New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-08
MR.. MCCLELLAN AND THE SCHOOLS.

As Mayor Mcclellan approaches campaign
for reelection he must look back with consid-
I cradle embarrassment and regret at some OF
his plants and promises Of two years ago. No
other piece of claptrap which he then uttered
IN criticism of Mayor Low has come home 10
him with quite as complete poetic justice as
has his disingenuous talk about the schools Mt
Mcclellan went up and down the city in the fall
of 1903 enormously declaring that Sf,Ouo chill
dren were denied the inherent right OF an ele-
mentary education" because there were some
thing like that number in part time classes-that
is, spending three and half instead OF hve
hours day in school, owing to the deficiency
Of sittngs. For that lack he blamed the Low
administration and he promised to secure
speedily seat for full day for every child
It was then pointed out to Mr. Mcclellan that
he was HbelIing his opponents, but he never
thought fit to make amends. Eighty-seyen thou
sand children were not denied the inherent
right Of an elementary education" Not a sin
Gle child of school age was denied three ana
a half hours out of possible five hours IN
school a day, whereas Mr.. Mcclellan, contrast
ing Mavor Lows record with Mayor Van
Wyck's in speaking of there being only $1,000
half timers under the latter, suppressed the
fact that there were 1926 excluded altogether
from educational privileges at the end of the
Ven WICK administration for whom Mayor
Low had provided. Mr.. McClellan's attention
being called TO his error, instead OF correcting
It IN manly fashion, he repeated the unjust
charge, deliberately conveying q false impress
sion to his hearers. He ceased TO talk about
children being denied elementary education, and
dwelt on half time, as 1t IS called" avoiding
bv his "as IT IS called" the admission that only
one and a half hours q day was cut OH from
the time of any child and conveying covertly
90 tori
he ever fair enough to confess that the crowd
ing was due to Mayor Van Wyck's neglect OF
the schools for four years, and that the great
energy displayed by Mayor Low IN school oulId-
ing could, IN the nature Of things, give reheI
only in the next administration. he probaply
thought 1t safe TO trust to that energy TO keep
his promise of a seat for every child If he was
elected. He was glad to trust to Mr. Lows
virtues, while picturing them to the public as
shortcomings.
Two years have elapsed, and Mayor McClel-
Ian has a chance TO show how he has kept his
promise The figures given out show that with
the opening of school for the fall term there
will be 75,0SS children on part time, or half
time" as Mayor Mcclellan used to deceive the
people by calling it when he no longer dared
10 represent the part timers totally de-
prived of educational privileges. And such
trfing gain as has been made upon the IN
crease III population is due not 10 MN, out 10
the extraordinary efforts Of Mayor Low. who
had not only to provide for the natural increase
of his own term but make up for Mayor Van
Wyck's neglect-a work which it was impossi-
bic completely to accomplish with the ayafla-
bic revenues in two years.
How would Mayor Mcclellan like TO be de-
nounced for depriying seventy-hye thousand
children Of the inherent right OF an element
airy education? How quickly we shall hear his
friends protest that they have part time! How
careful they will be 10 show that it IS more than
half time! Mr.. Mcclellan since taking office
has wanted to call part time full time by scaling
down the school day TO get rid of the accusing
record and keep his promise 10 the eye while
breaking it in reality. 1t is Of no use for him
20 say that he could not build schools IN
two years lie refused to admit that with re-
gard TO Mayor Low. Every excuse which he
may want to plead he ignored in his unfair at
tacks and demagogic promises and now the rec
ord stands against him of seventy-tive thousand
children on part time Nearly forty thousand
sittings are needed 10 give every child that in
herent right Of elementary education which
he promised. What has Mr. Mcclellan to say
about his failure?