The herald., 1895-09-09
Don't Want to Be Dragged Into
the Blum Controversy
BLUM IS NOT YET HOME
lie May Resign Before the Investiga.
tors Meet
His Friends, However, Insist That He Owes
1t to Himself to Insist Upon an
Investigation

Rabbi Blum, whose appointment as
teacher of French.in the high school has
resulted in an upheaval in the board of
education seconu only to that created
by the retirement from Office of Super in
tsndent Preston W. Search, has not yet
returned homo from San Francisco,
where he went several weeks ago to
spend his vacation. He is due within
the next few days and then the fun will
commence in earnest.
DR.. Blum, in view of the charges affect
ing his moral character (which have been
made, will. it is believed, fight to the
bitter end befvre he will step out of his
position. His friends say that he might
haveiresigned had the agitation for his
removal not assumed the form which it
has. They do not hesitate to brand the
agitation against HIM as persecution
whose main animus is race persecution
because of .Blum's religion. 1t is known.
on the other hand, that among some of
the most bitter of the reverend gentle
mems enemies there are some OF the ex-
rabbits coreligionists, whose claim is that
the reasons which prevented his continu-
ing at the head of the local Hebrew syn
agogue should debar him from teaching
in the public schools of the city.
The statement that Blum 8 appointment.
as teacher was smuggled through by
the teachers committee of the board of
education is now known to be absolutely
without any founo alton in fact and there
~ now no longer any doubt but that had
Professor Cates.not made the very. am big
uous report concerning Miss Whitney's
qualifications that lady would have been
retained as the high school French teach
err. Professor Gates has written letter
to Miss Whitney denying that he had ev-
Chairman Pitman of the teachers com
mitee of the board of education has made
the public statement that Gates memory
needs an underpining or else he is will
fully reversing his previous utterances
officially made. The ex-principal of the
high school may before the present trouble
is ended find himself before an investi-
eating committee.
The Jewish people of the city are very
few OF them taking sides in the present
difficulty. Those interviewed however,
resent in the most emphatic manner pos
siple that DR.. Blum or any other Israel
lite should be appointed to a position in
the public schools on account of his or
her religion. They insist that their chill
dren are not sent to school to be taught
religion. They are sent for that purpose
to the synagogues of their faith and they
go to school to have instiled into their
hearts the principles of American citi-
zenship and INTO their minds the tenets
of an American education. Both School
Directors Fulton and Garland, who are
the most emphatic of all of the mem bers
of the board of education in their opposi-
ton to RABBI Blum. will, after all, serve
upon the investigating com mittee APP
pointed last Friday night to overhaul DR..
Blum's moral character, and Director
Grubb, who was named as the chairman
OF the committee. may reconsider his de-
termination and serve as an Investigator.
When and where the mmittee is TO
meet if it organizes for business at all,
may be determined when the board meets
tomorrow night. The object of Director
Pitman in having the board adjourn on
Friday night before the committee of in
vestigation had been organized is be-
lieveti to have been for the purpose OF
trying to induce DR.. Blum to resign be-
fore the investigation upon his case is
held. President Hale states that the
reason that he appointed Directors Gar
land and Fulton upon the Investigating
committee was BECAUSE Directors Simon
ton, Bassett and Pitman are the teachers
committee which appointed Blum, and
DR.. Wills was absent from the meeting,
while Director Kennedy would not have
served.