Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-27
CITY AND DISTRICT.
ssHOME RULE AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

What .. ex.Ssheol Trustee Says.
To the Editor of IN. Ev3nse ssAx
In Wednesdays STAB "a School Trustee
writes that the agitation" about "home rule''
II a'prontless'one and'should now be stopped"
and to help stop &c he presents an article on
the subject. Perhaps the best way to stop the
agitation Is to take up his arguments against
home rule and see what there Is in them, and
thus either substantiate or refute them, a. the
case may be.
First he says: "a superintendent IL not q
ruler and should never try to be one.'" Since
is brilliant. suppose We comsIo the real point,
argument. That q superintendent should
never try to be . ruler il true, though the
truism has no point in the present case; nor
thus truism has o point In this matter.
"A School Trustee" next AYERS that the same
cuisines. principles should be used in the man:
agement OF schools as In ordinary matters OF
Life, and he illustrates his argument by instanc-
ing the calling Of church pastors and college
presidents from distance. This argument
lacks application. Pastors called from a dis
lance are usually men of wide reputation; then
they are ordinarily invited to preach q number
of times before the seeking congregation to
prove themselves acceptable, and finally they
are elected by the members Of the churches
other colleges, in preference to the graduates Of
the colleges themselves, are men Of command
ing ability and high reputation, and the reason
for the selection Is apparent.
In the present case. there Is lacking the wide
reputation, lacking the prior trhl, lackje1 nie
election by the people themselves lacking the
point of home or foreign education, lacking any
known commanding ability, lacking every
thing. Besides, there is no ground of cOmpar-
esng
aware, except possibly to School Trustee HIM
self TO compare an unknown quantity with
all We know of the very competent men and ex-
perienced educators now resident in this Dis
trict, il u problem which cannot be solved.
No,we all know that MIR. Powell was not selected
for any such reason, and school Trustee" NAV
as we'll drop that line of argument
There Is a semblance OF argument in the fact
one-half of the expense OF the public schools
here But let US see If there Is really any argu-
ment in It. In the first place, there is nothing
"national" about the public schools i'm this Dis
trict. They are just as local as the schools are
anywhere. Else why are the people here re-
argument contestants must not ride two horses
going in opposite directions at once. When 1t
comes to the rights Of the poor people of the Dis
must not select their own officers, they must not
have any of the public offices, except pitiful
proportional number, with the states, which
They must pay Just what taxes Congress may
impose on them, they must, in defiance of the
proSs the streets o. to the
states. and they must submit to any laws
which Congress may blindly and reluctantly
1t comes to enjoying any corresponding benefits
they have nOne-nOt even the small privilege
of holding the few offices of their local govern
menf, because, forsoOth, better men can be
found elsewhere to fill them! Surely it is time
for the people here to become q little Jealous of
the possession OF the one little benefit left to
them.
The remainder of School Trustees alleged ar
gnment Is not argument, but calls for q few
words in reply. He says eve are behind the
west to-day in our school methods, notwith-
standing our bOasting." He fOrgets that the
east Is not the boaster, but the west. But we
s Will not In turn disparase the west It will be
cured OF this ut of Ill manners, as civilization
ripens there. A School Trustee ought to know,
however, that his statement is not true. 1t is
notorious that vast number of the best educa-
tional men Of the west itself are men of eastern
birth and education.
college for graduating some of our Washington
teachers. This Is the smallest bit Of petty
Jealousy. Dartmouth college has long led all the
other colleges Of the country in furnishing edu-
eational men and teachers Of the first class, and
lpy one assent now stands unapprOached in this
important branch OF mental training. Let him
seek Arguments, II he can find any, from legiti-
mate sources. AN EX-SCHOOL TRUSTEE.