board
would only publish, in one of the
newspapers of the Town, or properly
in the DEMOCRAT, as lis the Official
Journal of the Parish and Town, the
full proceedings Of their meetings,
their official doings. This neglect,
and this alone, is my cause of com.
plant, a just cause of complaint,
against the School Board, who sure
ly on reflection will see that am
right, and that this derilection of
duty should never have been per-
mitted to linger. Tie expenses of
printing now are sixty per cent. less
than under the late Radical regime,
and the DEMOCRAT, as I have seen
'by its public printing contract with
the Parish and Town, does the print
ing alta discount of ten per cent. on
these rates. I mention this to show
the School Board that the plea of
economy won't hold good as their
defence, and that they have erred
from the start in not publicly post
ing their constituents in this impor-
tant matter. And to close let me, as
a Judge of the peoples court of ap-
peals, and tax payer and friend of
the educational wants of the rising
generation, state the object of this
communication is one of advice,
friendly advice, to the Board to rem
edy all this bad start, and let the
public have peep, an insight into
their management. I ask it respect
fully and as in duty bound, in the
name of the taxpayers and parents
OF RAPIDEs.
~~-~~-~~<~Ds~~~
THE Radical leaders of the COL
ored persuasion seem bent on more
mischief, and little shaking of the