Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-24
NOT GOOD GUESSER.
Supt. Ament Jumps Wildly al
Conclusions.
ARRAY OF FACTS N1sLEADs hin.

Attributes to c. b. M.rshall Information
which That Gsntlsm.n Had Noehhg
to Do with-Coamon sahJects and Com
mon Peoples Children.
Supt. Ament is given to jumping
ut conclusions. He is visionary and
10 30 extremely wise in his own con-
ceit that when an incontrovertible
argument is presented he thinks he
knows the source. The interview in
last nights ARGUS relating to ex-
cessive school expenses under Supt.
Ament's regime contained such an
array Of recorded facts that the
superintendent-and naturally too,
perhaps-thought it must have come
from the clerk Of the board, C. B.
Marshall. which gentleman he conse-
Iquently assails Just as he did Prof.
a. w. Williamson of Augustana Col
lege recently. and later Miss Nellie
Moore. one of the instructors in the
Rock Island teachers institute, both
of whom were made subjects of Mr..
Ament's venom because they had
raised their voices in praise of the
teachers of the Rock Island schools.
Mr.. Amsnt is less abusive of MIR.
Marshall than of either of the other
two, however, doubtless because of
two facts. one being that Mr.. Mar
shall is here and not in California, as
Mr.. williamson was when the super
intendent attacked him, and still is,
and fu rther because Mr.. Marshall is
not OF the sex which the superinte n
dent has evinced such infinite de-
light in domineering over and be-
lifting since coming TO Rock Island.
wrons. Totally Wrong.
| But the superintendent is wrong
as to his conjecture regarding tho
authorship of the interview in last
nights ARGUS. While there is moth
ing in it that would occasion Mr..
Marshall to shrink from the response
bility, as the figures presented are
without exception taken from the
records. Mr.. Marshall had no
more to do with the statements than
Mr.. Ament did himself, notwith-
standing the reference by the latter
to the informant's .'access to
the board record" THE Ar
Gus. however, vouches absolutely
for the fact that Mr. Marshall was
in no way responsible. directly or in
directly. for what appeared in The
ARGUS last night. nor was any one at
present connected with the schools.
Nevertheless, let it be said, the in
formation came, as the superintend-
emit surmises, from one who had
access to the boards records-which
BY the way are public property. 1t
may be further added that The
Argos assumes entire responsibility
for what was said and was satisfied
the utterances were correct before
publishing them. realizing that they
would cause just the agitation on the
part of the superintendent that they
have.
The superintendent has q great
deal to say about the children hav-
ing right to the best school build
ings that money and science can pro.
duce. Quite true, but they want
above all the practical lesson before
them at all times of q head of the
school system who is capable of pre-
senting to them the proper example
in influencing their lives. Such .
man was Mr.. Kemble. The child
who walked in the path Of the former
superintendent need not be ashamed
Of the life he carved ont. Is there
any patron OF the Rock Island
schoOls-depending upon nothing
else than the superintendent con-
trihutions to the Union relating to
Prof. Williamson and Miss Moore
who would like to have his child
form from a man Of Mr.. Ament's in
stincts the ideal of manhood? And
the child is quite as apt to be in
fiuenced by one example as another.
The Unwise Consolidation Scheme.
In his argument in favor of con-
solidatiDg the Ninth grades at the
High school, which The ARGUS in
formant had the good sense to pro-
test against, he Gays: Cut OF the
superauous Thirteenth grade, slip
the High school back a notch, take
in the Ninth grade and teach COM
mon subjects to the children of the
common people. And this is the
only feasible plan that will make
room to send the other children all
day" While the schools are the
property of the common people.
there is no reason why their children
should not have the best there is.
scientifically or otherwise. Now on
the point of a central grammar
school, the idea has been already con-
demned all over the city ever since
it was first proposed. 1t would be
better for the convenience of pupils
to add the higher branches to each
of the common schools, rather
than to compel children to walk from
all the extremes Of the city twice .
day to common point-and the
younger the child the greater the
hardships. so that the plan OF prac-
tically cutting of the graded school
at the Eighth grade. brings ON the
disadvantage Of travelling . distance
to school . year earlier than 1t does
now. TIE AReUs would for its part