New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-16
TAMMANY IN THE SCHOOLS.
HOW WIGWAM INFLUENCE Is USED.
MAYOR GILROY MAY REAPPOINT RING COMMls-
sGONERS WHOSE TERMS EMPIRE JANUARY
MEN WHO OPPOSED POLITICAL


sIONERs WHOSE TERMS EMPIRE JANUARY
MEN WHO OPPOSED POLITICAL
METHODS IN THE BOARD.
Mayor Gilroy has nmated that he will reap
point for another three years members of the
Board of Education whose terms of office expire
January /. 1896 These men are Charles H.
Knox, the president of the board; Thaddeus Mo-
riarty. Henry a. Rogers. Miles VI. OBrien Albert
J. Elias. John l.. y. Hunt and Charles c. Wehrum
According to the law the Mayor must fill the seven
vacancies that every January before Decem-
Der / preceding.
Articles recently have appeared in The Tribune
charging that the public school system in this city
within the last eighteen months has absolutely
under the control of Tammany Hall. and that the
securing Of almost any salaried position or the ad-
vancemcnt in rank had become almost much a
question Of Tammany influence as on the police
force. These charges have not been successfully
controverted. 1t also minated that in some
of the wards teachers paid portions Of their salaries
to influential Tammany politicians for advancement
and even to get into the public school system. The
trustees Of the Twelfth Ward were mentioned
Illustration of how Tammany Hall was rapidly
turning out independent trustees and putting in
their places subservent tools enough to give 1t the
absolute control Of the appointment OF all teachers
below the grade Of principals. These charges irri-
tated the Tammany trustees of the Twelfth Ward.
and they called the principals Of schools in
their district (sOme seventy in alb to hold meet
ing and denounce the charges as being entirely
without foundation Less than fourteen principals
responded to the call. and these declined to take
any action i'm the matter. notwithstanding the fact
that they had been particularly requested to do so
by the all-powerful trustees.
But the Twelfth Ward is not the only school dis
trict in the city where Tammany Hall has been
getting in it's fine work" The Twelfth and the
Nineteenth wards are the two most important
school divisions In the city. 1t has been notorious
among people well Informed in Board Of Educa-
ton 'politics' that I'm order to get an appointment
or advancement in the schools of the Nineteenth
Ward ii was first necessary to see Police Commits
slouer John &. Sheehan at the Pc1uod club. one
of the first things Sheehan did coming to the
"kindlier' climate Of New York city was 10 en-
large his sphere of patronage. Tammany Hall had
already reached the patronage limit i'm all other
departments of the city's administration. and had
not venturc.I o NEEDLE with pubic-school matters.
But the boys" were bowling FOR public pap, and If
they could not serve as public-school teachers
themselves they just well satisfied. per
haps better. to let their sisters cousins or aunts
do the work and draw the pay. So Sheehan pulled
the wires to get control OF the school trustees or
the Nineteenth Ward The board consists Of five
members. two of which were ideal Tammany tools
In order to secure the control OF the Board OF
Trustees II was decided turn out Joseph FEET
trctch just as the same end was accomplished In
the Twelfth Ward by turning out Mr.. Wormser and
putting one Callahan in his place. Mr.. Fettretch
is one of the most respected citizens in the city
and had been a buwark against the schemes OF
his Tammany colleagues The job Of turning Mr.
Fottretch out VAS intrusted to John u. carroll
clerk OF the Court OF General Sessions, and he
went about his task after the most approved ram
many fashion. II. caused another man to DE men
,ior,d I'm Mr. Fottretch's place by the Tammany
ring I'm the Board OF Education and when the SUP
irct came up for debate Mr.. tafroll Vas present IN
the board and was conspicuous Tor Gaming the
Tammany hcnchmen 10 the railing ana dHe'tuS
m. attack on Mr.. Fettretch. The lamlnany Hrln-
b.rs of the board tried hard to down MI. ret
fr.tch bll, not being 50 familiar with parliament
farv tactics they soon became tangled up, ana the
matter is still before the board
This is the condition OF the public school system
so FAR as the Nineteenth ana Iweltth wards are
r,nrrrnoL and they may be taken as fair examples
~ ,h. conditions existing In nearly all the other
wards The ring H. sti in power. ana 10y Mayor
6irov's reappOintment Of these seven COMMISSION
ers IN. ring will continue in power Shou!d the
N,vnrs power OF Removal bin be passed Mr.
sfrlug will have an opportunity OF SHdsii"b '"o
RIM, by th. removal 81 two or three men ~,
IN, All the men in the ring are laHlthaiy tiiti
mon and few of the mon VINO nave Deeh man,
Oly in.lepenlent OF the ring are iainWdiiy lia.t
men huf verv frw The men opposed 10 the TING
V,ci,v John l. y. Hunt James W Gerard ChaIivS
n IuIh.ll charles Strauss. Charles L. ftoIt W III
lam + Van Ar4iale and Emile Benevllle Mr., steers
n,,s ,urcint.l under the belief that n" woui pe a
,ir,, member but he has shown inAniul hltp'Hu-
,|, TN. ring members are Commissioners Knox
Norlarty. O'Hrcn Elias. Harris. Guggenhelmer'
C,l.unn Goullcn Livingston and McBdrroh.