National Republican., 1883-07-16
THE CoLoRED SCHOOL TRUSTEES.
Sharp Criticism on the Appointments
Made by the Commissioners Saturday.

To The Editor.
Saturday with essed new departure at
district headquarters in the appointment of
school trustees for the colored schools. They
were all selected from one school division,
and accidentally no doubt, from that division
where the commissioners themselves happen
to reside. The tendency to accidents OF this
class seems to be OH the increase.
The district is divided into three divisions
for the colored sohools-the county, known as
the sixth school division; the west half of
the city and Georgetown, known as the sew
cnth school division; and the east half of the
city and South Washington, known as the
eighth school division. Last year Mr. Worm
ley represented the sixth division on the
school board, Mr.. Brooks the seventh, and
Mr.. johnson the eighth. They were all resi-
dents of their divisions This year all three
of the trustees are taken from one division,
the seventh West End, leaving the other
two out in the cold
BY this act of the appointing power local
representation ON the school board for the
colored schools has been stricken down. 1t is
u long step toward Capitalization, and likely
TO prove detrimental to tho schools
Parents should have some one living near
to them, and with whom they are acquainted
as a neighboT placed in charge of the schools
whero their children are being educated. 1t
is not right to send them miles across the city,
fer with the school authorities about their
schools and children.
| make no point of the reflection upon tho
people of the unrepreSented divisions in-
Volved in selecting outsiders to manage their
schools. 1t means, of course, If it means any
thing other than iavoritism that the people
are not as competent rs the outsiders TO per-
form this duty-that they have no one among
their hundreds and thousands quite equal to
the neighbors OF the commissioners for school
trustees.
/ suppose it may be answered that the two
neglected school divisions are no worse of
than the whole people OF the district whose
appointed rulers are now and always have
been taken from the royal preCinCt--the West
Enid admit the answer is very suggestive,
but the cases are not parellcl. The people
have never been allowed to concern them
selves with tho commissioners government
except to pay taxes But they have been
conceded some voice i'll the management OF
the school affairs through their local trustee.
So far as the colOred schools are concerned,
this concession now appears to have been
swept away.
do not overlook tho case of Gen. Birney,
who lives i'll the county, and had charge last
year of the second division schools in the
city. This was exceptional, and probably al
inadvertauce At any rate IL was not I'M
peraLive through failure to appoint u trustee
from that division, because MIR. Warner live
in that division. But under the late appoint
ments, if | understand them, there are M
colored trustees appointed from the sixth ol
the eighth divisions. Trustees must DO i'm
ported from the seventh division TO run th
schools of the other two
Aside from the manifest unfricndly judg
ment of the commissioners against the com
potency Of the people of the two prescribe,
divisions TO manage their own school affair
through one of their own citizens think tn
innovation upon lOng-established usage is o
questionable expedioncy and likely to Tesul
unfavorably to the schools 1t is, to say tn
least, pretty harsh treatment TO inilict upon
dislranchised and helpless people.
SIXTH DIVISION.