The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-11
The School Scandal. I"
It Should Be Settled, Once for Ali, by
Production of the Record.

erS regarding conditions which are
said to have existed, and which, some
people believe, still continue to exist,
in part at least. in the public school
organization of the District, reveals
nothing that was not known before
We confess, we should have been
greatly surprised if it did. The Com
missioners simply reiterate collective
ly what Mr. mcfarland announced,
speaking for himself. more than a
year ago, to wit, that the charges"
have been "disproved."
Mr. mcfarland, we admit, is an
adept at the pleasing game of setting
up a man of straw. In the "investi-
cation" which he conducted more
than year ago he persistently tried
to place General Boynton in the posi-
ton of making charges" He at
tempted to put him in the light of a
prosecutor, and, if he had had his
way, would, no doubt, have been graf
flied TO exhibit him as a ''persecutor"
Of innocence and virtue. What he
did. then, he does now. He shifts
the issue; he makes what military
men would call diversion" Now,
General Boynton asserted regarding
the record of Commissioner Macfar-
lands so-called investigations:
First-That it showed perjury of an
important witness.
Second-That it had been mutt
lated" in the interest, presumably, of
some one.
Third-That it disclosed refusals
on the part of Commissioner Macfar-
land to receive important testimony,
and preventing witnesses from pro-
dueing testimony from high author
ity.
Fourth-That it exhibited a settled
purpose to force leading witnesses
into the position of defendants-in
other words, that the whole investi-
cation was tainted, from beginning
10 end, by gross partiality, designed,
in the end. to result in what is yul-
carly known as a 'white-wash"
To this assertion, or series of as
sertions, made by General Boynton
upon his "oficial responsibility, :"
what is Mr.. Macfarland's answer? 1t
is, that the investigation failed to dis
close the state of things alleged by
certain witnesses, and that, therefore,
mo one was to blame" The fact that
at this late day he shows his brother
Commissioners to have supported him
in his conclusions does not material
ly affect the issue which centers upon
the record and not upon the decision.
The public has known for over a year
what the decision was; it is, up to
this day, however, ignorant of what
the decision is based on. Secret trials
and star-chamber methods are abhor-
rent to the American people. Truth is
never dangerous. and SANDER is al
ways puny. If the record does not
show what General Boynton asserts
it will show, if made public, no one
will be hurt, except General Boynton.
who will thereafter be a discredited
member of the community. If, on the
other hand, the record does show
any one or all of the matters charged
by General Boynton, it will be up
to" Mr.. mcfarland to explain few
things, and not the least interesting
among these things will be how it
came TO pass that he (Maefarland) 4,
after having advised and virtually ac-
cepted the resignation of a school
trustee, as being in the interest and
for the good of the public schools,
changed his views regarding the
further usefulness of this man as an
officer Of the organization, and not
only permitted him to retain his place
as trustee, but actually announced
subsequently that there was nothing
in the talk affecting the trustees Of
fetal standing. 1t will be interesting
to the public, we say, to know this,
and we think that it is entitled to
know who, or what, it is that caused
Commissioner mcfarland to become
on that memorable occasion a gen
tleman's gentleman" He shouldn't
hesitate 20 tell us what happened TO
cause this extraordinary change of
front on his part-this remarkable
conversion of his TO the views enter
tanned by certain occupants of the
'whited sepulcher." The public is
burning to know, and we advise him.
as friend, to take the public into his
confidence.
Our evening contemporary. we OBJ
serve, throws one of its customary
fits, due always to occur when this
school matter comes up for discus
sion. Brevity is the soul of wit, but
the Star" takes up a column and a
quarter to show how fat-witted it can
be. Does 1t really believe that it will
succeed in hoodwinking people by
scratching sand like a distracted
fowl? Does it think that IL can play
the same game upon an intelligent
community which it plays, say, upon
the board of assessors Does IL i'm