The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-10
AS TO PROF. SHEPPE'S EXpLANA.
TION

TION.
Too often n caviling inclination is in
dulged to criticise harshly public func-
tunaries and measures and methods en-
ployed in public institutions. l need not
say TO those who know me at all well
that was influenced by no such DISPOSE
ton in calling attention to what.I con-
ceived to be Il serious evil, las jeopardii ing
the health of the children who attend the
public schools though 1 only spoke OF
this real evil as an indiscretion and i'm
prudep:e. sought no controversy, yet
DO not avoid one. In that and kindred
evils, I" which ] called attention very
:nodcstly in The. Times OF December 8
the people of Roanoke are intensely inter
ested. have then, for what pIeared
over NV signature and called forth the
'cNplanatiou" from Professor Sheppe in
yesterdays ISSUE of that Same journal,
no apology to offer to the Professor nor
to the authors of the ridiculous rules he
mentions,a and others which ! Iearn'obtain,
and are enforced in the public schools
Some time prior to that publication,
spoke to the manager of one of our daily
papers about the same matter, and told
hin: if he could delicately call attention
to it so as to give no '.oTense nor wound
the feelings Of any. hoped it might be
done: ror did desire to excite the ire or
ruilie the feelings of any one by the pub
iicatinn above mentioned. do not know
that am exceptionally sensitive to cold
and ihclem mt weather, but in making
the charge that the children were cum
PEELED 10 stand out on the damp ground.
shivering III the cold, from the time they
reached the school grounds till 8 O'Clock,
spoke from personal observation, and
reiterate fhat have repeatedly seen great
pnplbers of nhi
SC lool grounds, in very inclement weather
waiting for the doors to open. and nu-
merOus others have seen the same thing
and, meeting me, told me so and thanked
me Tor the publication. What Professor
Sheppe calls inclemert weather we do not
know, but when he states that the chill
dren are not kept standing out in inclem-
ent weather he states what is not borne
ont by the facts of the case. decline 10
discuss the question as TO the ability of
parents to SO accurately adjust the move
ments of the children, in contornlance to
a set of silly rules, as to get them all to
school precisely on time or closely within
five minutes of it, AS the professor says
may be done. do not know that they
object to their children standing out five
minutes, or at all, in the rain or cold.
did not mean to criticise the rules of the
schools nor the manner of their enforce
ment; but when Professor Sheppe men
tons some of them with apparent APP
prevail, take occasion to say that Il rule
which precludes the children from COM
ing on the giounds earlier than fifteen
minutes before the moment for opening
the doors tends to make them loiler and
is tyranioal One gentleman of promi-
nence and of the highest responsibility
told me that one morning he met his lit.
tie girl crying and returning home from
schoo;,an Oh inquiry he learned that she
had gotten there too early for this rule
and was rudely ordered to go home and
to come at the right time. The same
gentleman and others inform me that if
the children are ut all late, they are in
some way punished unless, sufficiently
versed in special pies ding, they can fur
nsh an excuse sufficient to meet some
silly rule. Other rules, am credibly in
formed, are enforced which are unnatu-
raj and absurd restrictions upon the lib
critics of the children and keep them an
unreasonable time in pain anu great dis
comfort, and with the effect of sending
tho home, in some instances, in deplora-
BILE condition. If these things are not
true, then many supposedly good and
truthful PEOPLE are doing vast amount
of lying, to the prejudice of the public
school management. If these things are
true-and surely no motive could induce
such statements If false then | unhesi-
tatingly denounce all such rules and the
enforcement OF them as not only all
surdly ridiculous but brutal and iLhu-
man. Good and reasonable rules, even
stringent. but always reasonable, are es-
sental. There may be some exap geration
by The children as to the punishments
they have to submiit to. and doubtless is;
but do not believe that either they or
their parents are lying in making these
charges, and confirmation is partly found
in the professors explanation" CONS
precisely at 8 O'Clock or stand out until
that hour arrives, to observe some silly
rule! Return home, if caught on the
grounds earlier than the rule PERMITS
Sit aud squirm in misery until the iron
rule determines that natures unerring
law and reasonable demands may be
obeyed! Away with such Stiffness and
PlIlLlr LOCKETT.
Dec o, 1897