The morning call., 1891-04-08
PLEDGES IGNORED.
Teachers Will Be Elected by the
Old System.
The School Directors Refuse to Give Up Their
Privilege of Appointing Their
Candidates

The Board of Education is now engaged
revising its rules and regulations, and the
work is being watched with curious interest
not only by the School Department, but by
nearly all the outside public who patronize
the schools, and are therefore con cerned in
their highest possible success.
One of the main reasons for this watchful-
ness is to see how conscientious this board
is going to be in living up to the standard OF
principles they embraced and pledged them
selves to support when they accepted their
nominations.
All who read about politics will remember
the circumstances of the two municipal co n
yentions held in the early part of October
last, in connection with the nomination OF
School Directors. The Democrats, as if an
ticipating defeat at the polls, and wishing to
save as much out of probable wreck as
possible, made the bold stroke Of proposing
to the Republicans that non-pRrtisan board
be nominated, to be composed half and half
of Democrats and Republicans. The
treachery of the apparently honest scheme
was quickly discovered. All the positions
in the department were filled by Democrats,
and it takes majority vote to remove any
one. The Republicans promptly answered
the proposition in the following report:
A PERNICIOUS CUSTOM.
The Democratic Judicial and Educational
Convention has sent 10 this convention j propo-
sition for the osiensible purpose Of taking The
Board OFFS Education out OF politics by dividing
the members equally between the two parties
on the ground that the Republican minority In
The board had acted in complete harmony with
the Democratic majority in the present Board
OF Education and the acceptance OF this prOpo-
SitiOn would indorse the present management OF
the Democratic majority of the Board OF Educa-
ton, multiplying thereby the last report of Pro-
lessor Anderson, the Republican Superintendent
OF Public Schools, which prays for great many
reforms in the administration OF the board,
aud especially an the present pc'HfclouS manner
Of the uppOintnlrglt Of teachers; and we believe
tbat every political party should be held fespon-
sible for The action OF It's majority In any admin
istratiye or legislative body and should not try
to snrk The responsibility by the non-partisan
device; and we believe that every political party
should nominate twelve OF its best citizens for
School Directors, that the people may decide at
the polls TO which party they will entrust the
management OF The public schools and decide
whether they 1ndorse the present management
OF the School Department by the Democratic
majority, or whether they are IN favor oil such
reforms as tile Republicans, II elected cOntem-
ResoIred, That the Republican party of the
city and county OF San Francisco, in convention
assembled. respectfully declines the propositlon
of the Democratic Judicial and Educational
Convention.
A CAMPAIGN PLANK.
The stand taken by the Republicans in
| refusing this proposition, it will be seen,
was based almost entirely on their oppoSi-
ton to the present pe7HiciOuS manner OF
| the appointment OF teachers. They had
read the following paragraph in Superin-
| tendent AndeTsOn's report and agreed TO
make its principles plank in the Rspubli-
! can platform:
In the selection OF teaehers-the most sacred
| duty imposed upon The board and the duty
| which, more than any other the members OF the
| board are least capable OF pertoTming-he Qbe
| Superintendent has no voice. Seldom 10 he
| r.tia n pup4t tn xtrasa nm
| character OF qualifications OF any parry proposed
| for election as teacher. Here again we may
add Tat under the present plan seldom, II ever,
| are the character and qualifications OF any
! appointee canvassed IN the least. There is DO
such thing in this department as The selection OF
| the finest. NOmnally there is an election OF
| teachers; practically there IS 10 election. Every
| member OF The board, except the Superintend-
emit appoints some friend OF faVolite TO the
| substitute class. and the party thus named by
The single member is sure TO be elected. have
| never known a rejection. SO little inquiry is
! made that we have known il to be the ease that
| parties have been elected or appointed 10 places
| In The department who were not even III pos
/ session of The certificate which, under the law,
| is necessary before they can be assigned 10
places IN The schools.
PLATFORMS TO CATCH FLIES.
At tie last special meeting of the board,
| called to consider the rules under revision,
| The rule continuing in force the present syS-
| TEN OF appointing teachers was approved
| without modification. 1t must be apparent,
| therefore, that this board intends 10 ignore
/ the party platform and pledges completely
| By following in the footsteps Of their pre-
| decessors aud continuing the present per-
/ nici0uS manner OF The appointment o. teach
| erS.'
| Thus far there have been six appoint
| m-nts by the new board. Decker drew fist
| chance and named his candidate; then fol-
| lowed Hyde, DuttOn, Culver, Ames, Wood
| ward and Sabin All were ready with a
IA, NTp1I ta~ar I'D