Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-11
JOHN A. o,KEEFE Us CHOSEN.
The Deadlock Over the Appointment oi a High School Principal Broken,

a High School Principal Broken,
 The adjourned meeting of the board )f education was held last evening and he question of electing a principal for he High school was settled by the of John A. O'Keefe, late principal of the Lynn High school. The regular business was first taken up and disposed of before selecting principal.
 Reports were made as to the progress of the addition to the Bishop street school.
 Superintendent Crosby reported the number of permits issued for evening | schools as follows: Bank street, 101 :; | Clay street, 42; Washington, possibly, | 45; Bishop street, 35; Ridge street, 60; East Gaylord, 31; Long Hill, 30. Night school has not yet commenced in the Long Hill school owing to the difficulty in placing electric lights, but lamps will be used until that object is achieved.
 After the minor business had been matter of appointing principal of the High school be taken from the table. At the previous meeting Dr Hayes had moved the appointment of MT O'Keefe as principal. Judge Webster had offered an amendment appointing E. O. Hovey, the present assistant, to the position. The matter was then taken from the table.
 Judge Webster at once championed signed by 800 citizens asking that MT Hovey be appointed. Mir Webster said that the petition was signed by bankers, ministers, priests, lawyers and in fact ny people in all walks of life. He said the first page contained the names of many Germans and these Germans voted for MT Grelle. MT Grelle replied that these men did vote for him, but they had signed the petition under mis- apprehension. Dr Hayes moved that the petition be accepted, but MT Pierce amendment was before the board.
 MT Henderson urged that MT Hovey be appointed. He said: "Mr Hovey has been in the employ of the district for nearly four years. Being in a secondary position his merits have been somewhat hidden. Again our High school does not compare favorably with those of other cities. Very few of the children attending school ever reach the doors of the High school. From a point of salary the position of principal is not a when I asked him " hat salary he would expect, that he expected not less than S2 ,000. All the other applicants said that they thought $1 600 or S1 TOO a large salary. MT Hovey is now getting $1 400. Make him principal and in crease his salary to $1 300. Mir Tender son closed by saying: There is an un- dercurrent of opinion against me in some quarters. They say that MT Hen blooded Scotchman and an enemy of | Catholics. 1 am not an anti-Catholic. I call on every member of the board to | bear me out in this statement. Can didly and honestly we would do a very wise thing to appoint MT Hovey. We see that the feelings of many of our citizens would be hurt by the appoint ment of MT O'Keefe. I ask you, gentlemen, to meet us half way and then there will be place for somebody else. The first place is what concerns people,"
 MT Grelle said that he differed from Mir Henderson,; that no talent was too good for our high school. "I moved, | he said, Ito table this matter for a week in order to find out if possible If the people expected a high order of talent in | the High school. 1 have heard nothing to waver me in my former opinion and unless there are good and valid reasons shown for not appointing Mir O'Keefe, shall vote for him.
 MT Pierce said: ''I think that MI Hovey is fairly entitled to the position He is we'll able to fill it. Here Nil Pierce read extracts from letter re ceived from Editor Whittier of the British American Citizen, published ir Boston. Mir Whittier gave it as his opinion that although Mir O'Keefe's at tainments were up to the standard, Inc was somewhat unfair in his decisions 1T official work, and that the discipline under him became seriously impaired.
 Dr Hayes said: "NIr Pierce, when 1T Lynn, learned from formost citizens without regard to religion, that tht statements in that letter are false. Ever MT Pinkham, the chairman of the board and superintendent of school and the only real opponent of Mir O'Keefe admitted that he was fine disciplinarian a scholar and progressive man. MI Hovey has given his time to science, Nil O'Keefe to classics. Together they would make splendid team"
 Dr Mcdonald regretted that MT Hoveyi name was not mentioned before. Ina
 both were good men. As member o
 the former board he favored MT O'Keeft and had no reason to change his opinion now.
 Rev J. A. Mulcahy said: ''The opposi
 ton do not concede that Mir Hovey k against him because 1 consider MI ' IOKeefe filter in every way. There is a sort of feeling that if a Catholic is ap
 pointed principal he will run away witt the High school-where do not know
 Would it not be better if you, gentle
 men, were to make an effort to ascer
 tain whether Catholic, even if he is Catholic, is not able to raise the stand
 ard of our schools? This question should
 be looked at in fair manner"
 MT Grelle thought it unfair to use ont
 part of the letter received by MT Pierce speaking unfavorably of MT O'Keeft and not using the other that praised him
 Dr Hayes again said he had a grea
 love for public schools and he should al
 ways champion them. MT Henderson he said, told him that the democratic
 members could have their choice O. principal, but the choice should not be Catholic. MT Henderson denied this saying he would not say one thing il private and another in public.
 Here Judge Webster's amendment ap