New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-04
THE SCHEME DID Not lIORh
SCHOOL TRUSTEES OF THE TWELFTH
WARD FAlI. To GET "EXONERATlON."


THEY HAVE MEETING OF PRINCIPALS CALLED
TO PROTEST THAT THERE Is SO rAMNi>NY
HALL INFLrFNcE ~ the SCHOOLS
IuT THE PROTEST Is NoT MADE.
II any further evidence H. needed to confirm the
belief IN the minds Of the people that IN" corrupt
ing Influences Of Tainnany Hall have extended In
an APPALLING degree to the public school system
OF this city II is given IN the action. or want OF
action at the meeting Of principals OF the Twelfth
Ward schools. nslt Friday afternoon at Gram
mar school 30 o.. IN Onc-hundrei ana -t""nty-hth-
st. near FIfth-aye. An article was pubIishci III
l,f sundays Tribune charging that In the last
twenty months Tammany Han had set about III
earnest to get control Of every salarcd place In the
pubc schools OF %e~-York. from principals down
10 ianitors had got its machinery fully In opera
ton and grinding out rammany ohl'eho''ers
I'm the public schools ut wholesale rat" IN the
article The conditions in the Twelfth ward. which
IS the largest school division in the city ana by
far the most important In the number and money
value II the salaries paid were mentioned as an
Illustration OF the charge. This ward has about
thirty schools which employ nearly W. teachers
besides about 100 janitors and assistants The ar
tcle said. among other things; "Ihe ORGANIZATION
crammany HalD did not have ga year aSo) ma
iorty in the Board OF Trustees of the Twcnth
ward and IL became necessary TO turn out MT
Worrnser who had been honorcd and able trns
tee many years and put In his place one Mlchael
Callahan. This gave Tammany HAN the desire"
majority and school matters in the Twelfth ward
if not quite classically conducted nave b''h run
10 the entire satisfaction OF the Tiger ever since
The members OF the Twelfth Ward Board OF school
Trustees now consist OF Thomas Nhalcn. William
T. Stillings cTammany leader OF the NHNlllth AS
scrnblv District Robert j.. Steel Michael Callahan
and Antonio Rasincs.
The article further said: "Tammany Hall Is as
completely in control OF the public school system
,,fc of fo-da al q
mcnt and TO secure place teacher janitor or
any other saaTed position In the Board 81 Edu'a-
ton has become much "A matter of politics az II
is TO get the police force. 1t has bc"n broady
limited in the inner circles that IL even requires
money to be paid to certain influential poll
tcians i'm order 10 position In the pubic
school system. In the minds OF many wenforincd
people IL is "A moral certainty that many teachers
are paying portions Of Their salary as rom'a =, ~ ~,
certain men OF political influence In fammaly nan
for securing such positions Tor them ,,,,
en-, toa I'd of school Trustees OF the Twelfth Ward
and at their special request all the principals III
that teachers were called upon to pay parts OF
their salaries 10 politicians as a reward l"l
10 S. Grammar school No. 50. in one-hundred-
and- ,wenty- ATHEIST and $3.50 p. m, November z
vnre the place and time designated for the meet
ing There about seventy principals IN the
'THyelfth Ward but of this number, only -FOUR male
principals and ten female principals attended the
Thomas j. Meighan. principal OF Grammar school
NO 80. presided and Mr. Casey led the attack on
he article He said 81 was requested by the
trustees of this ward to call this meeting IN order
that the principals might take some measure 70
exonerate the trustees Of the serious charges made
narned The trustees feel deeply Inundated by
mis- attack and desire some expression OF opinion
on the part OF the principals excnlpating them
from the charges. . ,, -, a..
MIR. Casey then made an eloquent defence OF me
pnrty and impnrtlality OF Trustee Callahan, and
padd that he was absolutely above political and
nartisan motives. Mr.. Casey. by the way, Is "A
Tammany Hall man. Mr.. Casey further SAID;
II do not believe that teachers In our ward pay
anv nortIon of their salaries politicians for Sc
y,pg positions in our public schools. Some years
ago this was proved to be the case In some OF the
lever wards In the city. and some teachers were