The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-30
THAT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT

III i,;vrns az Houston should not permit any OF the an
en,s Of the coming week detraet their attention
frou the election of school trustees when is 70 occur
SATURDAY The schools OF this city Alderman oonien
Gently declared in meeting Of the city council are N inc
most dcolorabIe condition they have ever known ms IS
,.teen that should challenge the attention and commano
the earnest interest of citizen There IS no otnef s
Gle interest public private that is comparable IN po q
,poftaneo to the education OF the Children iheFe Is ~
other branch OF the public service that touches SO nearly
v citizen in personal and vital interest as the pubic
school system.
i 4 agreed by common consent that the school system
e branch OF public service that should be jealousy
Guarded against every approach of partisan management
Men who are robust parsans in politics that politics
the administration OF school affairs is intolerabe 10
the intelligent who takes part in the scramble or
the emonents and honors Of Office the introduction OF poll
tics the Of the public schools is little less
than criminal.
II was in obedience to this high principle that meeting
of the citizens OF Houston held last week at which
committee prominent gentlemen with Hon n Ewing
al its head was appointed select nonpartsan school
ticket submit the people OF Houston for support at the
election to be held next Saturday.
This committee has completed its work and submitted the
names of Messrs. Andrew Dow N. L. Mills H. G. Mosehar
and William Ware These gentlemen we'll known in the
community and give immediate and positive
that the ticket represents genuine nonparsan
movement the schools from politics put end to
the dismissal OF teachers and all discrimination against them
for political oienses There time when the schools
Of this city the pride of every citizen and when Texas
and the South pointed them models of excellence and
cleanliness The Ewing movement seeks to restore that con
don,
year ago the present board was elected upon
platform Of specific pledges The record OF its years work
is record of despsed and broken promises, glance at
that old platform will convince the skeptca OF the
truth OF this assertion Look the first plank for instance
It reads as follows:
Il. We will the schools the civil service plan.
employing and promoting teachers and principals for efficient
Onr graduates and home talent shall have the
preference.
can scarcely believe that the present board
sued this solemn promise the basis upon which sought
election, But such is the fact Yet citizen forget
how the pledge has been ramped under foot large
Der Of the best teachers of the city and of high
character and proved efficiency, summary dismissed
at secret meetings of the board No charges pre-
erred hearing given. Is this civil service?" Is
this promoting for efficient service?"
Il
But the civil service plank the only plank upon
the subject The fourth plank of that old platform
follows:
We shall look the welfare of the children first in
all matters and neither politics Secaridn Influences shall
Of trustees"
Does any citizen OF Houston doubt that in the face Of
these pledges such teachers Miss Henry and Miss
der, and Messrs Little McDonoush Valentine, Hoffman,
CARRIER and others dismissed solely political rea-
sons' Does any doubt it?
Furthermore the people during the last campaign pressed
the members OF the board then candidates. upon this
ton 1t charged that notwithstanding the double pledge
of the platform there purpose dismiss teach
eTs he people aroused upon the subject Defeat
the present board seemed inevitable Just day before the
election to his ticket from defeat the present school
superintendent published the following statement over his
signature superintendent OF schools:
haze Interviewed The gentlemen 7cho are candidate, or
ne Charlton ticket aud they most postigciy that hey
mi not dSuiSS competent efficient teachers or prin-
cpas now employed in the public schools of Houston
This was certainly positive and definite
II was only by covering themselves with these promises
that the candidates the Charlton ticket able
an election Vet before the passed the pledges of
the platform rampled under foot the positive and Of
heia promise OF the superintendent of schools was repu
dated and the teachers dismissed
That all this could actually happen community of in
tegen and honest people almost saggers credulity The
people now have opportunity themselves right be-
lore the world by eectng different of men, it will
be done, ScHoo1 P,rpou