The Evening critic., 1882-01-12
OUR SCHOOL AFFAiRS,
An Interview with the Prcsidcr

n large delegation, over Sixty III numDef,
composed of former members of the School
Board and friends of the public schools,
called on the President to-day and pre-
scntcd their views of the present manage
ment of school affairs by the District Com
missioners. DIR. Charles II. Cragin intro
duced the delegation and DR.. Reyburn read
the following address:
MR.. President It is through you
alone that the citizens of this District can
make their opinions and wishes felt in
local government. The National Execu-
tive is charged by law with the appoint
ment of Commissioners for the District of
Columbia The Acknowledgement of
the citizens has resulted, we respect
fully submit, in certain evils not
foreseen by Congress. The government of
the District has fallen into the hands of
| men who represent special and limited
| interests not in harmony with the interests
| of the public. The proprieties of this
occasion prevent us from illustrating by
more than single example the general
| mismanagement of District affairs for the
last three years. We refer to the treat
ment of the public school system.
Important as excellence in public schools
is in the States, il is doubly so here.
Foreigners are apt to regard the schools,
of the National Capital as the best in the,
country, and the strongest inducement
| We can oiier t. members of Con-
! gress TO bring their families with them to
| Washington, and to men of means and cul-
ture to make this city their permanent
| place of residence, is to provide for the best
| facilities for the education of their chill
dren.
We complain that the present civil Com
| missioners have neither q sympathetic nor
an intelligent appreciation of the require
ments of system of public education that
they are not qualified to administer it !;
that they have encroached upon necessary
and proper powers of the School Board and
have made difficult and unpleasant the per-
formance Of its duties.
They have not aided and promoted the
establishment of higher grades; they re-
sisted the appropriation of land and money
for a High School, and if your lamented
predecessor had not interfered, they would
have erected polce-station, Jail and stable
in close proximity to the new High School
building; and they have year after year
allowed school-rooms to remain without
furniture for months during term time,
leaving the money appropriated to buy it
to lie unused in the Treasury. The funds
appropriated for current repairs have been
extravagantly managed. In all points, the
interests of the school system have been
subOrdinated to other interests and they
would have suffered more severely if Con-
gress had not intervened for their protec-
ton against the men whose official duty it
was to care for them.
Mr.. President: We are not here to pre-
sent the claims of any candidates. We ask
only that, in making the selection of civil
Commissioners for this District, you will dis
regard the applications of parties favored
by special interests, and appoint men of in
telligence and experience in municipal ad-
ministration, who shall represent the
moral and educational as well as the ma
terial interests of the people.
Respectfully submitted,
John w. Clark, Joseph w. Wilson, B. F
Packard, Charles e. Hovey, S. c.
Clarke, Wm P. Allen, Geo. White, E
C. Ford, Robert Reyburn NJ. D., Fred
w. Moffett, r. b. Detrick, VIM. G.
At Lee, Il. B. Ferguson, j. Sui
livan Browne, b. J. O'Driscoll, w
J. Stephenson, VIM. Henry Browne
Henry johnson, Carl Roeser, A. Hart
L. Champlin, Edward Baldwin, Thos
B. Marcbe, o. X. Harris, E. +. French
Benz. Davis, Y. M. Lawrence, c. b
Smith, B. Robinson, A. c. Richards
Saml. A. A. Marks, Isaac N. Cary
James Dulin, Chas. II. Cragn, M. ID.
S. G. Brown, j. B. Bloss-all ex
school trustees.
Washington, ID. c., January z, 1882.
We concur with the ex-trustces of TIN
public schools in the expression of opinion
that a change of the civil Commissioners o
the District is desirable and we full,
agree that the moral and educational in
: terests of the people, no less than thei
material interests, should be regarded il
making appointments to this office:
Thomas j. Durant, Jas. S. Delano A
Thomas, Jas. Ad. Thomson, Amos NJ
Judson, w. B. Brown, A. G. Bliss, A
Caldwell, A. J. Huntoon, H. M. Ben
nett, Geo. w. Gist, A. NJ. Gangewer,
I II. Galpin, V. N. Stiles, Geo. Schult,
w. II. R. Smith, Chas. Fair, Samuel
) Ellis, Chas. w. Horner, McCauley
Delwig, ]. L. Rankin, Benz. S. Pike
NJ. j. Foote, p. III. Folsom, L. S. Emery
S. G. Arnold, S. II. Goodman, M.
) Tappan, George Doolittle, w. II
Gaines, Ben. T. Worrell, E. J. Pattet
3 Hiram Pitts, Edwin G. Kirkwood, /
Carrigan, ID. c. Morrison, Jno. r. Gil
!. burne, Thad. X. Soiler, S. R. Bond.
2 The President said in reply that he ha
not given the matter of change of Distrit
Commissioners much consideration, an
might not be able to for some time, but
fully recognized the Importance of the pul
! lie schools, and would give the matte
brought to his attention careful consider;
: ton. The delegation then withdrew, ev
IDENTIFY well pleased with the President.
y |