The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-23
IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

To the Editor of the Jersey City Ne,cs:-
At a meeting of the Board of Educa-
ton held last evening (rhursday. Sep
tember %. 1922 Mr.. Robert O'Rourke
was without warning, unceremon1ously
ousted from his position az Jsnitor OF
Public School No. "a, by the Republican
majority of thai Board. Permit me. as a
citizen and taxpayer, to call the attention
of the Board Of Education, or at least the
Republican majority of that Board, tothe
following rule. contained in the manua
OF the Board of Education for the year
1892.
Rule XIII, of the Rules of Government
says:-"No employe of this Board shall
be discharged except for good and suth-
Client cause. and then only by the vote OF
at least four members"
The .four members" part of the rule
was decidedly put into effect, as O'Rourke
is discharged, and four members dis
charged him. O'Rourke is a Democrat.
his misfortune; thu four members. Shain,
Allen, Jones aud Reid, are Democrats. L
can sufficiently comprehend how four
pdEkl6du5 IGSpuOklCdnS IA SASAA "H~Sy
can conspire to discharge q Democrat,
and still. seemingly, live up to their own
rules; bnt / am unable to fathom how
foul apparently good and yirtuous citi-
zens can discharge that Democrat, sex
cept for good and sufficient cause" am
intimately acquainted with Mr..
O'Rourke, and l atm able, through myself
and others, to Judge whether good n
sufficient cause" removed him.
1 defy any member Of the "big four"
who guillotined him, to say a word
against him, either as a ~janitor. or as a
man. He Is faithful, intelligent. industra-
Gus, a total abstainer from Intoxicating
drink, aud ever at his post of duty. from
| six o'clock A. NJ. to six and even seven
| o'clock P. M. This is true; If SO. then
wnere could there lie found good and
| sufficient cause for his discharge
The Republican majority of the Board
of Education of Jersey City know full
well that they have violated their own
rules. 1t is only the beginning Of that
reform that the present administrator
of municipal affairs promised. and
which his appointees are so faithfully
executing; continue to throw dust into
the eyes of the public, continue to remove
faithful Democrats for worthless h~eelers,
who, hungry for places, applaud your
acts. and the day will soon appear when
| the public will learn what fools you are
tryina to make of them.
The Board Of Education OF Jersey City
for the past six years has been controlled
by a Democratic majority. During that
period Messrs. Dingler. Emory, B ever.
Welsh, Wehonsen and Others, all Repub-
lican janitors, have not only been re-
tanned, but have, consistently, with the
| Democratic j~anitors Of the public schools.
received an annual increase in wages.
Was not thai sufficient to stop the par
tisan action of last evening?
When the majority Of the last Board Of
Education was controlled by Democrats,
the distinguished aud illustrious John
Reid, now President of the Board Of
Education, was invited to all their
private meetings, and permitted to give
his views; in. addition. although a Re
! publican, he had his quota of the ap-
pointments, and in every wise was treated
courteously and fairly. Messrs. CARR
son, Muldoon and Moran. the democratic
minority are now looked pon as in
truders; they look for surprises at every
meeting, an admittauce into the private
sanctum is not tolerated, and invariably
are they "out of ORDER when they de-
sire to express themselves.
In conclusion permit me to cal the at
tention of hi Democratic Boards of this
city to one fact. There are many ,epub-
licans holding places In the city govern
ment by the consent of the various Demo-
cratic Boards. II the only Republican
Board of this city, throwing precedent to
the winds, violates its own rules, aud
discharges faithful, honest. sober and IN
dustrious employees because they hap
pened to belong to a different political
faith, then it is about time that Demo
cratic boards should disregard sentiment
and DISCHARGE every Republican at pres
emit tolerated by Democratic supremacy.
JAMES, j. WIsEMAN.
Jrpsrv CrTv GaDtomhar 90 1900