Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-09-24
A Letter From DR.. Sears.


HE EXPLAINS THE POLICY OF THE DIsTRIBU-
TON OF THE PEABODY FUND.
In response to the request of the Board OF
School Trustees, DR. Sears, the General Agent
OF the Peabody Fund, addressed them the fol-
lowing letter, explaining the policy govern
ing the Peabody Board in the distribution OF
that fund.-
sTAUNToN, VA, Sept 5th, 1878.
III. N. Bell. Esq, Chairman Board of Trustees.
Dear sir-Owing to the inability of the Pea
ssay ~ 70 continue longer sne wnoie
That the city authorities bear part of the ex-
pense. have received no direct reply to that
request Meantime MIR. Ladd has resigned, he
says, In consequence of what was said to him
by member of your Board, and committee
has called upon me to inquire whether the ap-
preparation was perpetual one, on which they
could rely for the support of q Superintendent,
the city paying nothing. This led to an expla-
nation, of which the following is the substance (:
part. il not the whole, OF that expense The
plan of the Peabody Trustees has been from
the beginning to give only, temporary assis-
lance to schools; to aid and encourage them
till they could get well under way, and till the
people had fair opportunity to learn their
that crisis s Which nsy their e1is
tence 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.
Owing to the unfavorable condition of several
of the most southernly States, and the great
erly used, we withheld the greater part of their
distributive share, reservfng 1t for q more IA
vorable time and gave 1t to States that were
making strenuous and successful efforts to in
augurate good system of schools, and to no
State did we appropriate SO much as to Virgin
ia which has received ess S2a ,not tho auf
States have been in a condition to receive their
share Of the fund advantageously; but the
Of Virginia, were SO great that there was dan
ger of losing much of the ground we had gain
ed, if we withdrew our aid suddenly. We
| what our appropriations to the more Southern
States, and diminishing them somewhat to the
more Northern. Justice requires that we no
longer delay to make the proper adjustment.
Again, in reducing the amount given to Viz
| ginia, we. for special reasons, too complicated
be ggsn did not sausS
5000 last year, one-fifth Of the whole amount
other cities received but $500. Neither Supt.
Ruffner nor myself could be justified in con-
tinuing such an unequal distribution. Though
I Fiji #hss s ssRsisa
than their share, it seemed especially desirable
| to strengthen and consolidate the schools of
Staunton, under existing favorable auspices, a
little longer before withdrawing aid, not only
for the. good Of the city, but for that Of the
which We're beneGttsd 81 the Example eff such
a perfect system Of schools, due mainly to the
rare skill and fidelity Of the City superinten.
dent. But after had obtained the reluctant
consent of the State Superintendent ION
lowance, and before Mr.. Ladd's resignation,
Supt. Ruffner wrote to me, regretting that he
had consented, and saying II shall not favor
90 large 2 sum as $500 to any place in the
State.p Under these sifsgnastancss tola your
Committee I could not pay the whole expense
Of the City SUPPLEMENTARY, nor under any new
arrangement lesa promising than the old one
give anything like 1900. Although the cir
cumstances which induced Supt. Ladd to re-
sign have had jiscouraging effect they have
had no influence on the decision of this ques-
ton. have been influenced solely by sense
Gf Justice to other schools, and by that general
view Of 'ekpedleney Enic,a has gaverned me
and the Peabody Trustees in all our 'disburse-
ments from the beginning.
Yours, very respectfully,