Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-11
UNPAID SCHOOL AUTHORIZATIONS.

UNPAID SCHOOL APPROPRIATIONS.
DR.. Wickersham Avows his Official Dersiic-
lions and Defies the school BOARD
"Let the Band Play"
Readers of the INTELIIGESCER need not
be reminded of the delay, which. under
DR.. Wickersham's administration of the
department of public instruction, has
marked the issue of warrants for the state
due the several school dis
tricts for some years past. Time and
tention to DR.. Wickersham's dereliction
of official duty in this respect time and
again the Lancaster school board has re-
quested him to draw his warrant
on the state treasurer for the amount
due the Lancaster schools; and when
these requests have been unheeded formal
demand has been made that he shall per-
form the simple madatory duty of drawing
his warrant. These several appeals have
been met by DIR. Wickersham in the most
inconsistent. shutting, and evasive manner
He has acted upon the assumption that lie
was the sole judge as to whether the war
rants should Or should not be drawn that
he was the custodian of the state treasures
and knew when they might or might not
be safely drawn on for school purposes.
When this unreasonable and arrogant as
sumption was exploded he took re-
fuge behind the more humiliating
one, that his failure to perform his
sworn duty was at the request of the
state treasurer, and that he rould
draw his warrants as soon as the state
treasurer was able or willing to cash them
In this manner DR.. Wickersham continued
cuses until the Lancaster school board ut
its last meeting by unanimous vote re-
solved that legal measures be taken to
compel him to draw his warrant for the ap-
preparation due our schools. All these
things are familiar to our readers, but we
appreheDd most of them will be astonishcd
and indignant at the unblushing arrogance
with which DR.. Wickersham responds to
the action of the board. In his letter to
the state treasurer dated January5, 1880.
he confessed that he had neglected his
duty that that duty was mandatory
that the act of Assembly says the state
superintendent shall draw his warrant for
the amount due the several districts :;
"that the duty enjoincd by that act is posi-
tive and clear - that he had 10 better rea-
son for his two years neglect of duty than
the notice the state treasurer gave him of
his inability to pay the warrants if issued.
All this he confessed and then with
whine that the school into CGests are suffer
ins terribly and that ''there is Il univer-
sal demand that he shall issue the wal
rants,' lie told his friend the state treas
urer that he would be ''eompelled to adopt
different policy" and would commence
issuing the warrants OH the 12th of Janu-
ary. The above are DR.. Wickersham's
excuses, confessions and promises. But
quickly following them comes a long and
peevishly written communication publish
ed in the Nem Era, of yesterday, wherein
he complains of the action Of the Lancas-
ter school board in general, and Of Thos
B. Cochran and Robert A. Evans i'll pai,~
ticular, and then adds:
Had it not been for the proceedings of
last Thursday evening, the warrant for
Lancaster city would in all probability
have been reached and issued within tho
next ten days. The issue Of this warrant,
however, will now be postponed for the
purpose of enabling the finance committee
to carry into effect their instructions, by
doing me the favor of procuring the set
tlement in proper court, if they can find
| a court willing to assume the right t.
| settle it, of the question as to the condi-
| tiOns under which the school warrants
must be issued by the state superinten-
dent. A decision of this kind will lit -
heavy weight of responsibility from the
shoulders of that officer. Besides, it would
be cruel not to allow the chairman of the
finance committee an opportunity to dis
play his prOwess, since he has been ''spoil-
ing for fight" of this kind for months.
hazard the prediction, however, that he
! will come out of it a wiser man. :
Let me suggest to my friends of the school
board here at home that they can do some
thing more to complicate the situation and
give me trouble by suing me outright t"r
| the money due the city from the st0te md
,lcryinq on ma house and lot. They will be
! quite as likely to succeed in this way as by
can make will be greater.
There's craftsmanship There's chanI-
piOn of the schools! After being driven
from all the subterfuges, behind which he
has for years been attempting to hide his
official derelictiOns, he slowly and rehlct-
antly commences to do Lis duty, but. IN
petty spite towards the board of ds:~stors
that compelled him to do it, be. says in
effect "I'm mad at you you have COM
PEELED me to adopt different policy, an,i
will make you suffer for it: l will issue
warrants in favor Of the other school dis
tricts, but won't issue yours you may
sue me you may impeach me, but I'll
keep you out of your appropriation as
long as can, no matter how terribly the
school interests may suffer-
Had DR.. Wickersham been the disiilter-
ested champion of the publis schools he
would have the people believe him to be
he would not when he saw the school i'll
terests suffering have shilly-sballied and
hesitated. and cOnfOrmed his action to the
wishes of the state treasurer, from whom
he draws his salary, or the governor. to
whom he owes his appointment, Or to the
Senate, to whom he owes his confirmation.
He would have issued his school warrants
as the law commands him to do; and If
they were not duly honored he would have
thundered at the door of the treasury to
know the reason why; and if the treas
urer's plea of "no funds" was made. he
| would have arraigned the Republican Leg