The Washington times. (Washington, D.C.) 1894-1895, 1895-06-19
invest any balance of unappropriated in

invest any balance of unappropriated in
terest in the same way.
This was only a temporary ray of light,
for the municipal authorities betrayed
a desire to get rid Of the burden OF popular
education, and the trustees We're disap
pointed and dsheartened.
In this strait it was thought best to
memorabilia Congress for a permanent
fund to support the public schools, and
the municipal authorities OF Alexandria
and Georgetown Were requested to join
in the petition for appropriation of lands
and money for facilities III the "center
of the District" by which the children OF
all might equally enjoy the advantages
of a liberal education. This appeal, as
has too often been the case with petitions
to Congress, was without favorable result.
The youthful population meanwhile in
creased so rapidly and calls for the means Of
education became SO urgent that the munic-
ipality, in 1871, was compelled to APP
propriate $400 for the establishment of two
free female schools, but it was provided that
the pupils should all be children of INDECENT
parents thereby giving offense to many
constituents who, without being strictly in
digent, were poor enough to wish for their
youth the advantage OF free education.
For a long time the council and the trus-
tees at least had been aware that the school
system was very defective. The public
the same fact. Efforts were made at
reorganization, but without much result,
until Mr. w w. Seaton, at that time Mayor
of Washington, took the matter up, and by
his earnest advocacy and enthusiasm was
instrumental to a great extent in introducing
into the city the main features of system
of common schools more in consonance with
the genius of the republic.
In his message OF 1912, Mayor Seaton
stated that out of 8, 200 children in the city
of Washington only 200 could be instructed
in public and private schools. He recon-
mended the admirable system OF common
schools in operation in the New England
States by which the benefits of education
were placed within the reach of every child
in the community. This plan involved
general scheme OF taxation and universal
eligibility.
He was supported by such men of ma
tional fame as Hon. John Quincy Adams,
Justice Woodbury., Hon. Caleb Gushing, Hon.
Charles Hudson, Rev s. G. Bulfinch, Rev.
E. E. Hale, and others of equal prominence.
Nevertheless, such was the opposition to
the free school system, and so great the
diversity of opinions regarding it-adGed to
doubts as TO whether the city charter con-
ferred sufficient power TO impose taxes for
the support of schools-that Mayor Seaton,
in his annual communication 10 the council,
in 1S43, modified his views so far as to
interest of the school fund for school pur-
poses, the establishment of an additional
school, and the admission of pupils, other
than the extremely poor, on the payment OF
a tuition fee of fifty cents monthly" His
recommendation was adopted, and the COM
binGd free and pay system went into oper-
alton on the 1st of January, 1S45, and con-
tinuad until the LIST of September, 1s4S.
When the schools first opened under
this system, and for some time thereafter,
they Were almost full and the sum received
from the pay pupils amounted to nearly
enough TO pay the assistant teachers whom
thetrustees were empowered toemploy when
necessary, and who were 10 be paid only
nom the fees received from such pupils.
But each arafterthe Observation-Disclosures
of pupils diminished as well as the receipts
from tuition till in 1S4S the trustees re-
ported to the ncilthatthey had dismissed
the assistant teachers in consequence Of the
tuition fees being inadequate for their sup
port.
As the system which had been in opera
ton till 1916 was defective, in educating
only a portion of the youthful population
and at the same time fastening upon it the