The Evening critic., 1882-09-29
THE COLOR QUESTION
Discussed by the school Board Yes-
terday-Mr. GregOry's Child Out of
the Prescott SchOOl-A Letter From
Professor Gregory.


bors present, at the Franklin building, yester-
day afternoon. communication from James
Auglim and large number OF books for the
High School library wero received and &C.
knowledged by a resolution OF thanks.
Leave OF absence was granted Miss Olivia
Hambley tho resignation Of Miss Mary Il.
Evans as q teacher was accepted, and tho ap-
plication OF i. NJ. Smithson for janitor's po.
sltion was received and filed.
Tho following was presented by Mr.. johnson.
ITO amend tho rules as follows; Rule 8, soc.
tion O, add the following to section o; AT the
request OF the parents or guardians teachers
shall excuse pupils from attendance at school
on school days observed as holy days by the
der ominations to which tho parents or guar
dianS belong. All absence from school on
school days must be duly recorded In tho
record.books and reported, but absence OK
cused by teachers for tho reason given above
shall not affect tho membership of pupils or
any award made for attendance
Trustee Warner reported his action in
The Case OF Eugene NJ. Gregory,
pupil at tho Prescott School building, and
stated that he had directed tho transfer of this
pupil, not on account of his color, but simply
as matter OF public policy, some thirty chill
dren having been Withdrawn on account OF his
presence there, and II being evident that to ro-
tain him there would result In n serious Inter
ference with the usefulness OF this school. In
this connection Trustee Cragin offered the fol-
lowingi "Resoired, That the action OF Mr.. War
Eugene NJ Gregory from the Prescott School
be approved by this board"
A Letter from MIR. Gregory.
After stating the above resolution, the Chair
had read the following letter received from
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 2s.
Board Of Trustees Of he Public Schools Of Tie
District Of Columbia:
GENTLEMEN My son Eugene NJ. Gregory is
aged seven years, is In good health, FREQ from
all diseases, of good habits, neat and clean In
his person and apparel, and is entitled TO ut
tend the public schools of the District Of Cof
umbia. said child was admitted to tho school
kept In the Prescott building, which Is the
ono nearest to my place OF residence at tho
corner OF Sixth street extended and Lincoln
street In tho county, and is the one / claim the
said child is entitled to attend as pupil. To
be compelled 10 attond another school would
subject the said child to great hardship and
from my residence to any other school, and
that being the school to which the children Of
my next door neighbors all go.
My child has been recently, under the law,
turned out OF said school without any cause
that know or conceive OF, unless 1t be because
tho child is slightly colored-a reason which
claim 70 pc In violation OF the fundamental
law OF the land.
If my child is to be excluded on that ground,
say to you frankly that desire TO test the
question In the courts, and / hereby demand
respectfully the readmission of tho said child
TO the said school, and ask that tho board at
Its present session mako an order directing
tendance at said school. If 1t is tho mind Of
the board to exclude said child on account Of
It's color, respectfully pray that a resolution
declaring the exclusion to be ON that ground
may be no uncertainty as to the grounds upon
which my child and I are denied the equal
rights OF citizenship.
Your memorialist thus most respectfully
prays, JAMES NJ. GREGORY.
Upon tho resolution OF DR.. Cragin Mr..
Wormley demanded the yeas and nays.
MIR. Brooks said the action was. unwar-
ranted and unnecessary, and asked II Mr..
School.
Mr.. Warner admitted that he had.
Proceeding, Mr.. Brooks said he thought the
resolution was IN unfortunate one In that II
made declaration that was uncalled for.
Mr.. Loye1oy said that the communication Of
that 1t demanded some action by the board.
MIR. Warner reiterated that his action
Was Not Influenced by the Color OF
the Child;
that he would have taken the same course had
the child been OF Irish, Italian or American
The white children who attended the Prescott
building, and found that tho presence Of this
boy would break up the school.
Mr.. Brooks claimed that 1t was cowardly for
the board to allow children to remain In the
public schools In the city who had been sub
1ected to the "bleaching.out process" rating
them as white because they were so neal
white, and then reflect upon Mr.. Wormley fol
the action he had taken In tho county. The
whole question was, was the child denied ad-
mittancc solely on account OF his color, and
tho only course for the board to adopt was tc
leave the matter to tho courts, whore It prop
erly belonged. He offered an amendment thai
the board direct that al colored child;
rem now In tho white schools and
all white children in tho colorcd schools
throughout the District should be at once
transferred to the schools whore they respec
thot I,a t1,At, 4,
tho board would be astonished whom they
camo to know how
Many ColOred Children Were at Pres
ent Attending the Schools in the
Franklin Building.
Mr.. Warner deprecated any attempt to luz
In stumpspeech on this question, and called
Mr.. Brooks stated that his only object was &c
fairly state the inconsistent position which
the board proposed to assume, and claimed
that his amendment embraced the true methot
OF dealing with the matter.
The president ruled the amendment out O.
Mr.. Brooks appealed from the ruling, and
the decision OF the chair was sustained by thu
board.
After some further debate which was gen
orally participated in, the president called
Mr.. Clark to the chair, and, taking the floor
offered the following amendment:
"Whereas section 2S2 OF the Revised Statutes
for tho District of Columbia provides In efrec
that colored parents residing outside OF tn,
cities OF Washington md Georgetown shal
have the privilege OF placing their childreI
for education In the schools provided for col
| ored children, and said section remains unre
pealed and tho question Of Its constitutionalit.
| is one for the courts and not for this board
and whereas tho facts In tho case have beor
| ascertained by tho local committee and ar
established by the letter OF Professor Gregor
| to this board;
| ResOlred, That tho action of member OF TIN
| local committee In refusing admittance TO Eu
| gene M. Gregory Into tho Prescott School
| school provided for white children, is hereb
| approved, and that Professor Gregory has tn,
piget Ihder h h me statutes, TO place his child Il
the cities of Washington and Georgetown, pro
yided for colored children.
| General Birney said this resolution was
| proper one for tho board TO adopt, aud h
hoped It would receive favorable action. Dr
Cragin accepted the amendment, In lieu o
| his original resolution.
Mr.. Brooks offered an amendment that al
colored children now attending white school
| In violation OF law should be transferred, bu
was again ruled out of order.
| Mr.. Warner said he hoped the amendment @
General Birney would not pass, rs he had no
refused admission to tho child on account o
his color, but had transferred him as o matte
| OF public policy.
Mr.. Brooks hoped that his amendment woul
pc voted on, as 1t was proper question for tn
Mr.. Loyoioy said the amendment of Genera
Birney Afforded proper basis for the actio
OF The boardi that this was the only groun
Tor refusing admission to colored child int
| white school.
The amendment, as offered by General Biz
ney, was then unanimously adopted. Genera
Birney then read the minority report of tn
committee on teachers, relating to
The Recent Decision of the Firs
COmptrOller,
as follows "The minority OF the committe
on teachers, TO whom was referred tho con
municatlon from the District Commissioner
lnciosing one to them from Comptroller Law