St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-25
BOWKER'S HOME.
1t Was Under Discussion by the
Board of Education Again Yes
farGaV

1t Was Under Discussion by the
Board of Education Again Yes
terday.
When President Ankeny called the
board of education to order yesterday
there were five gentlemen from the di-
rectorate of the Home for the Friendless
waiting for hearing on that important
question that has almost taken the place
of convention enthusiasm within the
past week-the exclusion of children
from that institution from the Lyndale
school. They had with them Judge j.
NJ Shaw and large roll of legal-lOok-
ing documents to enforce their demands.
They were ready to talk and they did
talk. Nothing came of it all except the
evident determination to stand by its
action, which it believes to have been
right.
DIR. A. S. MILESTONE opened the ball
for the BOwker party. A meeting of
the board of trustees was held Monday
evening. There resolution was adopt
ed requesting the board to rescind the
motion excluding inmates of the Home
for the Friendless from the public
schools. Edward Russell, S. B. Will
Jams, Rev. Ii. ii. French. w. j. Bray
and DR.. A. 5. Milestone were appoint
ed committee TO wait upon the board
Judge Shaw then took up the argument
for the home. first explaining that he
did not want the board to think that he
came as the paid attorney of the home.
He came because he was interested in
the question. He was satisfied that the
board had committed wrong, legally
and officially.
The judge had formidable looking
bundle of papers with him, from which
he read at length.
In the beginning he carefully read
everything in the state constitution
bearing on the public schools. He went
further and read copiOusly from legisla-
tive enactmentS and court decisions.
Finally he came down to the meat of
the nut by citing that statute pro-
Fiding for the punishment of any school
trustee or board of education classify
ing or separating pupils because of race,
color or social position. Violation of
that act entails liability to fine of
$50 for each OffenSe and exclusion from
any share in the public school fund.
The Judge also read the act creating
the board of education. be found in
that no clause comforting upon the
board any arbitrary discretion in the adj
mission or exclusion of children. The
board is given discretion within and in
contrary assumption is made punish
able offense. Judge Shaw took the
ground, in concluding, that the chill
dren in the Home for the FriendlesS
have legal residence there. Parents
are, of course. the natural guardians of
the child. But they can delegate that
guardianship to some other person.
That has been done in the case of the
children III the home tor the friendless,
he maintaint d. There is a Minnesota
statute giving any orphan asylum the
right to assume the guardianship of
children when. for any reason the pa
rents are incapacitated from taking care
of them. That, too. was quoted by
Judge Shaw, and declared to accurately
cover the case of the home for the
friendlesS, it being an INCORPORATED in
StitutiOn.
Judge Shaw became sarcastic when
he turned to the ethical side of the
question, and referred to people who
were attempting 10 visit the sins of the
parent upon the child. He read this
extract from an editorial In the Times
of yesterday: "Tbe contention of MIR.
Cooley, DR.. Golden and the board is
that children taken from houses of as
signatlOn and committed by the courts
to a reformatory should not be admitted
to the public schools while inmates of
such an establishment" followed by
reading the names of officers of the
home for the friendless, and said:
docs the board mean TO indOrse that
statement? Does this board mean to
say that these gentlemen are running
house of assIgnation, as stated here? |
acQuit the board OF any such intention.
But it would be interesting to know
who inspired that libel, for such it ISL
Judge Shaw finished by declaring that
the board, in following the course en-
tered upon, is attacking the funda-