The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-08
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

NEW YORK. June 3.-Andrew S. Draper
president of the University of Illinois, was
formerly state superintendent Of public in
structiOn of New York. Last year, when
the first superintendent of public schools
for Greater New York was to be chosen
the place was by vote offered to Mr.. Draper
and it was only after he had declined that
Mr. Maxwell of Brooklyn was elected. Mr.
Draper is thus recognized as one of the
leading educational experts in the country
and his article in the June number of the
Forum on Common Schools in the Larger
Cities" is, therefore, likely to cause some
thing Of sensation in public school circles
For Mr.. Draper strikes from the shoulder
Writing as warm friend of the public
school system, he nevertheless speaks
frankly of the almost insurmOuntable diff
fculties' of maintaining the system in the
great cities. There are no difficulties in the
small towns and rural villages The danger
in the larger Cities he says, is that the
elementary schools will be disowned by
nearly all who by any reasonable possibility
can afford to do SO, and will become the
schools of the poor alone. He says that it
is extremely difficult to hold together in
common schools children representing
widely different conditions Of life He
points to the failure to meet the reasonable
demands of patrons and of the utter in
ability OF patrons to get their wrongs re-
dressed. IF you want to sum it all up in
one word he says, you can do it in the
word influence Influence instead of merit
secures appointments and promotions This
may be denied, but no one accepts the
denials. There are dark-lantern processes
There is, of course, a show of decency;
forms are complied with; but the whole
system so far it relates to the appoint
ment and advancement of teachers, lacks
genuine integrity, independence and cour-
age Moreover, DR.. Draper believes that
cid of he
schools, not from within. While he does
not refer to New York by name, but draws
picture of conditions in all the large
cities, it is probable that he had especially
in mind the public school system of New
York, for nowhere does Influence count
for more than in this city. The writer
once applied to a former president of the
New York board of education for advice in
regard to sending children to the public
schools. If you are able to do sO,'' he said,
by all means send them to a private
school, Inasmuch as the people of this
city pay upwards of LOCO, 900 a year for
the maintenance Of the public schools, some
of them may think it worth while to study
DR.. Diapers article and try to do some
thing to rid the schools of the blghting
evil of influence"
The real trouble is the movement
away from the mental and moral stand
ards with which the nation started on
its career-in other words, the develop
ment of aristocracy and corruption
the inevitable associates of the arts
tocratic spirit. If a chap can steal a
fortune, big or little, he at once digs a
gulf between himself and the honest
tOilers.
That spirit must be crushed, or this
country cannot remain republic. The
Declaration of Independence is already,
to half our people mere foolish pre-
historic flourish of trumpets.
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