The times., 1899-05-21
POLITICS In SCHOOL
A DISMAL FAILURE
Futile Effort to Teach the Pure
Science to Children.
Corruption in All Departments
Breaks Up ihe System
milwaukee PRINCIPALS Experiment
Ordered aboiishcd-i'arcnt Take
Up the CudgcI Agninst st.
Hrom thc Now York SUM


given up. This action is taken In conse-
quence of charges Of fraud in the cleo
tion of the so-called municipal officials, Of
corruption in the courts improper use of
the police department, abuse OF power by
the officers in the executive branches of
the goyernment-in fact of nearly every
offence in the category OF impure politics,
municipal State and national. One specific
complaint is that the system is in effect
a school for politics where the pupils of
the city schools are instructed in all that
is bad although by experience learning the
practical workings OF a city government.
The complaint originated with the pupils
themselves, and was taken p by the par
ents. Appeals were mad 20 the Miiwau-
kee School Board and the Super 'ntendent
of schools TO abolish the system. No ac-
tion was taken by either, and then mass
meetings were called in the ward where
the experiment was being conducted. and
resolutions so strongly deDouncing the
municipal government plan were adopted
and addressed to the school authorities
that the board. through the superintend-
enf has issued an order to the principal of
the Twenty-frst district school for The i'm
mediate abolition OF the plan. With the
close of last week the police force
went out of existence, the judges retired
from the bench the city clerk surrendered
his booksa and the city treasurer turned
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 char
ter or by the grace OF the State Legisia-
ture but under plan adopted nearly
year ago by r. J. o'Hanlon. principal of the
Twenty-first District School, who believes
that the child attending school should
.H.N alaf
plen of municipal government as we'll as
the elementary branches taught in the
public school. He thinks that the school
life should teach the boy that he IS
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 il duty OF every citizen 10
testify when called upon: that concealing
4 crime makes him party TO it; that the
restrictions placed upon his actions in
school are due chiefly TO abuse of liberties
by few OF his schoolmates, that he there
fore should be directly interested in the
conduct of these schooimates; and that
the boy should be taught to feel that the
rightly disposed boys should assert them
selves positively and persistently for good
These habits in school life, Mr.. O'Hanlon
maintains, can be secured only in making
The pupil take an interest in the active
government and general conduct OF his
school associates in their common inter-
course 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 Mr.. o Hanlon established the
Twenty-first School City.
The pupils OF the school were called to-
gether and the plan was explained to
them. 1t was received with great favor.
4 mayor was chosen, aldermen were elect
ed, comptroller. city treasurer, a city
clerk, a municipal judge, and other Off
GERS were named. The mayor named the
chief OF police, and the chief selected the
patroimen. Every Office known 10 the city
of Milwaukee was created and filled by
pupils of the school, and when the last
was occupied charter was drawn up and
adopted. The charter was approved on
April 5 last. The document consisted Of
ten articles. The preamble says:
We, the pupils OF the Twenty-iirst Dis
IS tfict School, in order to acquire more
thorough knowledge Of municipal govern
Inent, secure drill in parliamentary prac-
lice, and thus prepare ourselves while at
school for the central duties OF American
citizenship do ordain. and establish this
constitution as our school city charter.
with the consent and advice OF the princi-
pal of our school.
The first article of the constitution coy
eTs the legislative department OF the gov
ernment 1t provides for common coun-
ell 10 be made up of two aldermen from
each ward or classroom. 10 be chosen foi
terms of three months and two teachers o.
the school An alderman was required tt
have standing OF eighty-five per cent il
department and eighty per cent in studie:
for the three months prior to the election
II was further provided that sex should b.
no bar 10 office. and that each ward SHOULD
be represented By boy and girl. Th'
council was authorized to confirm appoint
ments and had the power OF impeachment
Elections were to be held quarterly anG
nominations were TO be made at regular
ly conducted primaries. while the Austral-
ian method Of balloting was adopted. Tn
council was also authorized to levy taxes
and a section declared that the writ o
habeas corpus should not be suspended
The city departments consisted of a de
partment Of health and department o
public order. The judiciary was include,
in three courts-a police court. a munich
pal court, and a supreme court OF appeals
Section OF Article II Of the constitution
provided for the speedy trial OF offenders
and Article TX said that no corporal pun
The plan OF municipal government
worked very well for a time. The pupil:
of the school speedily became deeply in
terested in the plan and its operation
and gave many hours 20 the study of the
problems thai continually arose. In fact
one Of the complaints against the system
was that the children were too deeply in
terested in the new scheme, so deeply in
terested that they gave their entire tim
10 school municipal affairs and who'll.
abandoned other studies. The election
were as exciting the political elections
of the city OF Milwaukee, and the pOlitica
struggles that arose speedily involved pa
rents and guardians until the entire pop
ulation of the ward was az swords points
The law questions that came up wer
discussed in the circuit and superio
courts OF the county. and bench and ba
soon became interested in the ruling
made by the judges Of the school cit,
courts The rivalry became SO great II
time the school judges and lawyers wer,
haunting the law libraries and the office
of attorneys to secure opinions to sustain
them in rulings made in prosecuting o
defending offenders before the bar of th
school courts.
All this caused in time a protest to e,
up from the parents of the mayor, alder
men, judges. and other officials OF IN
school city. At first the complaints wer,
made 10 Mr.. O'Hanion. and when he de
Tended his plan they were laid before tn
board OF school directors. Mr.. 0'Hanlol
was earnest in his belief that the system
was a good one. and pleaded so warml.
that Il was determined by the school au
thorities TO give him an opportunity Il
fest IL Tha eItrnag came a few dayy o.