Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-15

could not make a personal inspection and
zee ana tax with the children and ma
out how they were treated-as most OF the
homes. However we submit for your in
speCtion the following statements, made IN
sons Interested in t'S the weiare Of the school:
Henry Combs of omaha writes the com
mittee that his daughter learned nothing
under Superintendent Dawes management
and claims that she was abused by other
pupiIs TO such an extent that he look her
T. $. Dulaney Of Omaha. n deaf man., a
carpenter by trade, says in a letter TO the
committee; Prof, Dawes is not ht for
does not know anything about educating
many inexperienced teachers have been EN-
the superintendent and Board Of Trustees
pay the deaf less than is paid speaking
people for The same work, that Mr.. Dawes,
scabs." He closes his letter by saying:
Prof Dawes should be discharged, as his
management is lacking and weak
G, r. Comp of Omaha, deaf man who
was for seven years foreman of the print
ing department in the. school writes the
committee, saying: "Of the male teachers
there was not one but who would have
made a far better superintendent than the
present one. Mr.. Mosely a man of many
standing high in the profession. after serv-
ing under Mr.. Dawes eight months, re-
signed IN disgust, He also complains of
other competent teachers being disch lrged
and declares with emphasis that the work
Is being sadly neglected. He further says
seen late at night in questionable resorts
On ono occasion | met party of small
boys on the street; several had pipes in
TOBACCO; ] asked them If they were not
AFRAID afl,. Mr: Dawes would not like IT.; Their
ss2s sSPy %fs ad they did not b5 He also
enmstances would place 1T in that school,
Mr.. Comp advises the committee to "peti-
ton the governor to remove the present su.
perintendent' and says, do not let him
one removed
| the school, writes the committee, stating
that he attended the school many years
and and that another member Of the family !: !:
unit for the position of superintendent and
| says when Mr.. Dawes took, charge he dis:
employees and that those of the experienced
| teachers retained were soon discharged
Mr. Jensen, characterizes such actions a:
crimes against the deaf. He reCiteS that
| Mr.. Dawes did not and does not know how
| to converse with the deaf and says the
| deaf pupils have no respect for him-that
| they call him names behind his back. He
| also says: He is untruthful and deceive:
| them" Mr.. Jensen further says the dormi
| tories are in a very untidy condition ant
| thinks the pupils are permitted TO rur
around too much in the evenings USING
his own. words, he says; Now, they are
|
are out with no supervisor They obey no
| body and they are very bad. The peopl,
who get, pay for looking after them can
| handle them and they have no authority Il
| back them" Mr. Jensen alleges tina
many, pupils will not go and that, parent!
| broken UP. One of our smart boys in tn,
first class, Harry Karr, is now at Jack
sonyille, Ill. Another of the first class, {
| bright girl is in the Iowa school, One ha!
gone to New York. many went, to private
schools and many stay at home" Mr.. Jen
sen sen relates r the case Of deaf boy from from
boy. He interfered when his small brothe
was whipped. He received kick from tn,
supervisor on his cheek which; three
months after, he carried home to show hi
mother This same boy, Slower, was dis
charged one day in midwinter, ragged anC
was gathered in on North Thirtieth street
warmed and fed. He was taken back t
the institute by a gentleman' who per per
gentleman signed his bond for good be
havior." In regard to another case Mr.
Jensen, in writing of it, says: Claus wa
ugly and poor, but good-hearted. He wa
accused of stealing someone's overcoat ant
was fired. In short time the overcoat wa
found in closet"
The foregoing letters we submit withou
comment, save in one particular. If, as in
t!mated in Mr.. Jensen's letter, teachers ar
permitted to beat children at the institut
such a colirse of discipline is most repre-
hensible. especially If pursued with unfor
tunate mute children, whose lips canno
your committee that he did not approve o
such course of treatment with children
civilized and rational ways of discipinini
children will be resorted to and that bar
| barous and archaic methods will be sup
pressed.
Decrease of Attendance.
Fifth-The attendance at the institute ha
shrunk in the last year from 1856 to 142, o
almost per cent. OF the teachers EN-
ployed we find that ten are men and tel
institute we commend the management il
this particular for maintaining on the corp
of teachers an equal number of both sexes
This is a plan that could be copied to ad
vantage by other schools
SiXth-We find that the children have t.
attend religious and sectarian services 70
about three hours on Sundays. The super
intendent reports that the hour in tn
morning and the hour in the afternoon ar
tian Endeavorers holds meeting in tn
| evening, which he claims is not compulsor.
for the children to attend, but admits usini
his influence to induce pupils to attend. A
this is state institution, supported b!
taxes levied on all the people in the state
there should not be the slightest vestige o
sectarianism or compulsion in inducing
pupils to attend any religious service ol
Sundays There are doubtless many chill
parents are non-Christians Hebrews, Uni
tarians, agnosticS and so forth, and livinl
in country which boasts Of the absolute
severance of church ana state we woul
recommend that the pupils be instructet
for one hour each Sunday in morality with
out superstition, and that voluntary at
tendance at sectarian services be substi
tuted for that which is compulsory.
Recommendations.
In conclusion your committee urges tina
you use your best endeayors to induce tn
governor and the Board of Public Land
and Buildings to take the matter in hand
first, changing the personnel of the boar
of trustees by making the board either non
| PARTISAN or, If not, by appointing men o
high integrity and honor, who are pledge
in advance to make civil service eXami
nation "a test for holding Il position in tn
institute and who will keep politics AM
the payment of political debts out of tn
management.
In regard to the charges embodied in tn
resolutions passed at the county conven
tion that an alliance had been made witt
certain Douglas county democrats that n
pooulist in said county should receive al
appointment from the governor withou
such Endorsement, and that in numbers o
cases the question has been asked of ap
pliCants f they had such testimonials. an,
/. f,tI, L..