Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-12-12
PUBLISHED DAILY & TRI-WEEKLY BY
EDGAR SNOWDEN.
MONDAY EVENING, DIOR. -, 1851.
Even more transparent than their FREQ bal


10! and fair count Eumbug WAS the pretebce
OF the read er5 during the lsto c,pvass tbs!
they were tho SPECIAL friends Of public schools
They sfo DOW dsrr0sng it 10 manner tar
more effective than the eviiepco addu,sd by
democratic speakers bsf1re tho e!eo,ion. II
there is any one man in Virginia to whom the
Vary sxstenca of her pablo school system is
dla. that man is William H. Ruffasr. He at
vocsted i! for years, drafted tho law which gave
it birth, watched over its infancy. and nourish.
cd /: to the strength Of manhood. His merit is
rec>gniz: ID Throughout! The Uoiou, and his judg
ment on matters Of public education is c,lled
for and needed By The oldest and best friends Of
free public instruction 10 the land. Yet. it is
evident that be is 10 be removed. Why? lie
WAS 90 old Whie supposed. whether truly or no.
We oaD not say, 10 be somewhat tinc.ured with
sbolilonisn; but BIO was chosen Superintendent
OF Public lastruslion by conservative General
Assembly % the reoom N sDdatiop, i! is ssd, o!
Robert E. Lee. and has faithfully discharged
his trust. He has certainly done nothing for
the democratic parry, whilst he has supplied
the retdiaslers themselves with nuci OF their
campaign thunder. 10 the shape Ct reports
showing tho absorption of q portion OF the
school fund 10 the payment CT in.eres! on the
pubic debt His advocacy Of the education OF
the negroes when it was unpopular enough to
bring odium upon him 10 mary quarters, ought.
to,, il seems to ns, to ba remembered By that
class Of our population. Yet new and unried
man is 10 be substituted as reward for rsvt-
san services. and tbs school system is TO be
further srlsd. We presume, By the removal Ct
oil the c>uDiy s1perin!epdcnts who hsvs rot
wnkad for Mabcro 4 Co.. sud the sui
stiiution ct men who koog nothing about
the work they will b, required to pcr.
form. The democratic party wont be hurt,
for very few OF the superintendent are
politicians 10 s5y sense. bu! the public school
system Will suffer severely. aud the example, set
OF sobordioatina il TO party p9li.i,s viii. i. MY
wall be feared be tcu faIhiu y initiated ty the
democrats 10 their certain return TO power in q
very lew pears, aid whs! is COW public blts;
log DO thus m,do public curse. That part
ssns5ip has heretofore entered toto public
sobool Affairs has never evan been charged. %
ODE occasioD. the republican legislative c.u.us
nominated Dr.. Ruffaer f,r Reelection. and on
q, occasion did he hsvc 40 opponent from that
psty. The question Of politics has never cL-
tered iuto his sc.ion 10 nominating oiuoly So
psrintsndeots. and Ec know Of at least ooo case
10 which pronounced reac ja.tcr in a neigt
bring county was SO nominated and arp 1ioted.
l o namlcg trustees. too. the Boald of Eiucs-
tloa NEVER clQllred into their politics, aud
10 this very cry two. if not three reput
publlcIps were appointed upon tho reoonneL
ditou of the dsntcr city superintendent,
add have ben continued 10 offcs twelve years
By succ ,ssivs re- elections by dcnocrstic City
Council. O; tbs N ale teachers employed. four
on: OF Elk. aad Of The Dslo isnitors tWo ou. Of
three are, Wa b.lisve, republicans yet, they
have all been e'es:el and re- elected b. A srhc Of
board three.fourtbs democratic. THUS, If poll
tic, are to oiMe into tho schools The democratic
parry, WHOM the spec!rs of murdered school
sIs.em shall sriss 10 Judgment. eau calmly say
Shake cot II y cory locks at me;
Thou caost not ssy DID it.