The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-27

and we can we'll afford to leave your charge OF
stupidity" and your insinuation of falsehood
to answer themselves. 1t is too late in the day,
and this community has too much intelligence
for you to evade the facts and the arguments,
which you are unable to meet, by stating that
any member of the school committee of this
town is to you "outside the pale Of civiliza-
tion," and by saying that another member has
no more right to exercise the duties of his office
than wild Indian of the plains" That style
of discussion will hardly help your case. There
is an old saying, which 1t is safe to follow, when
such methods are adopted. "A gentleman will
not insult me, and no other can"
A few words are needful to dispose of your
account OF your interview with Rev. Mr.. Pot
ter. That account give an impression of his
inaccurate. Had he known he was being inter-
viewed for special purpose, he would hardly
have permitted himself to be catechised, even
on the immaterial points in dispute He would
rather have made full disclosure of his views
as to every point ia issue, than to allow an i'm
perfect and incorrect statement of them to 60
forth to the public Mr.. Potter did not ask for
MSS. with any purpose or thought of suppress
ing it. The only desire was to complete it,
as it was prepared in special haste SO as
to be in season for the paper of that week. AS
you had let it go by for that week, we thought
it worth while to add number of points,
which we had not time to include the week be-
FORE nor is your statement "that Mr.. Potter
admits what Mr.. Byiugton denies," true in any
sense. Heexpressly informed you that he stood
by the statement of the article, to which you
sble for it,
1t is hardly necessary to discuss you confident
assertion that Rev. Mr.. Jones is not eligible to
the Office which he holds. Yet we may state
for the information of any persons who do not
know the facts, that before the appointment
was made, the committee consulted one of the
best lawyers of the state, and he replied in
writing, that he was not aware it was neces-
sary that member of the superintendipg
school committee should be a citizen or
voter" On the strength of that opinion, Mr..
Jones accepted the position. 1t may be well
for US to say, also, that inasmuch as the men,
bers of the school committee are none of them
Learned in the law" we have taken the best
legal advice in respect to every point, which
has arisen, concerning which there could be
any doubt. 1t has been interesting and some
times amusing for US to notice how very posi-
tive the opinions upon legal points, put forth in
the Telegraph, were, and how directly those
opinions have conflicted with those of the best
authorities in the legal profession.
And this leads us to call attention to the fact
that you do not venture to question our state
ment that the present rule 10 regard to suspen-
sions was framed while you were member of
the committee, and received your sanction.
"Plain. common sense people find it hard to
Understand why rule, which was lawful
enough to receive your approval two years ago,
when you were in office, should be SO illegal
when you happen to be out of Office You say,
indeed, that the rule was not enforced. But in
this you are mistaken.
We notice that you do not venture to discuss
the argument of the committee in support of
the legality OF their action in this matter of
suspensions. You do, indeed tell US ''to go to
school again" with more of the same pitible
sort, but no one will mistake this for argument
The definitions you quote OF the terms expul-
sion and suspension are very well, but it hap
pens that our law distinctly contemplates a
temporary" removal of disobedient pupils
from school, not q permanent one. 1t says,
'the committee may expel and may restore"
the scholar, ION satisfactory evidence of amend
ment" The whole policy of the law is to favor
restoration, not permanent expulsion. In other
words, the expulsion is to be in fact suspension
and in this, we say again, we follow the law
strictly. As to our action under this law, sus-
pension has been rare and exceptional thing.
1t has in every case been successful in Its OBJ.
lect. We shall decline to discuss
individual cases., for obvious reasons.
But we do affirm that no scholar has been sus-
pended for singlesoffense, or for two or three,
whether 'playing football" or anything else;
that no one has been suspended without re-
peated warnings, and the most faithful efforts
of the teachers to reform him; nor has any sus-
pension been heightened on account of any ac-
ton of parents. In one instance, a pupil came
back to school in defiance of the authority of
the committee, and for that defiance (which we
happen to know was advised by yourself) he
was a second time suspended. The defiance
was repeated few days later, with the same
result In dae time the pupil ceased to act ac-
cording to the advice of his editorial friend and
ceased to defy the authority of the school Off
GERS, and then he was restored at once to hi
place in school, on promise Of amendment
AS to the statement we made in your paper
last week concerning the general condition of
schools mafh0dS w cd
to keep the schools in order, we have very little
more to say. 1t has been the misfortune of
our High School that there has been change
in the principal of the school almost every
year. Whenever such change has been
made, there has been more or less difficulty in
the school. The difficulty this year has not
been more serious than that of last year, and
of other years. The school has been, and is,
under control, and has on the whole done good
work. We do not hesitate to affirm in plain
terms, and we would have the good people of
this town understand that whatever of disor-
der we have had, has been promoted and ag-
gravated by the course of the "village news
paper" So much for these matters. This
discussion we have entered upon with great re-
luctance. 1t is quite foreign to our tastes and
habits. We have kept silence under the filings
asRd In9endoes, the perversions and mistakes Of
the Ietegfapni-ss.ssIi ..-.--.s-~~iaaxtt that tho
public was being misled as to this whole mat
ter. 1t is folly time that the truth should be
stated, and that the monstrous assumptions of
the editor, his attacks upon personal character,
and his unfortunate representations of our
schools, should be rebuked. And in doing
this we have felt bound to use 'great plainness
Of Speech" We have no personal ends to
seek. no animosites to CRAFTY. We are simply
trying to do our duty in the service of the pub
lie, and although we do not care to praise our
OWN work, we confidently believe that when
we hand over the schools to our successors in
office, as we hope soon to do they will find that
their schools have steadily improved under our
E. Fl. EXTINCTION,
VIM. s. JONES,
DANIEL f. POTTER,
experimenting School Committee of the town
of Brunswick.