The Washington times., 1904-04-22

~pediency. As a public servant he has
set a standard to others which they
might well emulate; of him it cannot
be said that he ever preferred the
mephitic miasma of mystery to the
clear sunlight of publicity. AS a pub
lie servant he has nothing to conceal
he has no one to protect. And having
nothing to conceal, and having no one
to protect, his official acts bear the
closest scrutiny. This is more than
can be said of the official acts of
others.
On April is General Boynton adj
dressed a letter Il the Editor of The
Times, in which, speaking of an in
quiry made by Commissioner Macfar-
land into certain school matters a
year or two ago, he said:
Having read it all 1.-THE record Of the investi-
gatjOnl l am in position to saw upon my official
responsibility that it will, if produced, show
important mutilations.
1t will show perjury Of an important witness
established by competent testimony.
1t shows refusals TO receive important testi-
mony. and preventing witnesses from producing
testimony from high authority.
1t shows persistent disregard of an authorized
message from the President of the United States.
1t shows a settled purpose TO force leading
witnesses into the position of defendants. " .
In short, the record is one that, if it ever
sees the light, viii astonish the community
and arouse its keen indignation, and awaken
the wrath Of every father ard mother Of the
great army Of children in cur schools.
To these truly amazing charges
amazing, that's the word-Commis-
sioner Mcfarland has no other reply
TO make than TO say that the report
in question is open to the inspection
OF the Board of Education at n
time that the board sees lit to call for
It officially. The board, being a crea-
ton Of the Commissioners, is not 60
Ing to do it, Of course; all of its MEM
bers not being as fearless or indie
pendent as is General Boynton. Some
OF them could, no doubt, tell a camel
from a clothes line at a single glance.
and most of them can take a hint.
They were not born yesterday-not
theyZwhatever other people NAV
have been. They sneeze when seeing
a superior take snuff. They know
what is expected of them, just as
much as Commissioner Macfarland
knows what is expected OF him when
some person, whose name 1t is un-
necessary to mention, walks down to
the District building to talk over
politics" with him. They are, in
deed. a very wise lot.
This, then, and some utterly mis-
leading-to use no harsher term
statements constitute Commissioner
Macfarland's answer to the charges
made by General Boynton. 1t seems
incredible that the Commissioner
should be willing to let the matter
rest there. If ne thinks that Cen
eral B%oynton's charges are founded
in malice-and he must know whether
they r true or not-he ought in
stantly 10 call for his subordinate's
resignation. Better still, he should
not wait for his resignation. but re-
move him from the board, expel him.
The presence on that board of such a
~slanderer" can have no other but a
pernicious influence upon his col
leagues and upon the schools. For
what is it that General Boynton prac-
tically charges the Commissioner
with? Nothing less than defiance of
the Presidents authority; manipula-
ton of witnesses, while acting as a
judge, in the interest of the accused;
gross Partially in condoning perjury
on the part Of some one testifying in
the case, and, finally, mutilation-in
ether words, forgery-of the record.
1t possible. we repeat, for Mr.. Mac
land TO brush aside these charges.
made by a man of General Boynton's
standing, a subordinate whom he is
either unwilling to remove, or dare
not dismiss, by simply saying: 'They
need no comment from me?" We re-
fuse TO believe it-at least for the
present.