Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-15
- [Ror the Ohio statesman.1
Mr.. Norton and the Public schools


[Ror the Ohio etatesman.1
MR.. Norton and the Public schools
One of Clothes ballads gives us the story OF
the sor6erer and his pupil. who, hearing hs
master mutser words Of cODjuration wherebya
brooms.ick Is made to do his bidding, remembers
the magic formula and, being about to wash his
;. house, calls on the broomstick to bring MIN
water from the river. Bucketful after bucket
full is dashed upon the floor till the pupil, In
terror Of the threatening inundation, In vain ex'
h postulates and at last, In desperation, sslzes an
AZ aud cuts the stick in twain, when two SER
wants instead of one work madly as II In emula-
tion of each other, and the horri6ed pupil In
sanely invoking powers he cannot control, yields
to his fatal presumption. es5 %
Norris It only Msgicians disciples who are
given to suicidal invocation ofsuperior agencies,
but often in our commonplace days is the old
tale verified. 9rs re t.a
10 A Superintendent of Public Schools, swayed
by personal motives and private piques, deter
mines upon Kidding his jurlsdictiono ofa teacher,
frank, honest, CHEEKY as daylight who is aliving
reproach to his own ambiguous, two-tohgued,
two,faced policy, and plots for twelve-month
70 that end, bending every circumstance,
I every incident, every careless word to his pur'
pose.
At last his eager sssiduity is awarded with
= the long -hoped-lor opportunity, and with fore'
Z thoughtful malice, before the Board Of Educa-
Il. tion called to sit in judgment, he prevnricates
the unsuspecting teachers words, Wrestling them
from their true meaning and the honest
~faithful, beloved Principal of the High School
IT, told that his services ara no longer re-
qulred,"
The public know the facts; how this farcical
trial was had upon ex parte eVidencei how but
o bare quorum of members were present; how
Mr.. Norton's memorial was ignored; how the
accuser and his coadjutors refused to face the
man whom they had go deeply injured, and
screened themselves behind their official aggre
cation. As If the old eifete doctrine that the
king can do no wrong were to be revived in Re
publican Americs, with the larger, broader read
ing that Boards are inlallble. Corporations, VIC
know have no souls, but the Great Examination
to which the awakening trump will summon US
will scarcely be conducted on class-principles
investigation had and verdict rendered TO nier
as corporate members of q solely responsible
body, .----- .-----.-.---
Why recapitulatel All the facts are before
the public. Twice has the Board beeh called
upon, through the press, to set the people right
if wrong, and to defend itself against two i'm
putationa, one Of which will surely stick to it'
official record, unless effaced by candid state
ment and open ayoWal--yiz., either those mem
bers of the Board whose votes expelled Mr.
Norton are the willing dupes Of the Superinten
dent Gan admission not exactly credtable tC
their dscernment, since there is scarcely I
teacher or pupil connected with the Public
Schools who cannot read the mans double-deal
ing, syoophanti, character, though shrouded il
that "dim, religious light" which, as 4 profss
sor of the Christian faith, he draws aroun
him), or, totake the other horn of the dilemma
theylay themselves open to the attack Of doin
adishonOtable thing, dishonoring an honorabl
man.rs tsA t1seg we sFNg
Members of the Board may, as they do 50
that the Superintendent is in no way answers
BILE for the expulsion of the late Principal o
a. u;nh cohoo, hrt On lonr "a tho puhlj
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orable members thereof, who play upon ou
,wedulity by such averments.j 90 t,1vtsss
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