Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-10
Mo8E MUSIC.
THE INVESTIGATION IN TIE SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT CONTINUES.


DEPARTMENT CONTINUES
. The double upper chamber of the High
School building was filed to its full capacity
last night By people anxious to witness the
further progress of the investigation before
the Board of Education relative TO the
methods of teaching employed by the Princi-
pal of the Sacramento Grammar School, A.
Fl. Mcdonald.
Mr.. Hornblower moved that the Board
stop any further public, oral or other investi-
CATION of the matter. and that any further
testimony regarding the matter be submitted
in writing under SEAL In support of his mo-
ton he said he was convinced he had been
in error in urging public investigation.
That MIR. Tracy in moving to adjourn Sat
urday night was right. That the Board had
no power to hold an investigation as 1t had.
That all testimony in such matter as this,
to be of value, should be in writing and I'M
der oath. That the Investigation was Great
ing public scandal detrimental to the public
schools. That it was building up factions
and leading to cross.charges which will give
rise to other scandals. His motion would
not prevent any citizen laying complaints,
nor the Board from investigating, but would
require record to be made, and enable the
Board to act justly without exposing the
schools to scandal.
SHALL THE DOORS BE SHUT
Mr. Tracy said he had said that an investi-
CATION was proper, but to his surprise Satur-
day night the Board went on with it without
the groundwork being laid. But now the
investigation had been entered on be was not
prepared to close it. The Board could hold
no secret sessions, have no secret records. The
people had right to be present at any meet
ing II is now too late to recede. He was
not prepared to say that the open inyestiga-
ton would result in ill to the schools. He
was glad to see parents taking the interest
they did, and hoped they would hereafter
take more interest in the schools.
Mr. McClatchy agreed with MIR. Tracy
To close the investigation now would give
rise to the suspicion that the Board had
something to hide. Had the Board not en-
tered on the investigation as it had, he would
support Mr. Hornblower's motion. He took
the point of order that the motion had no
second. Held good.
AS To TINE TO BE CONSUMED.
Mr.. Tracy moved that the attorneys be
required to fix and agree on the time each
would consume in the investigation.
j. n. Young appeared in place of Grove
L. johnson, who had been called away.
MIR. Hinkson said he could not conclude in
one evening.
Mr.. Tracy moved that Mr. Hinkson have
the present evening and one and half hours
of Thursday evening, and the defense one
and half hours of Thursday and the whole
of Friday evening.
| Mr.. Hornblower moved to amend, that in
addition the defense have three nights more
as the prosecution had already consumed two
nights.
Mr.. Hinkson knew of no rule of any
Court limiting party in time in the present
alton of facts. He denied that the prosecu-
ton had already consumed two nights. He
promised to be as expeditions as possible.
Mr.. Hornblower objected to the attorneys
addressing the Board. They must remain
silent on motions before the Board.
Mr.. Hinkson was surprised at such an I'M
heard of proposition. He had a right to
discuss any matter before the Board, when it
is sitting in judgment on the case.
Mr.. Young opposed Limitation. 1t is easy
to prefer charge that it may take weeks to
rebut. No one can foresee what will arise.
The objection and the motion and amend |
ment were then all withdrawn, and the Board |
GOT DOWN TO IT'S WORK.
Mr. Hinkson called Mr.. Adams.
Mr.. Adams said he had come to the first |
meeting unwillingly. He came to the second |
meeting to justify himself. The High School |
is not now under investigation ; it all relates |
to the competency of Mr.. Mcdonald. In /
that he had no part, and he hoped he would |
be excused from having to say anything |
more. When the time came he would ask |
that the High School be investigated and all |
its affairs shown up. As to the questions on
which the Grammar School was examined, |
he prepared only two of the questions out of |
the ten. The Board of Education was alone !
and wholly responsible for the questions AS /
to the two questions he prepared he was
ready to defend and uphold. As to one of
those questions nearly every scholar of Mr..
McDonald's class answered correctly; on the |
other they failed.
Mr.. Hinkson insisted that MIR. Adams |
should testify and asked him what proper
ton of the class of rs in the Sacramento |
Grammar School was graduated, on examina-
ton, into the High School.
sKIR,nsHING BEGINS.
Mr.. Hornblower and Mr.. Young objected
to the question as not the best evidence, and
as Irrelevant.
The matter was argued at length and with
decided liyeliness, Mr.. Hinkson desiring to
show that the class Of rs was largely pro
NOTED by order of the Board: the others
holding. among other things, that the record
| is the best evidence. and Mr.. Hinkson hold
/ ing that the record does not show the facts.
] The question finally worked around into an
appeal from the decision of the chair, which
was sustained, and the proposed testimony
ruled out.
Mr.. Hinkson- made the same offer as to the
class of 10. Objected to, and objection sus-
tanned.
Mr.. Brier was called. Heard MIR. Akin
son testify as to the sixth question.
Qaestion-Was his solution correct?
+ -. taI t',nE h.,
could not impeach its own witness.
The Chair oyerruled the objection.
MIR. iIornblower appealed, saying as legal
rules had been invoked he hoped the lawyers
would be held to them TO the letter. A
party cannot impeach his own expert The
Chair was not sustained.
Mr.. Brier analyzed the question, and said
the answer is 50 bushels, and that Mr.. Nc
Donald's class did not answer it correctly, as
he remembered TO Mr. Young)-He could
net cay that the identical question was in the
book used by the first grade. 1t had been
his practice on examination not to give ex
amples from the textbook. The principles
involved were embraced in the text books of
the course Of study which has to be reviewed
in the senior year. The course Of actual in
struction embraces but 50 pages, and all the
rest Of the year is given to review. The
rules say examinations shall be confined to
the topics in the course Of study, but need
not be confined to the details in the text
books
SIDE EAR ISSUES.
President Griffitts was called. He was not
present with the Graduating Committee when
the questions for the first grade were corsid-
cred.
Director Butler called. lie was present
when the committee acted on the questions
The committee took two evenings and acted
very deliberately in the matter. 10 Mr.
Hornblowerl-Mr. Lord, Mr.. Butler, Mr..
Stalker, Mr.. Hornblower and Fir. Wiemeyer
were present. They were not on the COM
mittee. The committee invited the Board %
meet with it. He declined to state where
the committee met.
Mr. Hornblower, Mr.. Brier and Miss Nc
/ Cormck were there. The committee met in
| the St. George building, and the Superin-
tendent was excluded The questions, when
prepared, were given to Mr. Butler and MIR.
Lord to be printed, and Mr.. Butler subse-
quently said he gave them to Mr.. Adams to
| be printed.
/ Mr.. Brier, on question Of privilege, said
he and Miss Mccormick had been invited to
be present, and they went. They were there
( to see if any errors in the preparation OF the
1 questions had been made. They did not
know the meeting was secret. Never dream
ed Of it. 1t was committee meeting, as they
understood It.