Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-19
Gen. Birney and sc. C. s.,

Wouldn't it be we'll for you to prepare your
head lines more carefully? To examine
whether have made statement, before you
allow an anonymous correspondent to attribute
1t to me? In Saturdays STAR G. c. S. asks
leave
yesterday by Trustee Birney. The teacher whom
ne proposed to honor did not accept the pro-
with pleasure" &c.
slole is the one negatived, and the last two
words OF 1T are put in inverted commas as If
quoted from me: No portion of it is found in
issue. The whole of it is FABRICATED by
ana the words "Wuh PLEASURE amount to a lit
erary forgery. That this is true can be substan-
in last Fridays STAR. The difference between
the statement of G. c. S. and mine is one of ac-
cent: Y. u s. puts 1t on the objections and not on
the assent The latter is passed over with the
aamlsslon that the teacher said "she supposed
s Sns >, would have to go where the powers put
her. wen, won't be particular about the
phtase0Iogy II the queen of England assents
to bill, the fact that she tried to prevent its
passage through parliament must 60 for moth
The assignment which is made the pretext for
tnls attack on me was one of ten made this year
10 the new building, the Blair, situated in the
northeast quarter of the city, on street near
9TH. 1t is a handsome edifice but its distance
rom the northwest quarter, where nearly all
the teachers reside, makes getting to it in the
morning inconvenient, even by the H street
railroad, which passes at one squares distance
the schools in that building. Two resided in
the neighborhOOd, and were both assigned to
W 5Ge bas They were probably the only ones
tomary, in tact not practicable, to consult each
teacher as to the building she shall teach In
where in the division. If it had been necessary
to obtain the acceptance" or consent" of the
eight who were necessarily taken from dis
lance the schools in the Blair would not have
been opened. Several of the eight who were
assigned asked to be excused because of the in
convenience; but the same objections would
nave been valid In the case of any other teacher
selected, differing in degree only. None of them
went because they preferred the Blair. l am
happy to say they have cheerfully performed a
disagreeable duty and have found It not so dis
agreeable as anticipated. AT the time of selec-
Ton there were no stronger reasons why the
lady selected as principal should be excused
than existed in the cases of several other
teachers.
1t may seem to dn outsider a very simple
tning 10 assign every teacher to the school
building nearest to her residence. In practice
this Is impossible. Two teachers in the second
toi Hill; one in the Mount Pleasant school re-
sides In UniOntOwn; one in the Dennison re-
SIDES In Mount Pleasant; and several others
nave homes from two to three miles distant
rom the places where they teach. Nearly ali
those In the Blair use street cars to get
wit within nm one square OF the building. They are
not the most unfortunate. II they should be
renewed who shall take their places?
You must have observed, Mr.. Editor, that
o mm.n d man becomes involved In any public
controversy, everybody who has against him
some mean private grudge runs promptly to at
tack him in the public press. If there are any
more grudges to be gratifed. you can get them
all by litte-very little-encouragement.
1t would seem as if the conductors of the
press think 1T their right to publish any often
slve communication relating to anybody hold
Ing an office or trust OF any kind with little re-
gard to its truth, provided it will bear sens;s-
tlonal head line. To this practice may we not
attribute the general skepticism prevailing
among men as to newspaper statements and
the 1act That sensitive women only are panied
and distressed by them. Respectfully.
WILLIAM RIRNEY