The record-union., 1899-12-28
Association Debated 1t Yes.
terday.
Presidents Wheeler and Jordan and Other
Speakers Discuss the Subject

Let the citizens choose as their repre-
! SentativeS those men which represent
them best regardless of all questions OF
what street they live on or IN what
! quarter they do their business me
municipality exists for the mutual pen
! eft and the mutual protection OF It's
| individual citizens. 1t is not creation
of the separate wards and preclncts
| into which, for purposes of voting us
surface may be divided To the per-
sistence of the ward system, to the use
of the machinery of the Federal United
States where federation does not exist,
the failure of our city charters is IN
great part due.
A sixth source of inefficiency in local
government lies in the fact that we
have never yet taken it seriously. AS
people we have a fine sense of humor
and it is exercised impartially in all
directions. A piece of gross corrup-
ton or inefficiency serves as the point
/ of a joke. 1t ends with a newspaper
cartoon. And as a cartoon may be as
unjust as any other form of criticism,
it fails to be taken in evidence by the
people. An administrative blunder OF
never know the real facts in the case
and in the hopelessly good nature of
the American people, whether it has
| taken place or not, it is equally and
speedily forgiven. From this lack Of
seriousness as to local matter which we
can control, coupled with our universal
interest in national affairs on which
even whole State exerts but trifling
inf how 1a1r i'm, Of
local issues to those which divide our
two great political parties. This
subordination of local to ma
of weakness and corruption. The
plea that bad men must be chosen at
home for the sake of the party at large
is heard at every election and it is al
ways false and degrading. 1t is said
that the only straight ticket" a good
citizen has the right to vote is the zone
with the crooked names scratched off
from it, If this rule were followed
by all who think themselves good cit
liens, the record of city government
would be very different from that it is
now.
But my purpose to-day is not to con-
slider the general failure of city adj
ministration but it's particular failure
in the matter of public schools. Thus
far most of our cities have failed to
give the people the school system which
they pay for, which they deserve, and
which is essential to the best develop
ment of their children.
This failure falls under the second
of Dr.. Willcox's classes: 1.-The made
quacy of municipal service" But the
cause of the failure lies mostly with
the third class of evils: "The corrup-
ton of civic authority for the further
ance of individual ends" In other
words, the school service in most of
our cities is very bad and it is bad be-
cause the schools are tempered with
and used as tools to enrich or advance
those persons who have them in charge
This is what is meant by the common
phrase: Our schools are poor be-
cause they are in politics.
The necessity of schools is unuues-
toned and our people from the first
have met this need by cooperative
action. This results in free public
schools, open to ALL and under the do
mination of no religious sect and no po-
htical party. With some minor diff
ferences of opinion, our people are all
practically agreed on this. Our schools
from the kindergarten to the university
must be free, public and uncontrolled
by sect or party. On no other principle
or government Is there such perfect
harmony. Because we make our schools
pupllc and free their administration be-
comes an affair of government Our
government is always just as good as
the people demand and never any bet
Ter. 1t must be the same with our
SCHOOLS When general politics is cor
rupt good public schools are impossible.
Ihree elements are necessary in the
administration of public schools. First. |
the presence of a board of control. rep
resentlng the people, attending to the
finances OF the school and giving to the !
proinouon OF its interests a degree of |
Tune and attention which the BODY of
the people could not give. This we call |
the Board of Trustees. Second. an edu-
catlonal expert who shall know schools
on the one hand, and teachers on the
other, who shall know educational aims
ana lueais, their relative place and
Nalue ana the means by which thew
may De carried out. Such ends cannot
De served by the governing board be-
cause success demands that this work
De lie study, a profession, and pro-
Iesslonal knowledge and training cam
not De acquired by men engaged in
matters outside the schools Such an
educational manager we term the ST.
perlntendent of Schools The third ele
ment is that of trained and competent
teachers. To know these teachers and
now to secure them is of itself a life
profession. Schools do not build them
selves up without intelligence and ef-
Tort and to bring good teachers to-
gether each in his proper place is the
highest educational art
While this art is frequently realized
in our city schools, it is the exception
rather than the rule. In most of our
cities the schools are very inferior in
character and influence to what they
might or should be. They are often not
as good as the private schools they
have displaced and not as good proper
tlonately as the ungraded district
schools of the country. Such failure
Wherever it occurs is traceable to one
cause, the presence of incompetent
teachers, through failure of the ap-
pointing power which is itself OPP
pressed or superseded by the pressure
OF personal influence. In other words
what ails our schools is the meddling
OF outside interests. This begins with
the school board it's evils appear in
the bad choice of teachers and it is the
children, for whom alone the schools
exist, who finally suffer.