Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Samuel H. Tilden of New York was
nominated by the Democratic party
for President at st.
4lloen ana Louis on the 2sth of
Hendricks June, 1876, and on the
next day the ticket
was completed by the nomination of
Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana for
Vice President. the latter having been
Tilden's chief contestant for first
place. The Star of June 90, 1876. says
Of the ticket:
1.-The Democratic ticket possesses
elements of peculiar strength and
peculiar weakness. While Mr.. Tilden
Is put forward as pre-eminently re-
form candidate, and has claims TO
| that character through the reforms
he has carried out of late in his ad-
ministration in New York, yet
l. If one-half that has recently
members of his own party be
true, his record as whole will show
him to be anything but n reformer at
heart. 1t is probable. however, that
he will receive the support of many
who advocate reform, on the ground
that his official acts as Governor of
New York afford the best test of his
sincerity and of what his course would
be If placed in the National Executive
chair. He will probably wide with
Mr.. Hays the German vote, a vote
that, had any other of the leading can
didates at st. Louis been nominated,
would doubtless have gone almost en-
tirely to the Republican candidate. II
Is scarcely possible that the intense
animosity displayed towards him by
leading members of the Democratic
party in New York will be allayed so
that he can receive the united vote of
the Democratic party in that State in
November. The same may be said in
regard to the bitter opposition mani
tested toward him in several of the
Western States. His war record is
also vulnerable and he will probably
fail to secure that full vote of the
war Democrats that Hancock would
have DONE
Public opposition to secret proceed
ings by the District school board re-
- Gently mantle ed
SECRET SCHOOL in connection With
Management a ahe prC comm;t 70 er Of
the whole runs back for many years.
Half century ago a protest was ex
pressed to executive session methods
in school administration. The Star of
June 80, 1876, says:
THE community interested in our
public schools will learn with surprise
and indignation that the clique in our
school board, who last year tried to
effect a change of certain teachers by
an underhand secret process. are un-
dertaking the same project this year,
and are already Boosting that by adroit
management they will be able to
effect their purpose. The public. we
say, will learn of this underhand plot
ting in our school board, to effect GER
tain schemes, with surprise and indig
nation, because in all time past the
proceedings of our school boards have
been transparency honest, frank,
open and above board. Until recently
the position of school trustee has been
one in which the Office sought the
man and not the man the office. Our
best citizens were selected for the
position, accepting the laborious task.
serving without pay or emoluments
or 'pickings' of any kind, simply out
of devotion to the best interests Of our
public schools. But within a few
years we have had the spectacle pre-
scented of certain obscure persons,
wholly unknown to the body of our
citizens, and having no fitness what
ever for the place, seeking for the po-
sition with unaccountable eagerness.
considering that there is no salary at
tached to the office. Some of these
persons have by braZen cheek and per-
sistent lobbying got on the board, and
though forming but small portion of
the membership, they have by insid.
ious engineering managed to carry
many of their points