The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-23
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER %. 1892.
This paper is democratic IN principles
and is Independent in its 01elos On all
local Questions.
The Schools a Political Machine.

The Schools a Political Machine.
Jersey City has never seen anything
more shameless than the action of the
Republican majority of the Board of
Education last evening. 1t was not SO
much what they did, though, that
showed a reckless partisanship. 1t vas
the way they did it. That they should
raid the Democratic employees of the
Board IS scandalous but not surpris-
ing; but Mat they should throw to
the winds the rules of the Board, the
customs of many yeahs, the obliga-
tions placed on them blythe fair play
which the Democratic majority always
allowed to Republicans in the past,
even the requirements OF common, or
binary every day courtesyEthis is,
indeed. both painful and astonishing.
In private life. Mr.. John Reid isaa
man of gentlemanly instincts. In
social intercourse he is polite and ur-
bane. Why should he abuse his posi-
ton as President of the Board of Edu-
cation to interrupt and insult gentle
men who are merely trying to explain
their position in an orderly and par
~liamentary wayS DR.. Shain is a pro-
fessional man, and presumably a gen.
tleman too. But the public, who,
never heard of him until Mayor Wan
ser discovered him, would never think
ssp, appraising him from his record as
a Snember of the Board. His idea
seems to be to introduce the methods
ofia primary meeting into the govern
mAnt of the schools.
The whole scene last night was a
sad commentary on Mayor Wanser's
''gpod appointments" First of all, the
fohr Republican members who con-
st}tute the majority held a secret eau
GUS. In the old days, the Democratic
majority neye did this.
When the Board met, the first &C
tidn was the appointment by the ma
joFity of two teachers to School Nc. &
without even the form of consulting
Director Moran, the Committeeman
in charge of that school. This was a
contemplate breach of decorum and
fixed custom, which showed the
animus of the reckless and unscrupu-
lous combination who have got con
troll of the Board.
Thereduction of Principal Sweeney's
salary is probably Illegal. He will,
doubtless, certiorari the action of the
combine. But the browning act was
the discharge of old and trusted EN-
ploYes of the Department to make
room for rank Republican ward heel
ers. Rule No. ID of the Board reads
thus
No employe of this Board shall be discharged
except for good and sufficient cause, and then
only by the vote of at least four members.
Where was the good and sufficient
cause in the case of Janitor Bernard
Mccormick of School No. 1? Where
was the pretence of showing it, even?
Oh yes, there was excellent cause from
a Republican machine point of view.
A job was wanted for Mr.. Jim Graham,
the brother of General Grubb's Cap
tain Jack.
It is the pride of the Democracy
that in the many years when it con-
trolled the School Board, politics
never figured in the Department in
the slightest degree. Mr.. John Reid
himself has often admitted hal his
influence and his patronage were ex-
actly the same as those of any demo-
crat. The present lamenrable change
proves the truth of the f~orebodings
which were SO generally expressed
about the time of the last election re-
garding the result of letting the
hungry horde of office grabbers behind
Colonel Wanser, get control of the
city government.
THE Democratic district conven-
lions must be very careful ia making