Evening star., 1925-11-08

nal IaShd. may possibly
re capital. but 1t is certainly not
city"
The words might have been said by
one Of our own colonial patriots When
he first saw Washington. the sqlahd
embodiment of the Government ne mao
given his life-buud to establish Ana
it was in like discrepancy between
great dreams and utter poverty ol
resource that arose the strange Nlcls-
STUDIES of the tapijalS care OF tlat
most precious possession of all, her
Young.
To us, to whom the right To pubic
school education has seemed an lnte'
gral part of citizenship. it comes with
a distinct shock to learn that that
right had to he proclaimed as an IN
noVatiun and by group of leaders
50 far ahead OF the rest of the popula-
tinnthat future generations h1d much
ado I'm overtakinG them.
Outside of New England there we're
1T that time no public, taX-su"@ @orted
schools But the influence Of Wash
in-r"n was strong in his name-cltN
and Thomas jefferson was President
Each of these men. :" opposite in
political and social ideals. had already
demonstrated his belief in the neCeS
Sity of popular education. Washing
ton by his compassionate. Education
Is hardly To he attained, al any rate
by the children of the poor. by his
yearly contribution Of fifty pounds
large sum in the currency Of that
daV--for the instruction Of these
children of the poor in Mt. Nernons
nei@hbOrinG .AleNandria by his vision
and he 4 man of so few dreams.-
OF thc Capital of the country as
center of a great educational system.
and hy the hequeSt To 4 natlOnal cen
Ter Of learning in Washington. by
which he hoped to make that vision
Concrete. proclaimed the faith that
was in him.
jefferson too. by the first Virginia
public school law. framed by him and
adopted by the Legislature in 1896.
which made provision for free schools
I" teach the rudiments of education
had advocated a great principle. even
though the machinery To put it into
operation proved inadequate.
In view of this failure. and of Il
like abortive attempt to establish free
schools in Maryland the same year, ii
is noteworthy that group of citizens
in the newly made Capital, led by
Mayor Brent. did force through the
Council a measure providing for a
school system supported in part by
city taxes.
1t was only natural that they should
have met both Indifference and op
D'SllIpi. W W me. III iouf- TIE
Capital had the great exponent of
democracy. Thomas Jefferson. in the
President s House. the perma nent
population. besides the few original
settlers. was composed largely of the
families of laborers who had been
brought here TO work on public build
ings, together with boarding house
keepers who had sprung up in re.
Sfonse to the need for quarters for
and official "a nSientS
and of The petty tradesmen supplying
their needs. Certainly none of these
clements would he apt to furnish lead |
ers in reform movement.
Large was the expenditure of
Ihetoris in support of the great prof.
ect, bit humorous when one re-
members the dinsy shabbiness in
which the Oratorical stage was set, its
somewhat forid encomiumS Of Con-
gress not untouched by that battery
which hopes To make refusal imposSi-
BILE. But. Judging from certain ad-
monitiOns that have come down to
us from the newSSheet of the day,
there is a suggestion that, though
language may change with the years,
congressman do not.
1t should be the disposition of the
respectable citizen" says this early
legislator, ito discourage frivolous and
trifiing applications. You are the chill
dren of Congress. not their slaves: but
You must not expect to be treated as
spoiled children or expect that Con
gress will consider you entitled to
This privilege which would only tend
to your own injury.
r ;: x
EORTCNATELY. Mayor Brent and
his councilmen had no intention
Of making frivolous and trifiing ap-
1,lications Their recommendations
authorized by Congress. were for ele-
mentary schools where should be
taught those pupils whose parents
We're unable to pay for their tuition.
as we'll as those whose parents could
pay. The expenses of the former
class were to be met by the proceeds
Of a tax on luXuries: the luXuries being
Hplea Sura BILE carria ges, ordinaries and
favernS, retailers of wines. thea triCal
entertainments. shoes, billiards, dogs,
slaves, pedlarS.'
The cost of constructing schools
was to be met by subscriptions to a
school fund. The ma ina cement of the
schools was vested in 13 trustees,
seven to be elected by the city coun-
Gil and six to be elected by those who
subscribed to the building fund, each
to be entitled to as many votes as the
times he subscribed $40.
While most of the names of these
pioneers of public school educa ton
south of New England are of local
interest only. the fact that President
jefferson supported his social educa
tional theories by a contribution of
s2Oo--a Roland for the Oliver Of
George Washington in AleXa ndria-I
md accepted position as trustee of the
schools Is important, even If for no
other reason, because of the irony of
contrast between such high example
and high hopes and the almost i'm
mediate eclipse of the principle they
so huoyant1y proclaimed.
OF the 19l subscribers many failed
to make good their pledges. Less
than half the total subscription of
s3.7s2 was ever paid, while the city
treasury's contribution the first year
was only S2.25O. The salary of the
chief teacher was set at $500. out of
which he had 10 pay rent for school
premises. as well as the salary of any
assistants that might be found neces-
sary and any other incidental eX-
pensea, 1t Is not to he wondered at
that, while Richard White WAS APP
pointed as the first teacher within a
wear the trustees complained that mo
teacher possessing the required talent
and character could be induced to
take principal charge" Almost i'm
mediately, therefore, the teacher was
allowed TO pay himself out Of the
, tuition of the pay pupils, and $25 a
year were allowed by the city for each
poor scholar not to exceed so in mum.
ber Although the appropriation from
city taxes was only Is per cent of the
city expenditures, as compared with
the % or IS of modern times, this
"profusion Of expenditures" was COM
planned of by some stalwart citizens;