The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-07
TENURE OF OFFICE
Subject Of Mr.. MoLean's
Lecture at Teachers
Social Last Night.
NOT NECESSARY FOR MEN
Politics Is Their Excuse But
Women Have No Remedy
Form for Bill.


Under the auspices of the Jersey CITY
Teachers Club a very pleasant social was
held last night in Phillips Hall, where me
attendance was excellent and the soclal
mart all that could be desired. The even
ing comprised a very interesting pro-
gramme, followed by dancing and refresh
ments.
This programme opened with a piano
solo. Caprice Brilliant beautifully exc
c,,ted nv Miss Gertrude Seguine, followed
by Mr. Harry Rossell. who recited ine
T,ast Token, in a most effective ana
masterly manner, holding his audience
snellbound. and receiving a hearty encore
10 which he responded with a comic Sc
Election. In the first piece he vas accom-
panied on the piano by Mr.. Joseph Housn.
Miss Flora r.. Wittpen rendered a
violin solo Largo and Miss Maude
Farrell rendered a vocal solo, The hoiy
city, which Brought the programme 20
the chief attraction of the evening. a lee
1 ture on Teachers Tenure Of Once. by
CIR. Alexander Mclean.
Mr.. Mclean begged TO be excused from
standing on account of a trolley accident.
and sat throughout the lecture. The sub
iect. he said, was easy to talk upon be-
cause there was no such thing as a tenure
of office.
The Jersey City teachers. the speaker
thought, were CONSIDERABLY treated, but
on the other hand, there were no teachers
in the city so poor they had to be dis
missed. There were far worse in otner
; cities.
1--WE have no fault to find with our
teachers said he, and then turned MS
attention to the Board of Education, say
ing: ssWe are not unfortunate enough to
have a Board of Education like Newark,
Camden or Bayonne. Camden has for
d her teachers to ~criticise the Board
Just think, forbidden teachers to talk.
Mr.. Mclean said he thought the Board
! of Education should b. examined. THE
| examinations for school teachers are very
thorough said he, why not extend
those examinations to the Board of Edu-
cation? Yes, the Board of Education
should be examined"
Saloonkeepers, the speaker thought,
might make excellent citizens, but not
such good members of the Board Of Edu-
cation. The Board of Education said
he, lis supposed to be good. but memory
would have to work overtime to recall any
angels. L am pretty old-as old as any
h~ere-(glancing round at he teachers as
/ sembled), and I cannot recall a single
| one"
The teachers positions, Mr.. McLean
| said. were restricted to the number OF
pupils that could be crowded into a class
room, and in these restricted positions
they were receiving salaries on a par with
the unskilled product of Castle Garden.
Policemen and iremen were protected
! bv a tenure of office law and why not
teachers? To be sure, policemen and
| fremen were in danger of their lives, but
so were teachers They were in danger
from infectious diseases and other things.
Al trained teacher, the speaker held, was
useless for any other occupation. one
! third of her life is spent in training and
| educating the minds of children, SO that
every year the gap for earning a llveii-
| hood in any other way is opened wider
Nj. Mclean then referred to the case
Of Miss Thomas, principal OF the Bay
| onne High School. as being near home.
He gave a short sketch of her life, say
ing that she was a woman OF more than
| ordinary ability; that when she started
| out in Bayonne there was no High School,
but that she strove hard and tutored
| pupils for college. Her manners were
very agreeable and her methods success
full. Her work. attracted attention be-
cause she was making bricks without
straw She was constantly nagged at
and annoyed, HI said, until her health
became impaired. No charges were
brought against her until summer, when
all her influential friends were absent,
| although the public defended her. The
m-treatment and abuse she received broke
her heart and she died. Hurried to an
untimely end by the want Of a tenure of
office law"
The speaker said he might cite many
other cases where teachers had been dis
missed without cause. Bayonne was en-
tirely disgraced by it. Dismissal with
out cause" said he, 'imperils a teach
er's reputation and smirches her for
life.'
Male teachers, the speaker went on to
say. do not need protection az women do,
because politics are their excuse. "Wom-
en- do not enter into politics and there
fore must have a remedy and that remedy
is the tenure of office bill"
Mr.. Mclean then suggested tno IohoN-
ing form for a bill to come before the
legislature
"Be it enacted by the Senate and the
General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey that women teacher now or here
after appointed TO positions In the public
schools Of this State shall hold their posi-
tons during good behavior n compe-
tency, and shall not be discharged with
out due notice. written charges and a
public hearing at which the accused shall
be allowed counsel.
Had we had a law like this conclud-
ed the speaker. Miss Thomas could never
have been Dismissed"
Miss Lydia K. Ennis. President of the
Teachers Club, then suggested a vote of
thanks to the speaker. which. being duly
moved and seconded, was rendered. and
the programme proceeded with a tenor
solo, Flight Of Ages" well rendered by
Mr.. C. w. Harrison. and ended with a
piano selection, 'Necette.'' by Miss Ger
trude Seguine. Then came Refreshments
and the teachers danced