The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-24
S"CoId shoulder for a SCHOOL,

Douglas, Ga. Jan. 19-Editor Morning
News: Yesterdays news has an article
under the above caption, which, if allow
ed to an unanswered. is likely to injure
our school and people in the minds of those
who do not know us. nor your correspond
ent. We respectfully ask therefore, the
use of your columns in order to correct
any false Impressions that may result
therefrom. II is alleged that political pref
udice has been allowed to enter the school,
dictate it's control and determine its sup
port. Such a statement is not only I'M
true and absolutely unwa rranted, it does
injustice to the intelligence and good sense
of our people. If such were the case, We
Buck and Peterson, would certainly never
have taken some 5000 of our money and
put il in school building. Like people
everywhere, we have political differences
but they are manifested only on political
subjects. We have, ii is to he hoped. too
much sense TO be influenced in our bust
ness and educational interests by political
bias, or to allow such an influence to di-
vide and weaken us when we know that
absolute unity is essential to success.
1t is doubtless true, here as elsewhere
that there are individuals whose pleasure
is 10 destroy rather than to build. These
may have endeavored to create division
by injecting politics into matters that
should have been kept free from such
disturbing influences but we are pleased
TO say they do not meet with much
encouragement from sensible people. One
would suppose from reading the article
that the principal is an active and loud
mouthed politician. ready on all occasions,
in season and out of season, to indulge in
political harangues obnoxious to the
Masses" in consequence of which disgust
ed parents "have either kept their children
at home or sent them abroad to be educa-
ted" This does the principal great in
justice, for in fact, he takes no other part
in political affairs than to express, by his
ballot, his preference at the polls. He was
absent from the state during the years
1895 and 1896. and could not indulge his al
legged propensity, if he so desired, in lob
noxious political harangues." He did not
even write a line for publication during
the campaign of SO In justice to the
principal, we will say that we knew him
long mefore he became principal of the
school here, and that it was in virtue of
such knowledge of him, as a conservative.
level-headed, intelligent man and excel
lent teacher, and not as the maker of "ob-
noxlous political harangues," that he was
elected.
In answer to the charge of unpopularity
of the principal and of division among the
patronage of the school. suffice IL TO say
the school has opened with larger num-
Der of pupils than ever before.
We regret exceedingly that your CORE
spondent had so little regard for the eter-
nal fitness of things, even though he feels
no interest in the prosperity of the school.
as to make so uncalled for an attack al
this juncture, when we are straining
every effort to build up an educational
interest. Benajah Peterson, president
board of trustees; c. A. Word. Jr, mem
Der of board; o. Rudolph, treasurer; N. T.
Criel, member of board; w. f. Sibbett.
M. D.; N. f. Goodyear.