The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-14
SIMPLY AN OUTRAGE.
Politics Demoralizes the School
for the Blind.
THE DASTARDLY POLITICIANS WORK.

Ruin Our state Educational and In
dustriaI NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF a
Rotten System Exposed.
Rev. ". G. Todd superintendent of the
school for the blind at Kansas City, Kas.,
who has proven successful manager of
that kind of an institution, ia a letter to
the STATE JOURNAL says: 'The man
agement of our educational institution
has been ten times more difficult for the
past six months than during the previous
year and one half.
"What I mean by that, is that every
boy and girl | have reprimanded or dis
ciplined since last November's cleo
ton has been sought out by the
tools of scheming politicians and
place hunters, melted to more open.
insurbordination, and made discontinued
and unhappy. Officers and employees,
also, have been made TO feel uneasy
about their positions; the most influen-
tial and most loyal teachers in our insti-
tuition have been talked against to the
pupils, their self-sacrificing devotion at :
tributed to unworthy motives, their
Wholesale moral influence ridiculed as
prudishness,-and all this to create
feeling that may induce some reckless
act which may be published before the
world to the delectation of gossip mong-
ers, and the discredit of the officers in
charge.
Thus, for six months, contrary to my
desire and to my previous course, have
been obliged to hold the school to its
work with an iron hand, and to be severe
where / wished to be- lenient.
"The pupils in our school have usually
grown restless and unmanageable at the
near approach of a change IL its super
intendency. Most superintendents have
made their government conform to the
change of feeling, have given greater
privileges, and held the pupils less
tirmly to their duties, and to obedience
to rules I his has introduced moral
laxity fatal to the we'll being of a school,
and has frequently made the las: six
months service of a superintendent worse
than worthless I nave refused to
follow in this course, even at the risk of
popularity; have endeavored to prevent
any injury to the school from these out
side influences, and have, think, sue
ceeded in continuing the protita bleness
of our Institutions work up to the pres
ent time.
"The education of the blind is a
special work We not only take
our pupils through all, and far
mora than all that is taught in the
average academy, but the real purpose
| for which the school was established
is to enable the pupils to overcome their
| physical defect as it affects life's work,
and to become self-suppOrting. This
| latter work has always been neglected at
our institution, very largely because of
the political selection of its officers, and
yet it is work that can readily be done.
Not over 80 per cent of our graduates
have been able to earn their living in the
II ia t1f to
per cent Under the 30 per cent regime
the school was run for show; under the
/ higher per cent the aim must be thor
oughness in education. Both have been
tried and the results speak for them
selves.
THE proper remedy for all this is
civil service reform. But then you can
not apply that reform to the state board
of charities. How Can you make that
board non political? How can you pre-
vent majority of five members being
of one political party?
There is more radical way. and ]
believe it is right way, as applied, at
least, to our institution and the school
for the deaf 1t is to take them out of
the charge of the state board of charities
and put them in charge of d board of re-
gents composed of practical educators.
These institutions are not, in any
sense of the word, charitable. Each child
in them is legally entitled te an educa-
ton in its county. But that would be toe
expensive Consequently the state brings
them all under one roof and edu
Gates them-not for charity, but
for cheapness. Our children are no!
charity children, and cur school
should be conducted as other
schools-not permeated with an atmos-
phere of mental invalidism, but filed
with the atmosphere of study and the
spirit of ambition.
These two institutions, at least, should
be connected with the university and
common school system of the state, eX-
cept with the added use of manual
training in industrial employments"
CAPT. sTOVER's INDIAN FRIENDS.
He Recognized a Band of Poncas Going
Through the State House.
Captain T. S. Slower. assistant secre-
tary of state, was for several years in the
United States Indian service, and was
chief clerk of the Ponca agency in the
Indian Territory.
A few days ago party of POnca Indi-
ans visited Topeka, and as they roamed
through the state house corridors Capt
Slower got his eye on them.
He recognized them as Poncas and en-
gagged them in conversation. One of the
party he was acquainted with when al
the agency, and he knew the fathers oil
all the party The Poncas seemed tc
appreciate the interest he took in them.
Scientists withdrew their endorsement
of the baking powder advertised as o.
"absolute purity on account of changed
formula Dr. Prices is purest and
strongest.