Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-29
LETTER BAG.
The Schools.


EDITORS HERALD: The members of
our very peculiar school board must not
be suffered to imagine that the public is
ignorant of, or has grown Indifferent to
the manner in which they are meeting
tina responsibilities of their position,
but that, on the contrary, the anxious
parents, and persons most vitality inter-
ested, are watching with an almost un-
bearable impatience, their continued
tri1ing with those sacred duties, and
are feeling that if ever an official body
was open to indictment by the grand
jury, for moral if not legal malfeasance
in Office, it is our present school board,
for following the lead, or for ever allow
ind the unmanly methods of its obstruc-
ZIONIST members. A board which began
its career by dropping altogether from
their well-earned positions, or, turning
into inferior positions, many OF our best
teachers, whose places were filled by the
inexperienced, and often the clamorous
and unfit; one of these fine teachers
having been wounded go sorely by the
suspense, anxiety and modification of
this treatment, that her death followed
soon after, as result of this, many OF
her friends believe. A board which
next proceeded to deprive the kinder.
garten schools of their excellent super
intendent, whose training and expert
ence in teaching had been in the model
st. Louis kindergarten schools, and
whose work in the Los Angeles kinder
gsrtens they had always approved, how
ever little some of those who voted
against her had even seen of it.
And last in the weighty counts against
this singular board is the we'll nigh in
credible fact that with five M. DPS in it's
membership. the long vacation of
months was allowed to pass without
thorough scanning of the sanitary con-
dition Of the school buildings. neglect
which necessitates the exposure of foul
pipes and deadly gases now, when the
precious young people and their teach
ers are gathered into them again!
Certainly, if there is no redress in the
courts for crimes like these, there will
be at the polls. if parents, pupils and
teachers have any rights which school
boards are bound to respect, and if
women and mothers have "the infu-
ence" to which they are commended as
substitute for their inalienable right ol
representation by the vote.
Meantime the public, the long-suffer-
ing public. and the friends of the inval-
liable kindergarten system, have right
to demand that the success, and even
the existence, of our kindergarten
schools be no longer imperiled by lack
of the past trained supervision.
When sacred public interests are thus
trifled with, it is not only the right but
the duty of the public to call halt; to
demand that this competent, expert
enced and faithful servant of the people,
who has borne herself like true woman
and cultivated lady, through all this
miserable business, should be either at
once reinstated, or be given a hearing
by the board, and brought face to face
with her accusers, il 80 be that they
will dare to make them thus publicly.
Word just comes to hand that the
Democrats have nominated two women
for the school board. showing their fore
sight and magnanimity, as one is the
present valuable member and of strong
Republican affiliations. Now let the
Republicans of those wards show equal
courage and foresight, and make "their
election sure" Pro Bono PUBLIco.
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