Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-06-30
OUR PrBLIC SCHOOLS.
AppOintmens or Teachers.

LAST NIGHT.
The Board of Trustees OF Public Schools
held an adjourned meeting last evening, Mr..
w. W. Curtis, president, in the chair, and
Mr.. John A. Brooks secretary.
THE SECOND DISTRICT AGAssIz CoNrRIBU-
TON.
MT. Woodward filed a receipt for S5s the
contribution of the teachers and pupils of
fund.
The president laid before the board the fol-
by the Commissioners of the District and in
so doing said he regretted the necessity of
the reOpenfng OF an unpleasant controversy:
LETTER OF Mr. JOHN Z. THOMPSON.
WASHINGTON, June %, 1875.
Hon Commissioners Of the Dis rict Of Cot,aabia
information has just reached me that
statements have been made to you prejudi-
clal 10 my official character as a teacher in
the public schools, said statement being in
tended to obtain your support of my removal
tomorrow night from the position 1 have
out opposition until this now manifested by
Two or three members Of the present bOar1
of school trustees. ask most respectfully
what are these statements and by whom are
they made? L ask is 1t just that may be
condemned on eIpute statement, without a
iull nearing, and without being confronted
by the witnesses against me? I respectfully
ask your attention To the provisions in what
are known as the "Morrill" and the "Chip-
man" bills for ''the better government of the
District of Columbia" which received the
gress, but which were not finally acted upon
for want of time.
Both of these bills expressly provide that
teachers shall be dismissed ''Only for cause,
after they shall have had n fair opportunity
TO make a summary defense publicly before
the board, as its regulations sshall provide
This principle has been in usage here from
the foundation of our school system To the
present time. have no information as to
what this secret attack Is. On the other
hand, at the last meeting of the school board
/ was
DENIED THE POOR PRIVILEGE OF AN EX-
PLANTATION
after statements widely different from the
truth las 1 have ample testimony to estab-
llSh) had been repeatedly made against me.
The lOudest Director was Trustee Hart, who
iOr more than three years has, without any
Just cause, vindictively assaulted my charac-
Ter for integrity, who has made statements
10 my prejudice so manifestly false that he
denies me the right of public REPUTATION.
The origin of Trustee Harris hostility is
found in the fact that differed from him in
regard to the adoption of ID. Appleton Il
Co s series of Biographies, who, he charges,
bribed me. as well as several Of his col
leagues, to support these books. These scan
dalous ISLANDERS he published i'm newspapers
and In pamphlet form. In the persistent ut
terance of gross and scandalOus libels, such
as this, you will perceive the reason why L
said TO him after the adjournment of the
May meeting of the school trustees, after
due inquiry as to the truth of his alleya-
tions. Hart, If You say interfered with
mar Afterwards, when he refused to take
back his
SHAMEFUL FALsEHoODs,
further said TO him: :. / brand you as n liar
here before your colleagues" such language
as this never before used to any one, never
having had similar cause. Hundreds of the
best citizens of Washington are ready to say
mat such language from me Is a departure
from my usual disposition and demeanOr. 1
meant no disrespect to any other trustee,
and especially 10 the honorable Commits
hn h.x~ tRaxar .rt
needs of our teachers. The language was
uttered while was smarting under the re-
peated falsehoOds uttered by this persistent
defamer of my character.
i am ready to meet any accusation against
me, but must repeat the request to know
what they are and who makes them. AS the
honorable Commissioners are well aware,
our public schools have heretofore been con-
Quoted without the interference of political
parties Oh religious sectS, but the influence of
personal whim, prejudice or spite in the
than either party prescription or religious
bIgOtry. i ask for a full hearing of this mat
ter, with confidence that the honorable Com
missioners will promptly arrest this attempt
expel me from the school system which 1
life time.
Submitted most respectfully,
JOHN f. THOMPSON,
Principal Male Grammar School Fourth
District.
The above communication was simply in
dOrsed by the District COMMISSIONS rs IRE
spectfully referred to the Board of Trustees of
Public Schools, District of Columbia"
VIEWS OF DIFFERENT MEMBERS ON THE
SUBJECT.
Mr.. Champlin moved that the cOmmupica-
lion be received and placed on file. Mr..
Lloyd thought il might be best TO appoint a
special committee TO examine Mr.. Thomp-
sons charges. If they could be sustained
Mr.. i. must be exculpated. 1t was not the
nrst time Mr.. Thompson had been attacked
and his attack came from the same source
Mr.. Henry johnson moved that the cOp,mu-
nlcatlon be respectfully returned to the Com
mlssloners with the information that the
board has no official knowledge of the facts
set forth iii the letter. Mr.. HOvey said the
communication contained ipnuendoes cal
culated to bring the board into contempt.
Mr.. j. ). Brown thought ii ought not 10 be
received. Mr.. johnson insisted on his mo-
tlon, since any member Of the board might
be arraiSned on similar vague charges. Mr.
j. II. BROOKS was OF the opinion that the
commissioners referred the communication
10 the board IN a mere formal way, and with
out any view TO an investigation. The presi-
dent, Mr.. Curtis, favored referring the com
munlcat1on to the committee on teachers.
MI Dyer said the communication called for
no investigation. Mr.. DERRICK moved that IL
lie on the table. Mr.. Lloyd said that MFR.
Thompson sent the letter to the Commission
ers simply in self-defence, and to explain
and member OF the board occurred NOT dur
Ing the session of the board, but after adj
JOurnment. Mr.. Johnson's motion to return
the communication to the Commissioners
was finally adopted.
CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL SCPERINTEND-
ENCIES.
An order from the District Commissioners
was read directing the consolidation of the
omces OF one superintendent of public
schools for Washington city, one superin-
iendent OF public schools for the county of
Washington, and one superintendent for the
public schools for the city of Georgetown,
under the title of superintendent of public
SCHOOLS, and that the superintendent of
public schools shall receive a salary at the
rate of 50 900 per annum from and after the
LIST day OF March, 1875.
APPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERsHIPS
were read from Annie NJ. Boston, Thos Mar
tin. COrnelia Z. Pinckney, Sophia E Neal
NJ: j. f. Thomas and Sarah /. Johnson.
The resignation OF Miss Mary L. Robin
son, OF the seventh district, was accepted.
The following names of applicants for pO-
sitions OF teachers in colOred schools were
submitted by Mr.. JOhnsOn:-Miss COrnelia
Miss Sophia +. Neal, Miss NJ j.
T.. Thomas and Miss Sarah j. Johnson.
TEACHERS OF COLORED Schools
Mr. Henry Johnson placed in nomination
for reelection all the present teachers OF the
cOlored schools, with one exception. Mr..
Johnson explained that the only new nomi-
nation was that of F.. w. HunstOn the
drawing teacher The list, which was con-
hImed, is as follows:
NJ: j. Patterson, L. F. Barney, c. T.. Parke,
+. Y. Brown, NJ. f.. Pryor, r. A. Martin, G..
a. Patterson, c. A. Jones, NJ. f. Tucker, Nj.
= Lawrence, A. Ross, A. s. Simmons, II. T..
Oakley, N. c. Barney, NJ. V. Catcher, A.
NJ Parke. NJ. f. Kiger, l.. A. Barbour, l.. "
IT