Daily Republican., 1885-07-08
rne 4,sn senoel PrincipalshiP'

tast night III roiuoAh6 w AoAo |
salary OF the principal OF the boys
high school, for the purpose specially
of retaining Mr.. Birdsall as principal,
IA open to objections, and the argu-
ments of the members who voted
against the increase will hardly cores
popd with the practice OF some Of them
in questions of public economy. To an
outsider. the drift OF argument WAS
conclusive that there was something |
alse behind the curtain besides the /
a question of mere economy. Ia body |
chat processes to be 30 exclusively nom
pxrtisan as the Board of Education |
n -ofesses to be, 1t is just little singu'
lar and a little unfor tuuate too to those |
protesting to be free from political
bias, that the vote upon the question
of employing Mr.. Birdsall at an in
creased salary should have been 80
nearly divided by party lines. 1t is
true that DR.. Keables and Mr. her-
shaw. both Republicans from the
Eighth ward voted with the Demo
crats. but the motive Of DR.. Keables
was evidently different from the
motives Of his Democratic colleagues,
and Mr.. Kershaw expressed no motives
but voted with the Doctor. On the
other hand, Mr.. Heisler voted with the
Republicans, but it must be remem-
bered that he has always shown him
self more or less independent, and
TO thas extent less bound by party
claims.
Back beyond the action Of the Demo
cratic members Of the Board last night
81 l,,,tx IF ne
cratic principal of the boys high
school, 50 plainly that his name is al
most legitle A Democratic principal
in itself is MT objectionable, but it is
this spirit of partisanship that reaches
out to fill an im portant position where
the education OF our children are con
cerned, with a mau whose first qualit'
cations for the position IS his Democ-
racy> that is objectionable. We do
not personally know the pplitics of Mr..
BrdsalI, put we have reason to believe
that had he been good Dsmocratic
worker, there would have baen but
little op position TO an increase CT salary
to rstaln him as principal of the poys
aigh school, position Ior "hleu
he has proven himself so we. QWah'
fed
Itmay be said that as the division
last night was practically political
one that the Republicans were q mueb
moved by political feeling as were the
Democrats. This does not appear &c
he the case. Mr.. Birdsan has beer
principal OF the boys high schoo
three years. He has proven himsel
capable Of the position in every respect
This much every member OF the boar
with possibly single exception ad
mitted, and that exception did no
openly condemn him.
1t was admitted that the people like
Mr.. Birdsall, and the p1pils liked hi
and advanced rapidly in their studi
under him. But man OF Mr.. Bir
sails disposition and qualifications
ueededyevery where. People who
lieve in good educators have their ey
on such men, and their price in I
educational market will rise with tn,
qualifications Mr.. Birdsall is offer
o largely increased salary to go ell
where and take charge Of schC
where there is less responsibility.
The difference in the salary OF I
two is $500. 1t is not strange that D
Birdsall should be influenced to ace
the offer, and neither should it
thought strange that the people of W
mington who place education abb
politics, should feel that the boys h
school should need good instructor
much as private school in some Ii
inland village of New jersey.
AS Superintendent Harlan showed
his re marks last night, it is not 81
an easy task to pick up success
principal Of a high school whene
one is wanted. He showed that
fourteen years the boys high schoo
Wilmington had had five princip
two of whom were failures. Mr.. /
mum, one of the successful ones,
because he was offered higher sal
elsewhere. Mr.. Wiley none more &
cessful than he, left because the sal
was not adequate, and went int
manufacturing firm, and now
Birdsall is drifting off to other parts
the same reason. 1t looks as II
boys high school Of Wilmington
but training school to train princi
for receiving higher salaries elsewh
To stop this drain upon our high SC
seems to have been the object of Il
members who voted to retain Mr.. b
sail by adding at least $500 to his 6
ry. They saw in him good and
cessful instructor of the young,
they wanted to hold on to him ra
than run the risk of getting anot
who by the time he becomes traine
do his duty properly, would
leave and go elsewhere for a la
salary.
The action of the majority OF
Board last night is less excusable as
increase of the principal 3 salary W
not have involved the Board in 6
tioual expense. 1t was found that
petent gentlemen would act as s,
tary and Treasurer of the Board
$500, just half the salary that has
paid for what has proved to be If
incompetent, a very careless Off
The $500 taken from the office of s
tary and Treasurer and placed to
ssiary of 81, 800 for the principal, W
have made it $1,000, and for this am
Mr.. Birdsall might have been reta
We are not specially in favor OF ra
salaries during these pinching Il
but we do think it would have
money saved to the Board and eff
cy added to the cause of educatiC
the Board of Education had ret;
Mr.. Birdssll as principal espet
when it did not add TO the aggre
expense of the b 1ard.
NfATKrNy Ch