The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-12

children mag enjoy privileges and others be
excluded, but to maintain a public-free
school system which should allow equal
privileges to all comers. The hundreds
OF children who are turned away every
year Tor want Of room-some eight hundred
this year-attest the insufficiency OF the pro-
vision. But we know the fact still more
definitely from the general educational sta
tistcs Of the country. The proportion OF
pupils enrolled in the public schools, in
comparison with the total population, in
the cities Of st. Louis, Chicago, Baltimore,
Boston. and Cincinnati, runs from i to %
per cent. ,
INRICBHoND IT IS 8 PER CENT.
on the estimated city population OF $4,000,
and only II per cent. on the population OF
1870. which was 81, 900. Provision is really
needed now for 5000 children instead Of
5000, and this would be only 10 per cent.
Of the population, which Is estimated by
the Board of Health, IL remember rightly,
at 81, 900.
Ia order to make the provision demanded
by the wants Of the city, larger annual
appropriation is, OF course, necessary and
however disagreeable may be such sng-
gestion, tits none the less duty Of school
officers to make known the educational
wants Of the city; whilst it is for the au-
thorities or for the people OF the city to say
whether or not these wants shall be sup
Piled. Bnt it should be clearly understood
that because the school authorities
ASK FOR MORE SCHOOLS,
it does not follow that they ask for more
taxes. The income OF the city is about mil
lion and quarter. The appropriations out OF
this for SCHOOLS are, say, $4,000. Now, as
understand it, the school authorities do
not ask any increase in the million and 4
quarter paid by the people, but only an in
crease in the S55, 900 voted by the Council.
That is, the City School Board says to the
City Council: "You have been giving us
less than one dollar in twenty-three Of your
money; now we ask that you give us dol
lar and quarter out of that same
twenty-tliree. Look over this long list
OF city expenditures, il you please, and
see il SOmc,rhere this quarter OF Il dollar
can't be saved for those thousands OF chill
dren who can only stand Off and with hum
cry eyes behold their playmates gathering
intellectual Joy and strength at
THE TABLE SPREAD BY THE CITY"
Now. fellow-citizens, is this unreaSona-
bile? On every right principle nothing
could be more just and fair. AS financial
question, does the appropl iation for educa-
ton now bear SO large a proportion TO The
property OF the city that il ought not to be
increased? The reply to this is that il the
anpropration does not dc the thing which
tie city has undertaken to do. then it is cer-
tainly TOO small. 1t is beneath the dignity
OF a city to undertake to do, and to pretend
to be doing, thing she is not doing.
But let US return to our arithmetic. Rich
mond expends annually for education ii
cents on the 500 worth OF property held
bv her citizens; Baltimore expendS u, or
50 per cent. more; New York, 25 cents
ST. Louis, 10 cents; Louisville, ID cents,
more than three times that OF Richmond.
Even Wheeling pays 80 cents for education.
But let us take some OF our
wAR-sCARRED SOUTHERN CITIES.
Savannah cxpendS 90 cents on the Sl00-4C
Der cent. more than Richmond; Augusta
Ga, 25 cents; Nashville, 40 cents; and OF
our own Virginia cities: Petersburg Is
Portsmouth 20, Lynchburg 20, Alexandri;
- cents.
This group OF figures 7 have taken from
the report OF the United States Commis'
sioner OF Education for 1875. Since tha
date there has been q reduction in some o.
our Virginia cities. But Portsmouth still
oiycs % cents, Stanton 25, whilst Man
chester, Liberty, and Marion give 80.
And how does Richmond, with her ].
cents. compare with our agricultural coun
| ties? Look at
THAT BRAVE LITTLE COUNTY OF FLOYD,
which last year tuXed herself is cents OF
the 500. local tax for school purposes
| Alexandria county was not Tar Dchlnd-5'
cents. The county maximum allowed un
der the general law is 90 cents. Thlrt.
counties went to the maximum; thirty-nin
counties from ID TO 20; only tWenty-scYe
out OF ninety-nine counties below ID.
FelIow-citzens, are not the friends q
education in Richmond entitled to thcS
statements as defence against the intima
ton that thev are unreasonable and eve
dangerous, when they simply ask that tn
allowances now proportionally so sma
shall come up to something like tn
average OF other cities, and even c
our rural districts, not one OF whlc
has had the prosperity OF Richmond! an
that they shall be sufficient to make sure {
two things: First, nine-months schot
term regularly, and second, accommod:
tions for all the schoOlchildrcn applying.
PEOPLE OF RICHMOND,
in the eye CT this age the educational inst
tutions OF Il city are the test, as they are tn
flower, OF its civilization. Whilst ever
cultivated mind takes pleasure in all mate
rial adornments, in sculpture, and arcbi
lecture, and lands dsclpe-gardening, yet a tru
insight shows the truth contained in ST
william IIamilton's favorite motto: ether
is nothing great on earth but man, and ther
| is nothing great in man but mind."
| Tn conclusion il I, who belong to tn
State rather than to any city or county o
tbc State, have upon this occasion shows
an undue zeal in regard to your city affairs
allow me TO say, by way OF apology, tha
whilst your public schools are the flower o
Richmond, Richmond is the flower OF Fir
ginia. ;,
smoke with some difficulty in consequence
Wien he said that the Richmond High
School must and shall be maintained thcr
was great applause. So, also, when he sal
"Richmond is the flower OF Virginia.
He referred to the fact that General JOIN
Eaton, United States Commissioner OF Edu
cation, was among the distinguished gen
tlemen on the stage.
| General Eaton.
General Eaton was presented to the all
djence bv Superintendent Peay, and eX
pressed pleasure at being present. II
stated that lie had come from the com
mencement exercises Of one Of Virginia.
great institutions of learning. and had seer
something OF the "model lighthouses DR.
Rutrner had been planting in the valley
and on the mountains" He was glad t.
he here "at Richmond, the flower OF tn
State,n and at ''this the flower Of the schoo
system
The General complimented DR.. Ruhne
very highly, and thought that it was -
spccial divine Providence which had calle'
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