The morning call., 1895-01-17
Directors Canvass Schools for Votes
Themselves.
AID WHY SHOULD THEY GAG OTHERS ?
A Principal Who Thinks Schools Should
Be Quite Removed From the
Political Arena.

politics have stirred up wrath in the depart
ment. His explanation, that he had seen
some of the teachers canvassing in saloons
and was anxious to prevent those mis-
guided dominies from going to ruin, has
not had the effect of making matters more
harmonious.
The lady teachers particularly have felt
the Directors statement that he actually
saw one Of their number in saloon. "Till
that unnamed woman is known, slur
rests on the whole department, said one
teacher Yesterday. eff Mr.. Henderson is
willing to come out with her name and
swear that he saw her in a saloon, then we
have evidence, but till he substantiates his
statement it is a SANDER. His duty as a
School Director is surely to give the name,
for no such woman is fit to teach children.
"As for the resolution, none OF the
teachers are taking them seriously. To
pass them would look too much like
political lngratltude on the part of the
board. To one who knows the course of
events 1t almost seems as if Hyde's fine
Italian hand could be detected behind
those resolutions, and the general opinion
is that no board has the right to treat
teachers as If they were the servant girls
Mr.. Hyde compared them to.
hihit US from doing any canvassing, yet
before the elections the School Directors,
both those in power and those who were
looking for election, made it a business to
visit the schools and ask for the personal
influence Of the teachers.
I'VE have never criticized them for doing
so. Those resolutions would give the idea
that the teachers had in view some per-
sOnal interest, such as a principalship or a
raise in salary when they personally advo-
Gated candidates, but the fact is that they
were not actuated by any such motives.
Women cannot vote, but are the men to
forfeit the rights of American citizens when
they become the employees of a depart
ment?"
School Director Thomas R. Carew de-
Clared that he was strongly opposed to the
resolution. 81 cannot say more than that
/ am opposed to it on all grounds. Iwould
never say that the teachers were not juSti-
fed in taking the interest they did in the
last election. They were forced to protect
themselves against the class of men on the
board who worried and harried them, cut
down their salaries, consolidated them out
and practlced such wholesale system of
transfers that they never knew where they
were.
"For instance, teacher is not supposed
to have more than forty-hYe children in
class, yet there are many schools-the
CrOcker, for instance-where some OF the
classes have as many as sixty to sixty-five
children. claim that the teachers have
right to protect themselves against men
who run things in that manner"
SilaS White, principal of the Spring Val
ley Grammar School, said: 81 do not adj
vOcate either men or women going to
saloons to get votes, for the teacher should
be the enemy of all that detracts from
pure manhood and pure womanhood.
1rOr rovSaIf 7 aIyUarS have baoD and Two NC
shall be a stanch temperance man. If l
had thought, though, that by becoming a
teacher [ should deprive myself Of the
right of American citizenship I never
should have become one. l think every
teacher who chooses to recommend
worthy man for Office should be at full
liberty to do so.
aft the whole matter OF schools could be
entirely removed from the political arena,
l for one should be delighted to see it.
The greatest wrong to the School Depart
ment comes now from almost an entire
change of the personnel of the board every
two years. If mine of the old board could
be held over and three new ones come on
at each election it would be much better
for the School Department. Teachers,
however, are neither better nor worse than
other classes OF people, and as citizens they
nave the same right, IN my Judgment, to
vote and influence votes as other people"
II Mr.. Henderson has seen woman
teacher 10 a saloon, it is a very serious
matter, SAID Albert Lyser, principal of
the Spring Valley Grammar School. GAS
for the resolutions, think that if teacher
goes into politics, he should go as a citizen
and not as teacher, in combination with
other teachers. 1t Is q suicidal policy for
teachers to let the public see that they are
trying to run the board of directors them
selves"
School Director Henderson has entirely
modified his views with regard to personal
opinions, as expressed in the original coDv
OF the resolutions. He said yesterday:
TO restrict the right OF personal prefer
ence would, | admit, be un-AmericaD and
l shall propose an amendment to cover
this point. l drew the resolutions hastily.
not so much with view of having them
adopted in their entirety but in order that
the subject may be fully and fairly dis
cussed and that they raight result In the
adoption of such restrictive rules as would
effectually remove politics from the public
schools. / sincerely hope that all friends
of public education Will give this matter
serious thought and give their influence to
the speedy and final settlement of this i'm
portant question. 1t was not, and is not
now, my intention to do wrong to any one
and these resolutions, if embodied in. the
rules of the board, will bring trouble only
on those who bring it upon themselves.
'I feel confident that am right in this
undertaking; and l shall do all can as a
member of the Board of Education to
bring about what | deem to be a necessary
reform. propose to do my duty regard
less of any political or religious feeling. !
am a firm believer in our public school
system, and believe that the intermingling
Of children of all nationalities and religious
creeds viii do more to harmonic and
break down such feelings than anything so
far known to us. The aim of our public
schools should be to make honest, indus
trious and patriotic American citizens.
Politics must therefore be kept out of our
schools. My reasons for introducing the
resolutions are these:
THE teachers are elected for life and
can only be removed for failure to perform
their duties or for other important causes
distinctly expressed in the rules and in the
law; they hold high position in the COM
munity, are well appreciated and looked
up to, and are well paid, as they should
be; they are as efficient and industrious
body of men and women as can be found
in the public service of any community;
they are under no obligations to School
Directors or Superintendents for the
length OF their terms of service; hence 1t
follows that teachers should contine them
selves TO the schoolroom and to the chill
dren and their TaraDfS with q viar 10 the