Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-09-20
DR.. Sears on the Policy Of the Peabody Fund.

DR.. Sears on the Policy Of the Peabody Fund
At . meeting of the City School Board
Tuesday evening. president Todd read q
letter from DR.. B. Sears, General agent Of
the Peabody Fund, addressed to Maj. Fl,
M. Bell, the late president of the Board
A resolution was adopted requesting DR.:
Sears to publish in the city papers the pol.
icy of the Peabody Board. In compliance
with the request we publish the following
letter:
sTAUNToz. VA. Sept. 5th, 1873.
H. M. BELL. ESQ.
Dear Sir lowing to the inability Of the Pea
body Trustees to continue any longer the whole
the city authorities bear part OF the expense. I
have received no direct reply to that request.
Meantime Mr. Ladd has resigned, he says in con-
sequence Of what was said to him by member
Of your Board; and a committee has called upon
me to inquire whether the appropriation was
perpetual one. on which they could rely for the
support OF q Superintendent, the city paying
nothing. This led to an explanation OF which
the following is the substance: The time has
come for the city to assume part. if not the
whole. Of that expense. The plan of the Peabody
Trustees has been from the beginning to give
only temporary assistance to schools; to aid and
encourage them till they could get well under
way and till the people had fair Opportunity to
learn their value to help them %hed tney are
their existence and permanent success. We then
pass to other schools and so circulate till we
shall have reached all that need our aid and that
make the proper effort themselves. r.
Owing to the unfavorable condition OF several
of the most southerly states. and the great I'm
used, We Withheld the greater part OF their dis
tributive share. reserving it for more favorable
time and gave it to States that We're making
strenuous aud successful efforts to inauyurate a
good system OF schools. and to no State did We
appropriate 80 much as to Virginia. which has
1t is now more than year that the Gulf States
have been Ia condition to rec.&ve their share OF
the fund advantageously; but the wants OF come
OF the othe; States, especially OF virginia. we're
great that there WAS danger Il losing much OF
the ground We had gained. II we withdrew our
nj i suddenly We therefore made compromise.
incrr asin g somewhat our appropriations to the
moe southern States. and diminishing them
somewhat to the more Northern. Justice equireS
hat NO longer delay to make the proper adj
tAstnent. ~ 49,
Again. in reducing the amount given to Virgin
ia, We. tor special reasons, too complicated TO be
given here did not reduce our appropriation to
Stauuton. which has always been proportionately
large. On the contrary it received 900 last
year one fifth OF the whole allowance to the State
while Norfolk, Lynchbur% and other cities re-
ceived but $500. Neither supt Ruffner nor my
self could be justified in cc1ILnGinK such an I'M
equal distribution. Thcngli we should, very
soon. be obliged to withhold further aid from this
state. and especially from stanton, both OF
which were receiving more than their share, it
seemed especially desirable to strengthen and
consolidate the schools OF Staunton under exist
ing favorable auspcesa little longer before with
drawing aid not only for the good Of the city but
for that of the whole Valley, and even OF the
State which were benefited by the example OF such
a perfect system OF schools. due mainly to the
rare skill and fidelity Of the City superintendent
But after had obtained the reluctant consent OF
the State Superintendent. ION whose recopmen-
dation 1 act) for liberal allowance. and before
Mr.. Ladd's resignation. Supt. Ruffner wrote to
me, regretting that he had consented. and saying
II shall not favor large sum as $l 500 to any
place in the State" Under these, circumstances
told your committee could not pay the whole |
expense OF the City SUPPLEMENTARY. nor under
any new arrangement less promising than the
old one, give anything like 81. 800. Although the
which induced Supt. Ladd to re-
sign have had a discouraging effect, they |
have had no influence on the decision of this
question I have b en- Influenced solely by
sense OF Justice other schools, and by that gen
eral view of expedency which has governed me
and the Peabody Trustees. in all our disburse- |
ments from the beginning.
Yours, very respectfully
B. SEARS. Gent Agt. |