Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-07
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

Rev. DIR. Dana Writes Superintendent
Burlington a Letter-He Disclaims Per-
sonal Feeling and Gives His Reasons for
Favoring Change of Superintendent.
The following letter was sent Superintend-
ent Burlington yesterday by Rev. DR.. Dana:
ST.. PAUL, July 6, 1878.
L. M. BuRR1NGToN-Sir: According to |
your statement before the board of education
last Friday night, you there claimed that an
generous and INSCRIPTIONS assaults made
upon you. You should bear in mind that
distinctly stated before the board that for
those charges was not responsible, nor did
l personally prefer them. So far as I was
led to believe them. and thus did you in
justice, 1 said there, I was ready to make the
''amende honorable and most sincerely do
50 now. / have regretted from the first,
that any charges affecting your character were
made public but for this said to the board,
as do now to you, l do not consider my
self responsible.
| also stated at that time that | bore YOU
personally no i'll will and was not finding
fault with you any more than every tax
payer and citizen has right to who was
dissatisfied with your administration as
superintendent of the public schools of this
city. For this opinion l have far better
grounds than.you seem willing to allow, and
am only one of great number, who most
profoundly believe change would be pub
lie advantage.
1t is not true / have not visited any of
the schools, for | have not only inspected
some OF them, but have seen a number OF
! the teachers and learned more through them.
and parents and scholars, about the morale
of the latter and the quality of the WORK
done in the school rooms, than I could have
! learned solely through such formal visitation
of them as is so often all that is customary.
| AS to criminal charges made against any
OF the teachers of our schools, it is unquali-
| fedly false that have made them, and You
are utterly in error in believing SO. There
has never been, in secret or public, a criti-
| cism or accusation of such Il nature made
by me.
AS to the communication which appeared
July 4th in the Press, which you seem to ap
propriate entirely to yourself, for this YOU
own Interpretation is to blame. The article
was general one, intended to simply com
pare our school system with that of Other
Clues, DOIu Ill 1CS SllulldfluleS anu OlSSlm1lar
| tiles. made no reflections therein on you
and your differences are of your own drawing
think, if reappointed, you are. entitled K
salary that will make you in that respec
the peer of superintendent in other places
and in that event, too, trust you will adop
a little sitter belief as to school discipline
. and not put the responsibility altogether OF
parents and the board.
In conclusion, let me assure you that al
through this school discussion, my sole feel
ing has been that the schools of St. Pat
could be improved, and that, because of dis
satisfaction with you officially, and NANTES
faults in the schools, and the belief enter
tanned by large number in our communit
| that they are inferior to those in othe
cities, a new man of large experience, and
, if possible, of higher attainments as an edu
Gator than you possess, could with advantag
! now be called to the superintendency in til
:. city.
+ am sorry if holding this opinion cause
i offense, for surely you will concede to n
a the right tosuch a conviction, and the libe
: ty to avow it.
For any injury have beyond this unwi
/. tingly done you, certainly regret it, but,
! unattended and publicly dlsclaimed,
v would be both more generous and manly
+ you to overlook it. Respectfully, yours,
f M. MCG Dana