Year: 1875




Arrangements for the opening of the
public and private schools Of the District
are, as our columns show, now completed,
and few weeks will find Young Washing
ton under vigilant care and experienced
training, preparing at the school desk for
the duties, labors, and responsibilities Of
the future. OF course, while the eminent
ability which controls many of the private
institutions of this city and neighborhood
will attract to their desks a large per-
centage of the pupils. and while large
number of children will attend the
excellent church schools which have been
established here by some denominations,
yet the general interest centers in the pub
lie schools, which have grown with the
glowth of the city, and represent In the
magnificent buildings that have been
erected for their accommodation, the best
hopes and the dearest interests of thousands
of Washington homes. ,


There is probably no good citizen who
does not wish well to the public schools.
Even those who are reputed to be in op-
position will, it is believed, be found to
desire only that children who are espe-
cially under their charge should be educated
under their direction and supervision,
leaving to the general system the education
Of those in regard to whom they feel that
no responsibility has been placed upon
them. Be this as it may, the public schools
have home in the hearts Of the people
that will defy alike the assaults of ignor-
ance, malice or bigotry. Even the sus-
picion that an endeavor may be made to
destroy them or to change their character,
rouses the whole population to their sup
port, and would crush to atoms the power
of any party, however numerous, or
of any institution, however strong,
that should dare attempt to injure
them. Safe in the hearts of
the American people. sure always of
their votes, and If need be of their blood, to
sustain them, we have In this District no
other work in their regard than to use our
best endeavors to develope their influence
and to improve them in every particular.


When 1t Is remembered that the Wash.
ington public schools arc regulated by Con.
gress. as the representatives and models Of
the American system, Il will be seen that
their national importance cannot be over.es.
tlmated. At thevienna Exhibition the model
and plan of one Of our Franklin building
school rooms attracted universal attention and
has been copied In many particulars by the
elementary schools Of the Continent Well
do the school trustees deserve tho thanks Of
tho community when, with On eye single
TO the advancement and perfection OF tho
schools, they give, without compensation,
30 much Of their time TO public business.
II was, however, the special design OF
this article to most earnestly call the atten.
ton Of parents to their duties In relation to
the public schools. With their zealousand
diligent cooperation the schools cannot
fail TO produce all the fruit that Is expected
Of them. Without their help bad scholars
dampen the zeal and waste the enegies of
good teachers. The influence OF the want
of home training permeates the school,
room, and poisons the moral and
mental atmosphere as carbonie acid
does the physical air. The first
thought Of every parent who takes his
child's ticket for entr,nce into the public
schools this month should be, "I'n give
what help can to the teacher of my child.
She stands in my place and does my work,
and will do for her as 1 would that she
should do for me, were she his
parent and I the teacher" If this
sentiment snimates all the homes
which send their children to make their
home at the public school for halt the day,
an influence for good more potent than
any other that could be invoked will per-
wade the schools, lifting the teachers heart
and making her labors with the children
lsbors of love. Grateful to the parents
full of affection for the children, her task
will be a light one and full Of good results.
Let everybody try this for September, and
the REPUBLICAN guarantees that the re.
ports will show larger percentage Of
Improvement than any month since the
school began. There is much talk of enc
mics of the public schools, but the parent
who, in fit of sulks or capricious resent
ment for some real or fsncied wrong done
at the schools, sends her child to its studies
full ofpique or peevishness is an enemy Of
the schools far more dangerous, effective
and difficult to deal with, than any that can
can be found elsewhere in the country.