Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-03-13

teachers and by the committee That there
are certain boys who are guilty Of unruly
conduct in the rooms Of some Of the assist
ant teachers. and who manifest a spirit OF
hostility toward the principal. appears to
be true. But by their conduct the charac-
ter Of the hole school is not ~ be judged
These boys are simply rohbing their own
school days Of their virtue, aud are laying
up store u bitter recollections for future
years. There is no palliaticn for an act
like that IN destroying the masters hat.
Tho Herald publication arouses through
out the community discussion Of the basis
upon which our schools are being managed
The present is not a proper time 10 pro-
nounre final Judgment. or 10 visit crit-
cism upon either principal or committee
The committee speak for themselves in
their communication elsewhere published,
and DENY positively the assertion that the
teachers have not received proper support.
This may safely be- laid down as a general
principle, that thorough aud efficient dis.
cipline aud progress will only be established
and M iutaned in the High school building
so far as the man in the principals chair
has placed upon him the responsible man
agempnt with the band Of the committee
appearing only as the power behind the
throne. From the principals ruling there
must not only be no appeal. but there must
be no encouragement either to pupils or
their parents 10 20 to the committee with
criticisms or complaints. The principals
rule must he absolute and unquestioned in
his own province, and the attitude of the
committee must not be- one Of excuse for
his actions but Of positive support
Parents must he very slow in listening to
al. -. Al. 4
still in condeinning, TO them, the principals
acts II was healthy domestic rule, which
was established in farmers home in the
olden time when the son Of the family fell
into the habit Of getting whipped in school
He complained to his father. aud the father
promptly said: Next time the master
whips YOU come home aud sit on the wood
pile I'LL get home aud ! will give you an
other one' The boy tried It once aud that
ended the whole matter.
Beyond this, and equally true with all the
rest, criticism Of the committee must be
tempered with IA full remembrance Of the
thankless task undertaken by them with no
sufficient remuneration for their services,
be- ond the sense of "A duty performed to-
ward the public.
The main question now is. who Is the
author of this letter The principal Of the
school explicitly denies having given any
information upon which it could he based
The committee say that statements printed
IN II related 10 occurrences known only to
them and In certain teachers in the High
school building ~ some uf the alleged &c
crrrruces the committee themselves had no
prcvious knowledge Under such circum-
stances 1t should Toe comparatively easy to fix
the e-ponsihilty. aud justice to the living
an th" lead requires that it be done
1t would be- folly for the person who
wrote or inspired the letter to say that he
hoped IN this way to benefit Brattleboro
or ITS public schools II any reason existed
for making such statements. publication
should have been made here at home The
author well knew that nothing good could
be gained 10y sending a scandal broadcast
The motive was malicious, and only ma
lriou-.
The statement from the committee here
with published explains itself From this
statement it will Toe seen that the committee
first knew on Tuesday Of last week that the
letter in question had been sent 10 the
Herald The correspondence is given in
full with the exception Of the Herald's out
line Of the letter the publication Of which
Is unnecessary