New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-04
THE CHARTER AND THE SCHOOLS.

Tammany Is hard at work searching for some
means 10 get possession Of the schools. 1t
wants to throw them back into politics. TO Sc
cure the extension of the sway Of the incompe-
tent Jasper over the whole five boroughs, and
drive out the most distinguished educators In
the service of the city to humor the ignorance
and demagogy of those who object to for
eigners" in the schools-that term being applied
TO eminent teachers native Americans, whose
last charge happened to be in Philadelphia or
Newton and who came here Just as a clergyman
might come from Chicago or a professor for the
University from Harvard if his talents were
found peculiarly adapted TO some work In this
city. It's only hope for accomplishing this lies
in getting control of the present School Board
In Manhattan and The Bronx, and it thinks 1t
has arranged scheme to do II.
Section % of the new charter provides that at
any time within six months after the beginning
OF his term the Mayor may remove any
public officer holding office by appointment
from the Mayor except members Of the Board
"of Education and School Boards, and except
"aso judicial officers for whose removal other
provision is made by the Constitution" That
would seem TO put the Board of Education be-
yond the Mayors interference, even IT, which
many doubt it gives him any power TO remove
other officers not appointed under the present
charter but holding over the change.
But Tammany, hunting for a pretext, Is not
satisfied with the evident intent Of the law TO
leave the schools out Of politics., and has dis
covered In Section LOCI this phrase: The
Board of Education Of the city Of New York,
"as constituted prior to the passage OF this act.
"shall be the School Board IN and for the said
"boroughs [of Manhattan and The Bronx.
Seven members Of the Board have been APP
pointed since May 8, and the contention is that
only the Other fourteen members hold over
for the new Board, and that the seven places
are to be filled by Mayor Van Wyck. Or course,
the law had no such Intention. AS cohsu-
tuted prior to the passage OF THIS act obviously
refers to "the city of New-York,' not to tine
Board Of Education This is evident from the
phrase in the next paragraph: The Board OF
Education of the city Of Brooklyn shall be the
"School Board in and for the Borough of Brook
"lyn." If the words had been meant to re-
strict appointments to the one Board, certainly
the same restriction would have been applied
"a the other. Something entirely different was
meant. There IS only one city OF Brooklyn, ara
# needed no description. But there IS the city
Of New-York as constituted prior to the passage
If the net and as constituted afterward, and
the Board Of the city as constituted prior TO tue
passage Of the act is designated as the Board
for two boroughs rs constituted after It's pas
sage In the next section corresponding
phrase is used. which emphasizes this mean-
ing: "There shall be In the city OF New-f0rk
las constituted by this act Board of Educa-
"tion.'
II is plain therefore, that these forms OF
words are used to distinguish the old and new
cities of Ncw-York. and it is preposterous to
try TO find in them any other meaning. AT
any rate before doing so the Tammany lawyers
should read Section 1611 which provides that
except for the election and for acts ordered or
forbidden prior 10 January l, 1898, the law shall
"be deemed to have been enacted on the first day
"of January In the year eighteen hundred and
"ninety-eight." If that applies to the determine
ton of the meaning Of the law Itself, as well
as TO its relation with other laws. then the
Board "as constituted prior TO the passage OF
this act" is the Board as II existed on December
81 not as il existed on May .. SO even If the
words did not mean what they do mean ram
many could not grab the schools by means or
them If Tammany takes possession 1t VIII
have TO be through some other scheme.