The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-15

spoken denuucfation OF Martin Kelly as the
enrichment of all that is low and con-
temptible in politics by Director Woodward.
The following report was made by Super
intendent SWEET;
OFFICE OF SUIT OF COMMON SCHOOLS
SAN Francisco Oct. IA 1891. }
To the Honorable the Board Of Education
GENTLEMEN: l have received TO day an opinion
from the city and County Attorney, Johh IL;
burst on the relative powers Of the Board OF
Education aud the Board Of Examination, which
! heTcW submit IN IulL.
[In the report is given the opinion, of
which a synopsis was published IN HE
CALL Of Wed eSday-I
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT.
/ received yesterday a communication OF
which the following IS copy IN tull:
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. ., 1891.
John S'rett S"PrT'ts.qs q oc ,2o 3a"
signed members OF the Board OF Education, re-
speet1uly request that you viii appoint some
other person as your deputy IN place OF the pres
eDt incumbent, Madison Babcock.
The Board OF Education represents in meas
ure tie legislative branch a-l yourself and dep.
uty represent The executive branch OF the school
Department OF san Francisco, and we believe
that you appreciate as strongly as we do the ad-
Visibility OF cordial cooperation and kindly
feeling between these TWO depar ments- Alter
an experience Of niue mouths we nud sucD an
antagouism between Mr.. Babcock and the ma
joflly OF the Directors that bis usefulness Is, TO
say The least, seriously impaired; aud, while en-
teTtainng most kindly feelings TO you in person
we md ourselves embarrassed IN giving you the
assistance that you need IN performing the
duties of your office, because OF what We Will
Characterize, TO use q mild term, The personal
peculiaiIue5 Of the person whom you nave
Selected as your deputy.
Ii is satrd in morning paper, as coming
from Mr.. Babc0ck, as follows:
That he had anGeied the majority Of the
hoard bV various TeiuSas 10 sacilnce his own
sense OF Justice aud night 10 their Dehests. For
one thing he had refused 10 report certain
teachers in the department as incompetent
.ha Ind rpppiVpb a sfrDup hint that he
several Directors had also become his enc
mics because he refused To testify against Prln-
cipal Joseph OConnor ard Professor hn0wilon.
He rad been asked TO do so, but refused his
convictions being the other way. lie HAD IN
consequence been marked Tor vengeance"
E5We believe that yOu VIII bear witness that
Tbese statements are entirely false; but making
due allowance Tor possible eNaEgerati0n IN The
published report, they ave indicative OF lhe att
tude thar Mr. BdUcuck has continually maln-
tanned To most Of the present SchOo! Directors
At the Last meeting OF the BOARD The lack OF
confidence IN Mr.. Babcock was EXPRESSED by the
reduction OF his salary TO a nominal ngure- we
tljnn that lie decisive vote by which ths meas
ule was carried Will convince you tAat II IS I'M
possible to reconcile the differences between him
ana ourselves, and therefore trust that you viii
designate some other person as yonr Deputy,
who can work in harmony with the Board OF
Education 10 the interests OF The puzzle schools.
Very respectfully. r. A Hyde, john |. Sabn,
g. " Pennington ) L. DuttUn, E {. Ames,
Max Brooks Daniel Sewell.
REPLY.
Mr.. F. l. Hyde and ers-GESTLEMES:
When I took Office | found the position OF
Deputy Superintendent filed by Madison Bah
Goes. SO far as could ase rtaln he had niled
the office acceptably TO the teachers aud The
public He was strongly Endorsed by eX-SuDer-
intrudent Anderson, under Wh0m he hdd served
for three years. Nearly all the leading priHcI
pals called on me ana requested me to continue
linn In Office No objection was made to him by
anybody except in one solitary Instance. Dur
ing lie past eight mouths, until he recent action
of the board ia reducing his salary TO S25 a
month. no complaint against him was made TO
HE by any member OF lie board, except one VINO
criticized his testimony in the knowiton case.
l have found tue Deputy Superintendent
faithful and capable officer. regret The lack OF
harmony between the Deputy ana majority Of
Tie Board OF Education
Tie SUpe rtntendent himself proposes to act in
harmony with the board SO far as IS consistent
WIN his convictions Of duty; but he reserves the
right 10 oppose or 10 criticize public acts or pro-
posed measures, If 10 his judgment they are not
iOl The best interests OF tie schools.
Whenever, BY proper evidence 1t can be
proved that the Deputy Superintendent IS in
conn ieHt, or that lie Galis 10 40 his duty, am
ready TO consider the question oil demanding his
B1t until that time must resp eIfully decline
TO ask lie Deputy Superintendent 10 resign or 10
remove him. JOHN SWEET,
Superintendent OF Common Schools.
a LETTER FROM sABIN.
A long communication was read from Di-
rector Sabn in which an article recently
published in The CALL was quoted as the
foundation of au attack on Deputy Superin-
tendent Babcock The latter was accuS ed
Of lacking the efficiency in educational mat
tiers that might be expected OF 12-year-0 Id
boy. Says Mr.. Sabin " When he is present
at board meetings he sits on one side with
lis own particular sneer on his face and
makes nasty comments. If Mr.. Babcock
claims any member OF the board asked him
to do Is dirty work OF asked him to 'stul-
tify his conscience [ demand that be name
the person at once; II not, that Professor
SWEET discharge him al once.
The Deputy makes report that Tor
common business sense would receive
black mark in the frst-class in kinder
garten school, and generally closes by abus-
ing the principal Of the school Who COIN
planned"
Mr. Sabin also referred to Superintendent
SWEET in his communication as Professor"
SWEET
The following report of the Classification
Committee was approved: That Miss Eve
Inc V. Hanford be recommended TO the
State Board of Education for State edu-
cational diploma; that the election Of the
folowng-named probationary teachers be
confirmed by the board, they having sue
cessfully served the period Of probation re
quired by the rules; Miss Matte A. Wat
son and Miss Marion Z. Earle of Emerson
Primary School.
TEACHING OF CHINESE.
A part of the report was justification Of
the renting Of the Chinese School on Clay
street to Chinese for private purposes aud
Woodward wanted to know whether by the
report it was intended to approve Of the
teaching of Chinese in the public schools.
He further asked by what authority the
Glass fication Committee leased public
school building
Brooks replied: 'By the same authority
that former board permitted public
school to be used by private parties for
teaching the Italian language"
S'IhatS inst the point TetOFteQ Wood
ward the act referred to was by the
board and not by the committee or any
member of il"
Brooks said that the matter was brought
up in committee meeting and thought to be
very good scheme. 1t would save the city
Sl5 month.
Superintendent SWEET said he had been
present at every meeting Of the committee
and was prepared to say that NO such mat
ter ever came before it.
President Hyde said it had come up, but
the Superintendent probably did not hear
it. to which the Superintendent replied he
did not think so.
A RESOLUTION.
Then followed a discussion on tie subject
OF the Chinese school.
Culver submitted the following resolu-
ton
Resolred. That the Board Of Education OF this
city deems II unwlss, inexpedlent and contrary
10 The interests OF this State and people to lei
whatever any room. premises or property be-
longing TO or under the control OF the School De.
parIment
After deal of parleying with the aim of
defeating the resolution, the following vote
was taken:
Ayes-Ames, Culver. Dunn, Decker. Wood
WaTd-5.
Noes-BroOks, Dutton, Pennington. seweIl,
Hyde-5.
wooDwARD's VAIN EFFORTS.
Woodward offered resolution that the
Chinese be expelled from that school at
once. but Brooks, button, Pennington,
Sewell and HYDE voted against him.
On a subsequent committee report an
other attempt was made to obtain the ap-
prevail of the board on the same question,
but it met the same fate, five for and five
against.
When it came to the election of teachers
Brooks declared himself against Mrs. Susie
c. Baker. because she had been ousted by a
former board, and is, therefore, unit to
teach.
Decker acknowledged that Mrs. Baker
was his appointee, and claimed that her re-
moyal was job put up by c. B. Stone out
of pure malice As to her fitness, she had