Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-27
THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL ROUSE.

THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE.
The American Protective association
vaunts above all things its devotion to
the free public school system. The lit.
tie red school house has been adopted
as its emblem, and there is no doubt
that more people have been induced
TO enroll themselves in the ranks of the
A. L. A. order by reason of its pro-
fessed championship of popular edu-
cation than for any other reason.
AS tree is known by its fruit, so
must every organization be known by
the fruit of its labors. The true
friends of education have a right to
ask: What has been the result of A.
7. A. control of the public schools in
this city? Has the standard of in
struction been advanced? Has the
corps Of teachers been improved in ef-
ficiency? Has their discipline been bet
tered and appointments and promo
tions made solely on merit regardless
of political influence? Have the funds
at the disposal of the school board been
disburscd honestly or have they been
squandered upon political favorites and
for the advancement of personal am
bitions? In short are the little red
school houses and the big red school
houses in the city of Omaha in safer
and cleaner hands today than they
were before the advent of the A. L.
AS?
These questions force themselves to
the front at this time because we are
on the eve of another election at which
the people are to say whether they
want to continue the management of
their public schools in men who are
committed to the policy of sectaran
prescription and by their nominations
linked with the political machine. A
dispassionate review of the course pur
sued by the A. L. A. majority of the
Board of Education must convince all
true friends Of education that the prom
ises of the order have not been fulfilled.
During the past four years the schools
have been made the foot ball of poll
ticians. Two years ago the patronage
of the board was used as a political
lever to raise it's president into a seat
on the supreme bench. Teachers, iani-
tors and contractors were all dragooned
into line to capture primaries and con-
ventions for Clinton \. Powell. This
year we have had a repetition of the
demoralizing experience of two years
ago in the candidacy of President Akin
| for the cerkship of the district court
Pernicious sectarianism, as eXempli-
| fed last year in the dismissal of com
petent teachers on account of creed,
| eliminated this year in the rejection of
Prof. Marble and the election of a SUI
perntendent of schools whose only
| recommendation is his affilation with
the secret order and his agreement to
obey its behests. That ineXcusable out
rage has been heralded, to the shame
of Omaha, all over the United States,
and it will take years of time to wipe
out the disgrace. The professed
friends of the little red school house
have proved themselves its most danger
Gus enemies
From the business standpoint the
| dominance of A. Z. Aism in the school
board has had no better results. While
some of the costly frills have been
| added to the system, there has been a
wastefulness in almost every direction.
| At this very moment there is 100000
overlap and unpaid school warrants
| bearing per cent interest are being
| hawked about among money lenders.
The treasury embezzlement disclosed
the fact that the board had neglected
to exact from the treasurer proper
accounting of the interest on its bal
ances, to say nothing Of an additional
$4,000 shortage.
AS champion of the little red school
house, the American Protective associa-
ton is not only a lamentable failure
but it has been the prime agency in
the work of demoralizing the public
school system, decreasing it's efficiency
and depriving the children of the ad-
vantages they would have enjoyed but
for the intrusion of this unamerican
organization.