The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-29

men," turning to the pupils in the lobby
',yet I firmly believe that if the board
had done otherwise than it did it would have
proved itself insincere and incompetent. 70
both Of these charges l was determined l
could at least plead not guilty.
"In the position have taken, signing the
letter requesting Mr.. Sweeney's resignation.
looked only to the best interests of the
High School. Nothing but that has I'M
f1uenced me. ta
81 am not obliged to give my reasons; but
since you want them you shall hear them. :"
PRINCIPALS SHOULDN'T SMOKE.
Mr.. Beach paused for an instant to wipe
his face The silence in the room was such
that one might have heard feather drop.
Then facing Mr.. Sweeney Mr.. Beach re-
sumed:-
You, sir, have smoked cigarettes before
| the boys during school hours and l insist on
| it-you may call it what you please | care
not-l insist that no principal should smoke
before his pupils. That is my honest opln-
ion and belief.
''Now, sir, as to the charge that you drink
beer. Why, that charge came from your
friends, and as for the insinuation that it IS
a partisan move repudiate it. l am above
paltry motives
''You want to know why signed that
dooumente would much rather not tell
you, but as you insist here goes:-
'sMr. Sweeney, I do not believe that you
have ever properly controlled rne Hlgn
School. know you have not.
stIf man can't manage those under him
have no use for him. You admitted your
self to me that you could not hold faculty
meetings and in doing SO admitted your ln-
competency.
MR. BEACH PROVES HIS CASE.
sit is essential, he resumed after the first
! shot fired s'that in the High School harmony
and discipline should prevail. l don't care
whom it strikes. but the man who cannot
control the school ought to resign
~ have received complaints about the
nonsense between you, Mr.. Paddock and
Mr. Mackay and, what is worse, complaints
from the pareats that their children were
not receiving proper tuition.
Instead of suppressng discord In the
| High School you allowed it TO go on. You
never complained to the board or reported
| the refusal of the teachers to obey you. but
permitted it to continue scandal and DIS
grace to our High School.
DELICATE REASON GIVEN.
eComing to the most delicate part of my
| reasons, namely the money received by you
| for school books, said Mr.. Beach emphasiZ-
| ing every word with a whack on the
| desk in front of him. 81 have only to say
| sir. that money taken for books sold and re-
| tanned by you cannot and Will nob De toieF-
ated here.
| ''It is a fatal mistake you have made. You
| have demanded my reasons. / have given
| them"
When Mr.. Beach alluded to Mr.. Paddock,
| that gentleman made several attempts to
rise, and, when the speaker was through.
asked
ssDo you mean, sir, that the charges
against Mr.. Sweeney injure me"
! President Allen blandly replied, "No, sir;
| but if you wish us to make public our
reasons about you, why we will do that
also.n
MR.. CoWLES' TURN.
| Director Cowles took hand now in the
explanation and began by pulverizing the
arguments OF Messrs Cole aHd McGrath,
| who. he said, ought to be informed about
the matter before venturing to criticize the
action of tho board, who knew perfectly
well what they were doing.
! Mr.. Cowles talked as if he was arguing a
| case before an equity court and enlarged
upon the reason already given by MIR. Beach
| that incompentency and the book matters
] were responsible for the change to be made
I Director Hoos then rose and made an ex-
| cellent speech in defense OF the accused
] Principals. He complained that the whole
proceeding was too much of the Star Cham
| ber kind THE boys in the lobby vigorously
applauded, and received for their pains re-
| proof from the Chairman)
Mr. Hoos denounced the cigarette smoking
| and beer drinking charges as nlmsy MT
| Mr.. Sweeney had done good work in the
4
proach and it was not good policy to re-
move him.
/ eI insist that the charges against Mr.. Pad
| dock should be stated"
.sDo YOU insist, tooo quietly asked Chair
| man Allen of Mr. Paddock. who quickly re-
| piled In the affirmative.
ssVery we'll, sirp replied Dr. Allen, and,
| turning to Director Obergfell, bade him
| take the chair.
DR.. ALLEN SCORES MR.. PADDOCK.
| The Chairman began by expressing regret
! that he was compelled to say things which
| would hurt, but his duty was clear, and he
would go through with the disagreeable
| business. He commented on the meeting in
! Woods Hall, and said that the people whose
names were on the bills did not authorize
| the action. 5s
| "Now, Mr.. Paddock, you have asked why
| we sent for your resignation, because, slr
! you have not treated this board properly.
| Why didn't you come to us and tell us all?
| When YOU came before the High School
| Committee you SAID that harmony existed
| between you and the others Mr.. Sweeney
| said the same, but Mr.. Mackay admitted
| that there was trouble. The fact is, that
| YOU and the other two have been behaving
| like overgrown boys with your lealousies
| and quarrels, and let me say, sir. that the
| High School is not the place nor during
] school hours the time for such unseemly con-
/ Duct
DR.. Allen then sailed into Mr.. Paddock for
stirring up quarrels among the teachers, and
| for coming to every member OF the board
repeatedly asking TO remove this teacher or
/ that
| Leaving the Vice Principal alone for a
| while the chairman began with Mr.. Sweeney,
and said that he was not justified IN getting