Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-17

AS PRINCIPALS OF THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS - RESULTED FROM
THE APPOINTMENT MADE BY
THE COMMISSIONERS OF CLAY
DISTRICT-A STRONG SENTI-
MENT FAVORABLE TO MALE
PRINCIPALS THE ACTION OF
THE COMMISSIONERS WAS CON-
FIRMED.
The storm which has been brewing
ever since the announcement was made
that the school commissioners of Clay
district appointed an Ohio woman to
succeed Miss Clohan as principal Of the
Third ward school broke in all its
fury in the Board of Education last
night. Geography and gender were
conspicuous factors in the opposition
to the commissioners. Some members
were opposed to going out of the city
to secure teaching material; others
were inclined to the opinion that wo-
men should under no circumstances be
elected as principals. The fair sex
came in for no end of petty conpli-
ments incidentally.
The commissioners from Clay, Judge
Cranmer, DR.. Hildreth and Mr.. JefTer-
son, were loaded to the muzzle with
arguments when they went into the
meeting and they fought nobiy ana
successfully. Not a word Was said
against Miss Lafferty in all the discus
sion, it being tacitly agreed to that NO
better selection could have been made
from standpoint Of fitness. There
was a trace Of bitterness in some Of
the speeches, but the Board did not
depart from its continuous record as a
decorous body. The matter came up in
the form OF a report from the
CLAY COMMISSIONERS
of the resignation of Miss Clohan as
principal and the appointment of Miss
Loretta Lafferty as her successor, ask
ing confirmation of their action.
Mr.. Noble moved to refer back to
the local commissioners the appoint
ment of Miss Lafferty, stating that ne
thought it was generally understood
among the local commissioners thai
male principals would be appointed to
fill vacancies in all the schools. He
asserted that the idea a few years ago
was to place all the public school work
in the hands Of women. That opinion
has been changed and male principals
are now being appointed everywhere.
Mr.. Jefferson stated that the COM
missioners of Clay school also had az
opinion, and in the exercise of tina,
opinion, as is their right, selected a
woman for principal whom they regard
as cultured, refined, educated and in
every sense capable for the work. He
asked If the edict was to go forth from
the Board that women were to be for
ever debarred from acting as principals
in the Wheeling schools. He thought
it was not in accordance with the gen
eral idea of the end of the Nineteenth
Century with reference to Woman'S
sphere Of usefulness. He went into the
history Of Clay school and asserted that
during the last twenty years the woman
principals of Clay school have been the
peers of male principals in any schools.
The commissioners appointed Miss
Lafferty with full confidence in her
ability. Clay school does not need
man. Why then this
CRUSADE AGAINST WOMAN?
He asked if it was the idea that a
bugaboo is needed to scare and punish
the big boys. If so, he desired to say
that woman possesses a finesse ana
tact in dealing with unruly pupils
which is more potential than the
strength to inflict corporal punish
ment. Mr.. Jefferson spoke at some
length and made very strong presen-
tation of the case from the standpoint
Of the commissioners.
Mr.. Noble, replying to Mr.. Jefferson,
argued for a male principal on the
ground of his influence over the boys
and because generally it is in accord
with the spirit of the co-educational
idea. He was not fighting women in
the schools, but he thought masculin1ty
should have chance.
Col. Miller found fault with the COM
missioners on account of their haste in
filing the vacancy. 1t occurred at ten
o'clock in the morning and the COM
missioners appointed a successor at
four o'clock in the afternoon. Contin-
uing Col. Miller spoke of the influence
of both sexes in the school, and re-
marked that the effect of a mans pres
ence would be to make of the boys
manly men and not a sissy man. Give
tiiC WHICH ~ pCi NCAI vi tl4t plcCCo
if you will, but put some men in Also
Judge Cranmer replied to Col. Miller.
He said he had also advocated delay,
but acquiesced in the view of the ma
jority of the commissioners. Six can
didates were under consideration and
it was the unanimous opinion of the
commissioners that the lady who was
selected far excelled all the others. He
told of the credentials which she had
presented and asserted that those who
opposed her confirmation should re-
move all the women principals in the
city to be consistent. He charged that
the opposition came from few
SORE HEADS"
who had approached members of the
Board with view to influencing them
to upset the appointment.
Judge Cranmer read rule of the
Board which he construed to give the
local commissioners absolute and final
authority in the appointment of teach
ers, and gave the Board no alternative
but to confirm. If the Board turned
down the appointment it would amount
to censure of the local commissioners,
and speaking for them, he stated tina:
in that event they would be willing to
hand in their designations.
We've heard that BEFORE" interject-
ed Col. Miller.
Mr. Soha,,b said ba faIf that no ch0u1d