Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-02
ANOTHER SCHOOL WAR.
Lively Time in the Board of Education
Last Night.


the San Francisco Board was present as
visitor.
The matter of the suspension of Professt
Adams by Mr.. Landes was taken up.
n The Superintendent stated the cause {
n Mr.. Adams's suspension to be his fat refusi
to afford the Superintendent an opportunit
n to examine the school register though
had waited about month for it. The Boar
!. had Monday night reinstated Mr.. Adam
= for two days. The Superintendent on Tues
day again demanded the register, and Nh
: Adams again refused it, whereupon tn
Superintendent again suspended him. Mr.
Adams said the cause of the della,
TO deliver the register had already beef
explained to the Board by MIR. Brier. Tn
Superintendent had objected TO former re
port of his as full of errors. That report ant
the semi-annual reports had been received by
Superintendents without objection, and the
were all like the one condemned by MIR. Ian
des. He explained these reports by one HI
used as an example, claiming the Superin
tendent had sought to discredit his capacity
as teacher without foundation the errors
alleged being mere omissions. At the time
of the trouble about that report, the Super
intendent denied that Adams had left the old
register with him, and accompanied the de-
NAL with approbrious epithets. He had
therefore resolved to deliver no more regis.
ters to him except in the presence of wit,
nesses, and on delivery of proper receipt,
that his veracity might not again be ques.
toned. What had been said as to his re-
fusal to deliver the present register was
substantially correct it was incomplete, and
he was unwilling to deliver itin that condi-
ton, and its incompleteness was not his fault.
Superintendent Landes, in reply, explained
the difficulty of frequently getting correct
and full reports from teachers, and in detail
pointed out, from q sample report, variety
of the errors and omissions. He reasserted
that the report OF Mr.. Adams, about which
the trouble began, was incorrect. He reas.
serted that the old register Of the High
School was not in his Office, and that he had
not received it. and during the search for it
both got into hot temper and used strong
language. But after that he and Mr.. Adams
had adjusted their difficulty, and the relations
had since been amicable until the recent issue
concerning the new register. He discaimed
any personal feeling against the teacher, or
any desire to do anything regarding him not
| justified by the law and rules. He detailed
the story Of the personal alteration between
himself and the teacher. He claimed he had
made reasonable request OF Mr.. Adams,
and that he had the right to suspend him for
his refusal to comply. If he was to be Su-
psrintendent of Schools he desired to be
obeyed and respected asl such, else he could
not discharge the functions of his office. On
question of privilege he asked by what
authority Mr.. Brier had said the
High School teachers were always willing to
comply with all reasonable requests of the
Superintendent Such statement placed
him in false position. Mr.. Brier could not
know all that took place between the Super
intendent and teachers. He didn't think Mr..
Brier should always appear to defend Mr.. Ad-
ans or act as his second and bottle-holder. He
would do well to look to himself, as he'd have
enough to do to defend himself He also In
timated that Mr.. Brier was a convenient
witness for Mr. Adams and ready to sustain
| him as such.
| Mr.. Brier here declared that he would not
| sit still under such false imputations The
Superintendent was called to order, and
ceased.
Mr.. Adams replied to the Superintendent,
again explaining his reports and pronouncing
| the statements of the Superintendent incor-
rect and his criticism without foundation.
| Director Tracy said the report question
| didn't figure in the case.
The Superintendent said the issue is wheth-
er teachers shall respond to his demands for
statistical facts necessary for his ANIMAL report,
| to show the cost, system, successes and faults
of the department. and important on which
to base suggestions for the future conduct of
the department.
Director Tracy said he would sustain the
Superintendent and the teacher, each in the
| line of his duty and privilege. The rules do
require register kept but the Superintend-
ent had not, he thought, the direct authority,
expressed by law, to take possession of it in
term time. The suspension was made In the
midst of g recitation-hour, and was arbitrary
and done with feeling. The Superintendent
can suspend for good cause, and he has gen.
eral supervision of the teachers, and for any
misconduct of the teachers is to report them
to the Board. The Board was to meet the
very night of the suspension, and the mis-
conduct could have been reported to it. The
suspension in the midst of q recitation was
demoralizing to the school, and not to be
tolerated. The Board fixed a night to ex-
anime into this case but Immediately the
Superintendent goes to the High School, and
again makes issue, and again suspends the
teacher. The Superintendent can get an
order, if necessary, from the Board for any
information he needs from teachers.
Director Hornblower said he had all along
been impressed with the high mightiness" of
Mr.. Adams. If the Board did this or that
Adams would resign; if Landes was elected,
Adams would resign; if his salary was re-
duced, Adams would resign. Yet he did not,
and the Board did as it pleased, and Landes
was elected, and the salary reduced, and
Adams didn't resign. He recognized
the fact of this disgraceful feeling
and issue. The suspension was IN
seernly and hot-tempered, and with malice.
But it was by the Superintendent, he was
elected by the people, and responsible to
them The Board can't unseat him; the
law gives him control" of the teachers, and
the Superintendent is superior to the Board
in that respect, and is the judge Of the
"good cause" required for suspension.
| There had been factions and wrangles, and
there could be no peace with both Adams
and Landes in the department. Mcdonald
was bounded till the Board yielded and put
him out, and Adams ought to have been fred
| at the same time. The teachers OF the High
School say they will respond to ''proper
demands of the Superintendent. Who is to
Judge of what is proper on the part of the
Superintendent? The teachers Certainly
not He said it was rumored that
there is motive for concealing
the register, to wit: That pupils pre-.
pared by Mcdonald stand higher in their
studies than others. If SO, let it be known
if not, let it be known. The second suspen.
sion was as bad as the first, and disgraceful
Let the matter be settled at once and for
ever. He would vote to reinstate Mr..
Adams, but were he Superintendent, and be-
lisved he was right, he would suspend him
again if the devil stood in the door. The sus-
pension was malicious and arbitrary, but the
Superintendent must be respected. Both
these men feel an interest in the schools-he
believed that-and they ought to be har-
monized. Some order should be made that
would end the trouble, for the sake of the
pupils of the schools and the reputation Of
the department.
Director Tracy called attention to the fact
that the Board has the right to reinstate, and
thereby becomes a judge of the good
cause."
Il Superintendent Landes denied that he had
any malice, or had acted arbitrarily or
meanly. He would do the same again with
any teacher or pupil refusing to obey law
: full order, and he felt it to be his bounden
duty to thus check characterization instant
| | ly, and at the time of the commission OF
the offense. As to the second suspension,
the Board. after reinstating Mr.. Adams,
failed to direct him to deliver the register.
and so he again demanded it, and on re-
fusal again suspended him.
Mr.. Tracy moved to reinstate Mr.. Adams
| Mr.. Hornblower moved to add an order
, that he report the standing of pupils within
two days.
Mr.. McClatchy moved to amend, that
MIR. Adams be reinstated on condition that
he report the standing within two days.
MIR. Tracy said the circumstances of tbs
suspension showed it to be arbitrary anc
wrong, in being enforced while the teacher
had class on the floor, and thus working
injury TO the school. He opposed thu
amendments and wanted Adams reinstated