New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-05
rAMnANY AVID THE SCHOOLS.

The more the supporters OF MIR. Low study
the rlatforno on which Messrs. Mcclellan, Grout
and Fornes have been placed by Tammany, the
moro they VIII realize that it is valuable
fusion campaign document. It is SO well drawn.
paragraph by paragraph, TO bring 90 public at
tention the real excellence Of various works
of the Low administration through its auda-
cious statements. which can be instantly dis
proved that it suggests the possibility that
Murphy. in his hospitality to supposed fusion
lists had by mistake got some real fusionist to
monkey with the platform. We expect before
election to see Murphy as sick Of his platform
as Of his candidate for Controller. for it is
nothing but 4 collection of convenient texts
from which to preach the virtues of the reform
administration. One OF the most reckless state
ments-or most malicious if il was the work OF
secret enemy OF Tammany-in the whole plat
form is the one which declares:
Subjects not properly within the scope of COM
mon school work are added TO the course. while
eighty thousand children are denied the privi-
lege OF elementary education.
Poor children! How Sport NIurphy's heart
must bleed TO think Of those eighty thousand
children denied the privilege Of elementary
education. Now, as a matter Of fact, owing TO
the devotion Of the fusion administration to the
interests Of the schools. there is not child in
the city Of New-York for whose elementary
education provision Is not made Instead OF
eighty thousand being shut out from school.
classes are arranged for all VINO apply. Some
Of them, indeed. have to get on with half time
school hours; but why? Because through the
four years Of the reign OF Tammany barbarism,
when Van Wyck sat in the City Hall sneering
al libraries ami abusing school commissioners.
the building Of schoolhouses to keep pace with
the growing population was so neglected that
the fusion administration. with all its energy
has not been quite able to catch up in less than
two years. Great as is the need Of more
school buildings, all children are able to get
some instruction. though there are fifty thou
sand more Of them demanding it now than
when Tammany was in power. while in Sep
tenber 1901. Just before the election of Mayor
Low and about the time that young Mr. Nc
Clelan was proclaiming that Tammany had
nothing to apologize for, 5,269 children were
altogether excluded from the schools, there
being no room 10 give them even half time
classes.
When Tammany came into power IN 1898 the
Board Of Education asked for S57S9.i06 for
new school sites and buildings Those friends
Of education who now weep for the imaginary
eighty thousand untutored children allowed
S920.6o2. In its four years OF power Tammany
refused requisitions for over S15.O00o00 ur-
gently Dee1leO LOT IDe uCItdSliE uuLlirtI va
children. In two years Of reform administration
about as much has been appropriated for
schools as in the four Tammany years. Mayor
Low has had not merely the task Of providing
for the annual gee III of the school population
by twenty-five thousand IN his short term, but
Of making up the neglect Of his predecessor
through a long term. Schools cannot be built
in 4 day. Tammany in 1898 should have pre-
pared for the estimated population Of 1900 and
then followed ND the work each year, as the
fusionists have been doing. They are not
merely working as rapidly as possible TO give
a full days instruction to every child now Of
school age but are building some schools and
planning others in order TO have them ready
as they are required hereafter by the increas-
ing population. In the face Of the wonderful
progress Of the last two years, with which the
parents Of every school child should be familiar
the effrontery Of the Tammany platform maker
eXcites wonder.
So sport" Murphy and Tim" Sullivan
whom Mr.. Grout used to speak Of es one Of
the gambling syndicate" think the schools
are given over to 'fads," and that is why the
path to knowledge is not made as smooth as
they would have It. How many days when
in power they must have spent in labor and
how many nights since they went out Of
power they must have spent In weeping over
the poor school children. They doubtless con-
slider addition and division and knowledge Of
bow to work for their own pockets all the time
conservative requirements, but almost anything
ND hat fn