The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-14
SCHOOL CITY A FAILURE.
VAIN ATTEMPT TO TEACH PURE
POLITICS TO CHILDREN.

MILWAUKEE. Wis. May 12.-|The Supcrinten-
don't Of Schools Of the city has issued an order
nbolishing municipal government in the TWEEN
tJ-frst district school. After a test extending
oyer several months tho experiment Is de-
ciared n failure. and the plan will be- given up.
This action Is taken in consequence Of charges
OF fraud in the election OF the so-calIed munici-
pal officials. OF corruption In the courts. i'm
proper use Of tho Police Department. abuse OF
power by the officers in the executive branches
OF the governmental fact. Ot nearly every
offence in the category OF impure politics.
municipal. State and national. One specific com
plant is that the system is in effect a school for
politics whore the pupils Of the city schools are
instructed In all that is bad. although by cxpe-
rience learning the practical workings OF "A
CITY government. The complaint originated
with the pupils themselves. and was taken up
By the parents. Appeals were made to tho
Milwaukee School Board and tho Superin-
tendent OF Schools to abolish the systam. No
action was taken by either. and then mass
meetings were called in the ward where the
experiment was being conducted. and rcsolu-
lions 30 strongly d%enouncing the municipal
government plan were adopted and addressed
to the school authorities that the board.
through the Superintendent. has issued AN
order to the principal OF the Twenty-frst dis
trict school for the immediate abolition OF the
plan. With the close Of this week the police
force goes out OF existence. the Judges retire
from the bench. the City Clerk surrenders his
books, and the city treasurer turns over the
funds in his possession. to be disposed OF as the
pupils Of the school may deem best.
None OF the forty or fifty officials who are
legislated out OF Office by this order holds his
place under any municipal charter or by grace
OF the State Legislature. but under a plan
adopted nearly a year ago by Mr.. II. J. O'Han-
Ian nripoipal nf tha TwnDty-frSt nistript
echool. who believes that the child attending
school should be instructed in the fundamental
principles OF municipal government as well as
the elementary branches taught in the public
school. He thinks that the school life should
teach the boy that he is a part OF the school
community. responsible for its acts and affected
by every act OF his schoolmates. and that he
therefore should be interested in every act. The
principal believes that the pupil should be
taught that the Mosaic law. the English
common law and the statute law OF the
State make 1t q duty OF every citizen to
testify when called upon: that concealiug a
crime makes him a party to It; that the
restrictions placed upon his actions in school
are due chiefly to abuse OF liberties 10y a few of
his schoolmates. that he therefore should be
directly interested in the conduct Of these
schoolmates: and that tho boy should b"
taught TO feel that the rightly disposed boys
should assert themselves positively and per-
aistently for good. These habits in school life.
MI. O'Hanlon maintains, can be secured only
by making the pupfi take an interest in the
active government and general conduct OF his
school associates in their common intercourse
The pupils should assist, he says, in making
and enforcing all rules about the school that
affect the social life and individual relations OF
its members. With these views MIR. OHanlon
established the Twonty-frst School City.
The punils ~ the school were called together
and the Man was .xplained to thcm II was
receiyed with great favor. A Mayor was chosen.
Alderman wore e,act.d n Conn n, roller , CIV
1rrensurer n civ Clark n MuririuaI Indigo and
other officers were named Tho Navor nomal
the Cbief ~ Police and tbe Chief selected his
patro,men Every onlco known to tho citv Of
MiIwaukee v,s creetad and nlI,d NV nunils ~
tho school md vhs, ,h, lost was ocruni,J a
charter was drawn nm and aJonted The
charter was approyed on April : Last. The
document consists ~ ton articles The pr.-
annie savs.
wv. the nupils of IN. Twentv.ar,t District
School. in order 10 acu,lire n mora tbor,uph
knowledge Of municinal government secure
dr,u In M rlianentarv nroctic. and tbua nr.-
mare ourselves Will. nj school for ,he gnnero,
duties NJ American ritizenshin do ordoin and
est,blisb this constitution az nnr school citv
charter with tho cons,nt and nJvics If IN.
principal of our school"
mr.. a.. ,..i,,o . "a, ,
:.ho ioo;sIot;ro ionor,uan, ~ tha an,,r,n,an,
7, nro,idas for, C,rnn,nn ,,orn,iI ~ tn r,.Ia
~ -, tro ,ldor,,on ,rnn, o,,L u,,,I or niass-
80, 20 no ohooan Co., tar,s 80 ,h,,a ,,n"tns
80 300 ,oaohors ~ th, sohooI A. ,iIon,am
80. rooriroI 70 boz. :, a,ondinr - - nan
.on, 4, danor,n,or, an, u, na.none Il, o,ntiaa
so.tha .Lra, ,'nn,hs ,'rtl. ~, ,hn' =,
Has f,r,ho, nrnyhI,I ,h,t sav shouL1 hn ~
h.r 70 oe,oo and that aa.h warL aha,LJ ho
ranrasontoI hv y Lnv and - airi ria ra,n
iii uos ,utbori,.I 70 nnnerm annoin,n,an,a
and had Tho mover Of i'm n,,chm.n rIentions
wore n IN, b,ld ,u,rt.rIv AMI nomin,tions
ware N ba modn M regularly conJrntaL MI
u.riss wbi,e The Australian mc,hod n, h,il,t-
inc vas ,dontad Tho Council was also amtho.
rized 10 law taxes and , section 1erIa rod that
the writ n, b,hons rornus shnuld NOT he sus.
nended The citv departments consisted ~
, Den,rtment of HeaItb and n nsn,rt-
msnt of pubIic Order The iudiciarv was in
cluded in three courts-a police court, a NUM-
cipal court. and a supreme court OF appeals.
a.otton I - Artiola II ~ tbo r,r,,;,,.;o, Mao