The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-02-16
SNOBBERY RAMPANT
MANIFESTED IN CONNECTION
WITH THE INAUGURAL
Discrimination Unavoidahlc--The
Boys of Wealthy and Poor
Parents

|
| Parents.
Without hesitation the Caucasian gives
It's fullest Endorsement to the Times
Democrat editorial in its issue of Feb
'uary IS. under the caption: School
Boys at the Inaugural:
There are few persons in this conn-
Try Of whatever shade of political opin-
ION who do moi desire that the coming
inaugural OF President Roosevelt shall
be more imposing than any that have
preceded it, There can be no partisan
ship connected with the Inauguration of
N executive selected by the people. and
everything that could be done to add to
he in,pressveness of the scene. within
democratic limits. should be done New
| "rthecSs. one fails TO comprehend the in
| citation issued to the governor of this
State (and to all other governors) and
| ~ him referred TO the School Board
| hat five high school boys should be se-
'ecte1 to go to Washington to witness
| he inaugural> If boys from various sec
| ions Of the country arc to go to Wash
'ngton, their parents should select them
nd send them Of their own volition
There is already, unfortunately. too many
| occasions for heart~burning among the
pupils of the higher public schools of
his city, the children Of tho poorer
classes of the population having, in many
cases, been compelled to leave the high
schools because they cot,ld not compete
n the expenditure of money with their
| more fortunate fellows
II boy from the high schoo! is sent
o Washington voluntarily by his parents
lis companions can cheerfully wish him
I pleasant trip and congratulate him on
his good fortune. but if he is selected
by the fae,,lty merely because his parents
ire able and willing to pay the expense,
here are many young hearts that must
necessarily be bruised. The lad whose
rarents can not afford to meet the ex-
,ense will feel the disappointment keen
y. and some of those of prouder spirit
may determine if they can to leave the
school where is established what in their
minds appears to be a sort Of moneyed
1ristocracy. The plan proposed can do
10 good and may result in harm to un-
fortunate youth. AT schools, and espe-
efslly those schools supported by the
State, there should be exact opportunity
for every pupil, and discrimination Of
my sort should be prevented.
Financial selfishness and arrogance
will come soon enough in the lives OF
these boys without hothouse culture. and
so far as the School Board and the fac
ulties are concerned, the matter should
be allowed to drop. or to be left in the
hands of parents altogether. Competi-
ton in scholarship in the public schools
can result in nothing but good. but COM
petition in the expenditure Of money can
result only in harm.
For the boys themselves who are Sc
Ieeted above their fellows because their
parents are either more liberal or more
wealthy. it is not apparent that the trip
would be as beneficial as would the
training they can have at school dur
ing the term Of the trip. The total cost
Of sending five boys from every State
in the Union will be considerable. and
the results achieved, if any beneficial re-
suits attend the trip. will not justify the
expense
And it will be the yielding to the rank
est Of snobbery, which is incompatible
with the Democratic spirit OF this gov
ernment. s