The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-22
SETH LOW, FOE OF SCHOOLS.
NOW TIE PUBLIC sCHOoB SYSTEM
WAS ATTACKED BT him..

~ "ohns hnu Oneneu inc ~ ht'CS
Something has happened In the past week that
has Influenced Seth Low, tho rule or ruin candi-
date for Mayor, to proclaim his friendship for
the public schools. What 1t Is nobody knows:
perhaps 1t is tho pricking Of a guilty conscience.
His record certainly affords fair ground for that
suspicion. But whstovor It Is. he began q week
ago proclaiming friendship for the public
schools. and since then his shouters have at
every opportunity repeated his utterances.
Most OF this stun has been aimed at the voters
Of the borough Of Brooklyn.
Mon connected with the school system In
Brooklyn have been called to his aid and have
had themselves interviewed for the papers. They
have talked about the noble stand Seth Low
took ~ a Charter Commissioner for homo rule
90 far as the Brooklyn school system was con
corned. They have told how willing and anxious
he was that the Brooklyn system, as 1t is to-day,
should be maintained inviolate under the now
charter. and in all ways they have tried TO mako
the Brooklyn people believe that Seth Low
stood up and fought against n strong
opposition that demanded n school sys-
tenn which would place the schools in
politics. These Brooklyn school officials
have been backed up IN their efforts BY Seth
Lows literary bureau in this city. Nicholas
hurry Butler, n paid employee OF Columbia
University, has had himself interviewed by the
pEesS agent, anu mas nau tne interview benI ouC
to all the papers. 1t is the fact that tho stun is
aimed at Brooklyn voters that makes IL appear
moro than possible that Seth Lows guilty con.
science Is responsible for the wealth Of procla-
mations; for it was against the Brooklyn school
system that the sharpest shafts OF the Column
bia University President were aimed whilo no
was q member OF the Oh arter Commission.
Seth Low tried to destroy the Brooklyn
school system as 1t exists to-day, though expert
once has shown it TO be tho best school system
possessed BY any city Of its size in the country.
Seth Low tried to change the system abso-
lutely, and no tried to introduce in its place q
pystem that would have permitted politics to
onter every public school in the city Of Brooklyn.
Seth Low tried to mako every one Of the TO-
600 teachers in the public schools in the Greater
New York subservicnt to one man. and that
man was to DO n creature Of the members Of the
Board of Education, who were appointed by and
could be removed by the Mayor.
Seth Low tried to place in the hands Of one
man absolute power not only over the teachers
but over the schools themselves, even going SO far
as to give to this one man the power to withhold
money from any sch DOL that he saw fit.
Seth Low wanted to be hayor at that time.
and he wanted to be absolute boss of tho schools.
as he was absolute boss of Brooklyn when he
was Mayor Of that city.
SeIn LOW W u Ueateu III MS cnueANOr % carry
out his purpose because there were men on the
commission who had the real interest of the
schools at heart.
Some time ago, when THE Sun made inquiries
about tho truth Of these assertions, 1t was in
formed that ut Mr.. Lows request this evidence,
which was documentary. had not been made a
public record and could not. therefore, DO OBJ
tanned. THE Sun has obtained the evidence.
Seth Low was one of a subcommittee to draw
up the Chapter on Education in the new charter.
He Immediately became the whole committee,
ignoring his fellow members. and he drew up the
chapter which was first presented to the COM
mittee. He was the only member OF the COM
mittee in favor of it, and the two other MEM
hers, Gen. Stewart L. Woodford and the Hon.
Silas b. butcher. were bitterly opposed TO his
plan OF putting the schools in politics. But in
spite of this majority in the against
him no presented his chapter on education to
the commission and allowed the letter which his
fellow members had addressed to him to go in as
Q sort OF minority report"
1t is this original chapter of Seth Lows that
10 not a part Of the public record. He got it up
alone. His desires were set forth in this chapter
as plainly as II he had como right out and said
that he wanted TO be the autocrat and boss Of
the public schools when he became Mayor, as
he believed then that he would. The chapter
itself covers many printed pages and is too long
ITO reprint here. A summary Of 1t and some ex-
tracts from it are sufficient to provo the asscr-
lions that have been made.
Section 20 Of the chapter provides for the ap-
pointment OF the City Superintendent Of Schools.
ine term of this official Mr.. Low fixed at six
years. but he could be removed at any time by
the Board Of Education. That placed him in
the boards power and under Seth Lows sys'
tenn of bossism, which demands the resignation
of a man in advance Of his appointment. OF
course, it placed him in the Mayors power, for
tho board itself would be in the Mayors
power. Having him thus in his grip. Mr.. Low
provided that he should have extraordinary
powers. Under section SO of Mr.. Lows plan
the City Superintendent had tho sole power &c
examine all applicants for licenses of all grades
of teachers and principals. He had the sole
power to mark and value the answers on their
examination papers. He had the making up oil
q list of eligible teachers, and it was provided
that mo person shall be appointed to teach In
any public school whose name does not appear
upon that list" Further. it was provided that
the licenses should be but for one year, and the
City Superintendent had the solo power to issue
new ones. 1t was the same with principals.
Sections 81 and 90 of the chapter on educa
tion that Seth Low wanted to have adopted
clinched the autocratic power of this one man
The first section provides for the preferring Of
charges against Il principal and his instant sus
pension without pay until such time as he shall be
tried on the charges. The judges at this trial are
to be an associate Superintendent and n member
OF the School Board. The chapter then says
"Thc City Superintendent shall have power tc
review the report and TO confirm or reverse the
same; and he may approve or disapprove the
penalty or may determine upon
the penalty irrespective OF the recommendation
OF the report. The decision of the Superinten
dent shall be final and he shall intlict the pen
atty, II any. : In like manner charges
may DO preferred against a teacher. : .
which charges shall be tried and receive judg
ment in the manner aforesaid"
! Section 6s makes the teachers position even
more uncomfortable than 81, for 1t provides
that the principal of any school shall have the
power TO suspend n teacher with or without
pay The chapter goes on and provides for g
trial like that provided for in g., and gives alb
solutc power 10 the City Superintendent to ap
prove or reverse the findings of the court. These
two sections. 1t will be seen, placed every one o.