New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-05
pUBLTC SCHOOL INTERESTS.

Two hills affecting the public schools have
heen fayorably reported to the Assembly this
veek notwithstanding intelligent efforts to
kin them in committed One of these is the
measure originally providing that the Board OF
Education shall be made up by the appointment
of opa commissioner from each Assembly Dis
trict but amended so as to require the Mayor
n select three commissioners from each Senate
District. The purpose of this modification is
not apparent, but whatever it may be it cannot
remedy the fundamental defect of the bill, and
ought not TO improve its chances Of enactment.
Professor Butler said with perfect justice in
his letter to the Assembly Committee that the
School Commissioners are now selected in the
ideal way--by the Mayor from the citizens at
large, and without the confirmation or control
of anybody The effect Of the proposed change
would be to introduce politics into the School
Board, and that is unquestionably its intention.
Nobody would venture to deny in so many
words that the commissioners ought to be the
best citizens who can be induced to accept
appointment, but everybody who favors the
Assembly bill practically disputes that propo-
sition. When 1t appears that an inscrutable
Providence has decreed that the twenty one
persons best qualified to direct the pubic-school
system shall be distributed in triplets Through
the Senate Districts then there will be "a
tional excuse for the passage of such measure
as the one now under consideration, and not
until then. In the meantime the people Of
New-York are not likely to be deceived as to
the vicious and demoralizing influences which
such law would bring into action. We have
lately witnessed an honest effort to make the
public schools more efficient and, as q most
encouragin accompaniment to this endeavor.
an awakening of popular interest in the sub
iect. 1t is an unfortunate moment to suggest
that they shall be RENTED to the politicians
and made the occasion and reward Of deals and
manoeuvres. We are glad to see that Mr.. Beck
man, speaking for the Mayor as well as for
himself, emphatically opposed the bin. Po-
ltical and sectarian zeal has abundant room
for exercise and expansion without invading
the schools.
And this leads us TO express om; regret that
the Catholic Protectory, which is continuously
giving so good an account Of the public money
which it receives, and so firmly establishing
its claim to the respect OF all good citizens by
convincing proofs Of its intelligent and benefl-
cent activity among the fTieniless and the
destitute, should be found again in the attitude
Of appealing for a share Of the common school
fund. The name of the Shelh,ring Arms was
coupled with that Of the Protectory in the bill
now before the Assembly, but 1T has been with
drawn by the trustees on the ground that
neither that institution nor the community
which it seeks to serve could afford to lose sight
of the principle which makes all the people the
common benefciaries Of all the money collected
for the schools
And so the Protectory stands alone in it's ap-
peal. It's position seems to us unfortunate, not
only because we are opposed to the grant for
which it asks, but also because it is in danger
of losing some part of that general goodwill
which is essential to the accomplishment Of its
own best purposes The opinion Of the people
of this State on this subject has been repeatedly
taken during the last fifteen years, and as often
as the question has been submitted the original
verdict has been sustained. In the judgment
| of those who control the Proteotory we should
| suppose that the reasonableness Of their re-
quest, from their own point Of view, would be
| more than offset by the manifest fact that in
the Judgment of majority of their fellow
citizens the request is un reasonable.