Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-05-02


last week that the City School Board had elected
Mr.. Jno NJ. Ladd of Littleton n Il Principal
of the city schools under the graded school sys-
tenn. about to be introduced here, was made the
occasion of a GOOD deal of discussion by several
citizens of standing, who opposed it, and sever
al more of like influence who favored it, The
result was that on Monday, petition was Cir
culated, addressed to the School Board, and ask
ing them to appoint Mr.. J. H. Lackey, now
teacher Of one of the schools, to the position in
stead of Mr. Laid. This received number Of
signatures but was Withdrawn and substituted
by the following which up to last evening had
received IS signatures, q number OF whom are
gentlemen ofinfuence.
To the Gentlemen composing the School Board Of
the City Of Stanton:
| We, the undersigned citizens OF otaunton,
learning that you have thought proper to elect
a Superintendent or Principal of the Public
Schools of this city. an entire stranger to our
community and State, beg respectfully to ask
you to reconsider your action in this regard
We are led to this petition by the opinion, in
which we think we cannot be mistaken, that we
have amongst us educated in our schools
and colleges fully competent to discharge the
duties of such position and we are unable TO
see the necessity of procuring such Superln ten
dent from abroad. We are earnestly deslrous
of experiencing the greatest perfection attalna-
BILE under the free school system, and we are
unwilling to believe that this cannot be best at
tanned by the selection of teachers, who by orth
and education are in entire sympathy with our
own people
| Those who sustained the Board, circulated no
petition, being content to leave the matter with
the judgement of the Board
WHAT ONE SIDE SAYS.
The statement of tue arguments of the
opponents and friends Of the appointees may
be considered as follows:
The opponents say that the fact that Mr..
Ladd is yankee" is a decided objection,
and that his mode Of teaching would be OBJ
jectionahle to Virginia parents; that our
money should be spent upon our own peo-
pie, any number of whom, graduates of
Virginia institutions, may be found amply
qualified to do the work Mr.. Ladd IS called
on to do and that it is a reflection on our
IL StuId tuStltuALOIS ~ SO aDIOdU
for a man that when Mr.. Ladd comes
down he will sooD want lot of 'tyankee
school marms'' to do the teaching that
a plenty Of our own people need the aalary
of the place and that we had better pay for
letting them learn how to eli it than get a
man from New England, and finally that the
new system is simple enough, easily learned
and one of our people could master it with
facility and celebrity
AND WHAT THE OTHER SIDE SAYS.
To this, those who favor the appointment
reply that the School Board having initia-
ted an entirely different system should in
justice to the tax payers Of the city and
their children get man of long experience
and ability-both Of which are accorded to
Mr.. L2dd,. to inaugurate it with an economy,
and certainty Of success, that Virginia
teacher coulI not without experience acco m.
plisb; that the day for the cry of yankee"
which is purely a matter Of prejudice, is
past and should not be regarded in city
where yankee capital and energy are daily
invited to come, the invitations coming
as loudly from the opponents of Mr.. Ladd
as from any one else that Mr.. Ladd is a
gentleman of high standing in his own state
and his acquisition would be fortunate for
any State North or South that none of the |
present teachers are to be displaced and
while they are doing the teaching the Prin-
cpal will do the organizing-the work for
which he came; that Mr.. L. is no place
seeker but a gentleman of high reputation,
bn tn fnr.
and for that year only because his wife's
health demands change Of climate and that |
under Mr.. J. cur own teschers can be
taught the system.
WHAT DR.. SEARS HAD TO DO WITH IT.
The facts concerning DR.. Sears cornec-
ton with the appointment, which are not
part Of the argument on either side, are
simply these: He was willing to give ad-
ditional aid for the employment OF an OK
perienced and competent principal for the
new system whether from the North or South !
and SO stated to the Board. Hearing that
Mr. Ladd would lie willing TO make the
change and regarding it, in an educational
point Of view, as piece Of good fortune, be
communicated the fact 20 the Board, stating
at the the time that if the public were not
prcjudiced against him on account of locality
he would be desirable acquisition for any
city, North or South The Board, to use
the words of one its members replied that
"they could not in doing their duty to the
people of Staunton allow the mere motive of
prejudice stand in the way of giving them
principal of their schools, whose thorough
acquaintance with the new system rendered
him all important at the beginning of the
graded system, and they should engage him
and trust to the mature judgment of the
people, and they did SO and are prepared to
stand by their decision" The services of
Mr.. Ladd were then secured.