The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-12
rha r,,blic schools.

.ee them In putting the schools Of Rich
moud Into the hands Of trustees two OF
whom are negroes than those same
<sirsnds " viii ever b able 10 stone for.
ne Court Of Appeals yesterday ordered
ia writ Of mandamus TO issue commane-
lns the trustees cleescd BY the authorizes,
81 this city 10 take care II the pusaic
schools 70 surrender their places to trustees
selected By CAwRoS. ExaR, aud HArR'
OF the ulne new trustees two are negroes
no that . majority o. majority OF q
~uorum are negroes; thai is to say, as 1--WE
uembcrsccnxitute majority OF the Board,
md can elect teachers, and three nembers
con9nute majority cf that mssority, 1t
NAY scssilay happen that the fifty or sixty
vosrng lady teachers, a. welt as al the prin-
cirrls and other school officials, may have
20 depend upon the goodwill Of these two
negroes for their places.
We have not yet read the opinion OF the
court. and do net know what plausible ex-
cuses they have made for allowing CAMERON,
FaRs. and BLAIR. thus to degrade the pub
lie schools Of this city. Nor does it mat
ter. The outrage has been contaminated
II the court was bound TO decide as it did,
no much the worse for the Coalitionist-Gcy-
crpor and hts associates who reduced the
ccurt 10 that strait. But we do not adj
init that the decision Is right. We know,
though. that II is final, and the wrong ir-
remcdiable. The law under cover OF which
this outrage has been perpetrated was
never intended to be prostituted to the
low partisan uses to which it has been
prostituted by CAMERON Co. AZ was
intended for no other purpose than to pre-
vent the publio-school system OF the state
from failure resulting from neglect
Let us explain the matter once more.
What was the necessity for disturbing the
schools OF Richmond? There was none.
There were nine OF our best citizens faith
fully attending to their duties as the trus-
tees of the schools. Why turn them out !
Because they hadn't taken oaths enough
The reader at distance would infer that the
public schools OF Richmond had been ne
elected, not to say deserted, by the school
officials, and that there were no trustees
now in office; but the fact is, as we said
weeks ago, that the trustees OF our public
schools have never for moment neglected
their duties. They have held their meet
ings regularly, provided for all the wants
OF the schools, kept strict watch upon
the Superintendent, the principals, the
teachers, and the pupils, and have the sat
isfactlon Of knowing that there are in the
United States no better schools than those
in Richmond. There were no such "va-
cancies {" as the law contemplates in the
Board Of Trustees Of the public schools
OF this city.
Does anybody believe that any attempt
would have been made TO remove these
trustees If they had been Coalitionists? No,
indeed. We do not suppSSSsSai c tSt Cover
nor CAMERON, or Nv, BLAIR, or Mr.. FARR
would set up.any such pretence.
-The-public win remember with satistac-
ton that the City Council controls the ap-
preparations to the public schools. The
law under which the trustees were re-
moved was never intended for any other
purpose than to give to the State Board
the power to fill real vacancies in the
boards OF trustees and secure the schools
against any evil result which might follow
the neglect of city councils to elect school
trustees. The City Council OF Richmond
has never failed to elect trustees.
That we have stated correctly the cause
Get forth by the State Board for removing
our school trustees, the resolution passed
by the State Board proves. Here it is:
Whereas School-Superintendent Z. NJ.
@ unett has reported to this Board that
none OF the school trustees OF the city Of
Richmond have qualified by taking the oath
Of Office according to law; and whereas
this Board have officially ascertained that
there are no legally qualified occupants of
said trusteeship; therefore belt
ResOiued, That this Board proceed to fill
the vacancies occasioned by the failure OF
the former appeintees to qualify, and be-
cause the City Council of Richmond did
not within sixty days after the occurrence
OF said vacancies proceed to fill said vacan-
cies.
and further resolved, That copy OF this
resolution be delivered to the said T.. NJ.
Garnett, Superintendent OF Public Schools
for the city Of Richmond, with the request
that he furnish the State Board Of Educa-
ton the names OF suitable parties who will
net Is school trustees for said city for the
term Of one, two, :and three years, 10 date
from their appointment by the Board"
The trustees hadn't taken oaths enou oh
and the Council, not suspecting that fact.
had OF course ''iailed" to ill the "vacan.
cies ~ Was there ever so poor pretex
for doing wrongs
The Rockingham Register commenting
upon paragraph in the Lexington Ga
zettc upon the appointment Of negroes t.
manage the public schools says: eve viii
never quietly submit, and We believe tn,
people Of Virginia will never quietly sub
init, To have the public schools for whit
children In Virginia managed by negroes
and Governor Cameron and his party will
soon find II out"
The Danville Times said several week
ago:
"n Is too plain TO our mind that the
negro trustees were put on the Board he
cause they were negroes. II they had
been white, they never would have beer
Thought OF, Every candid man, we should
think, OF either party, must agree with u,
In that"
III, then, we are correct in our coniec
ttsre; II they were appointed on account O
their race and color, then the Governor
and MS associates violated the law.''
The plea that there are only two negroc.
among the trustees Of the public schools o.
Richmond Is In substance a confession tina,
there ought to be none. II the negroes
were represented among the trustees in