Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-22
CRITIClsES DOCTOR WOLFE
Contributor objects TO EuloGium
Passed Upon superintendent of
south Omaha schools.

SOUTH OMAHA, Nov 21.-To the Editor
OF The Bee-Dear Sir: May have the priv
ilege Of answering through the columns OF
The Bee an inspired article which appeared
as a leader in the South Omaha column Of
! the Omaha World Herald under date of No
vember 16, 1899? l say INSPIRED" because
any one familiar with conditions in South
Omaha with reference to our public schools
will readily recognize the fine Italian hand
that directed and dictated the article re-
ferred to.
! The article says He eschews politics,
avoids entanging alliances OF personal
/ character and ignores anything political or
personal which might disrupt the schools"
1t is almost incredible that the writer of the
article would have the audacity, the
effrontery to publish to the citizens of South
Omaha and Nebraska such statement. The
fact of the matter is DR.. Wolfe is the very
opposite Of every statement made in said
article. Through his personal and political
| alliances he almost disrupted the State uni
versity and was then dumped bodily out OF
the faculty Of that institution. 1t is also a
we'll known fact that Immediately following
his Inauguration as superintendent of the
+ city schools of South Omaha he formed an
alliance, both political and personal. with
one John Fitz Roberts. OF the most offensive
character to the rest of the Board of Educa-
tion and patrons of the schools and since
the formation Of the alliance each has al
( ways found ready helper in pulling their
! chestnuts out of the fire. 1t Is well
known fact that the local papers have teemed
with sensational paragraphs about the dis
rupted and dsorganized condition of the
schools for the last six months. The writer
continues:
although man OF high intellectual at
tainrhents, DR.. Wolfe never impresses any
one as feeling self-mportant." The fact is
DR.. Wolfe acts and talks to his teachers and
others as though they were a set OF kinder
garten children, and very naughty set Of
I children at that. For self-importance. self
concet, self-assertion, self-praise and ego
/ tism his royal hghness is without peer in
the state of Nebraska
But" says the inspired writer, "Dr
| Wolfe is not fanatic or an extremist in any
sense. He is firm, but not radical Having
! the qualities of a born educator, he COM
bines tact, conservatism and rare indivdu-
! alty and with splendid business acumen
he studies unremittingly the needs Of the
| schools. Personally no one will
dispute the fact that DR.. Wolfe is popular
| Wll0 pupils anu pdITUuS alike. ne uOeS Wudl
| in his judgment is his duty fearlessly He
! has never been accused of being cranky or
exacting although it is a fact that he is
skillful as discipinarian, both with teach
ers and pupils. They all seem to like him
and to respect his precepts and instructions"
| Nothing could be farther from the truth
than the above statement. Teachers respect
and like him! Some of his pets and ia
vorites doubtless do like him; others cannot
say anything because he terrorizes and in
! timidates them and they are compelled to
quietly submit to his domineering tactics and
! tyranny in order, as they think, to be secure
in their positions next year, while others do
not like nor respect him because they know
| what he is, as well as what he pretends to he.
! No, he is not cranky" The records of the
Board OF Education show that about three or
four months ago Dr. Wolfe asked the Board
OF Education for an appropriation of some
$500 for the purpose of fitting up science
| laboratory with apparatus and material.
some 5000 for the purchase of ten new
microscopes for the same department and
$3.50 for the purchase of new typewriters
| for the commercial department. The same
evening the board elected as principal of the
| High school, over the bitter opposition OF the
| superintendent even after his public threat
! to resign should the board elect this prn-
! cipal man who had successfully taught in
the High echool of South Omaha for several
years. One week later this same superin-
| tendent asked the board to rescind it's action
Of week before and to withdraw the ap-
preparation above named and thus let the
schools go without the needed apparatus and
supplies. And all this on account, as he put
it, of the board having the impudence to
| = oIeli,, h
opposition. Oh, no. he is not cranky"
He would rather be responsible for wrecking
our High school than to be deposed from his
position as dictator to the Board of Educa-
ton. To the lasting credit of the Board OF
Education be it said it refused to withdraw
| the appropriation.
| But there seems to be some method in his
madness. 1t is the common talk on the
streets of South Omaha that a deal was
Matched shortly after his election as super
| intendent year ago to secure the election
Of John Fitz Roberts, member Of the board,
to the regency of the State university and to
then reinstate DR.. Wolfe in his former posi-
! tion in that institution. The first step in
the consummation of this scheme was to
secure the appointment Of Mr.. Roberts on
the Board of Education of the State Normal
school at Peru and to thus put him in line
| for the nomination. Then papa Jake"
Wolfe was appealed to and promised to de-
liver to Mr.. Roberts the united support Of
! the populists in the tripartite convention to
place him in nomination. DR.. Wolfe In re-
| turn was to lend his support to John Fitz
Roberts in all his local pet schemes in the
management of the city schools and that he
has done SO to a queens taste no one will
question. But for some unexplained reason
the nomination Of John Fitz Roberts failed
and he was left out in the cold. Now 1t is
question whether the present regents
elect will aseist in the boost and thus
land DR.. Wolfe in the chair of philosophy
Time will tell. Yours, JUSTICE.