The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-06-09
NO DISCRIMINATION
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
On Account of Race Allowed by New
Mexico


SIR The comments you have
been making of late regarding the
unlawful and un-American conduct
of school officials in Eddy county in
having separate schools for the ma
tive children brought to my mind the
law referred to by you. 1t is almost
impossible to believe that in a coun-
symbol of the broadcast liberty and
absolute equality of political rights,
where our flag typiies the noblest
and grandest ideals of true humanity
it was necessary to have such a law
enacted, and it is equally hard to
believe that the very officials sworn
to administer that particular law
should violate their plain duty. Per
nit public school officials to discrim-
inateNagainst children on account of
their race or nationality and you will
make our public school system a
farce, a mere mockery. l have bee
reliably informed that Carlsbad is not
the only place where Mexican" chill
dren are deprived of their rights to
attend the public schools together
with - Don-;ao-s o-I1l,~, l+ 49,
the same thing is done at Alamogor-
do and other S~o-called American"
towns. 1t matters not where or by
whom this violation of law is prac-
ticed, nor that it is practiced against
Mexican children or any other child
rem. 1t is wrong, criminal. and I'M
American. No school official has the
lawful right to divide the public
school fund so as to nave separate
schools for the different nationalities
or races and when they do it under
the subterfuge that the parents of the
children wish it, they violate the let
ter and spirit of the law in as much
laws know no race nor distinction of
any kind. The law bearing upon this
subject was enacted precisely to stop
that very abuse of power which was
then so prevalent that even our lit
tie town of Cerrillos in this county of
Santa Fe, had even prohibited the
Mexican children from passing, in
going to and from the school house
owe the same road and bridge used
by the American children. This hap
pened in 1900. 1 was that year elect
ed as member of he House of Repre-
sentatives where the law above re-
ferred to was introduced Oh. B. No.
99") l drafted it and it passed. 1t is
now chapter rs, of the Session Laws
of 1901. By that law teachers, school
directors and members of boards of
education have no power to refuse
to receive any pupil at school on &C
count of rae or nationality under
penalty of being fined no less than
$50 and Imprisonment for three
months besides being forever barred
from teaching school or of holding
any Office of honor or profit in this
Territory" The same law (section ,
gives the county school superinten-
dent the power summarily to remove
from office or employment any person
to do his duty then it uevolves upon
the superintendent of public instruc-
ton to remove the offending official
and to fill the vacancy. h law fully
protects the rights of all school child
rem and the school officers have no
more right to nave separate schools
for a race or n%atfonlity than they
AVE to maintain separate schools for
l hope public school superintendents
will stop this fragrant infringement of
the law and remove thereby one of
the main causes of racial prejudice
in our Territory.
Yours truly,
BENJAMIN NJ. READ