The Washington herald., 1906-12-07
CHOOLQUESTION INCONGRESS
Delegation of Colored Citizens Me.
mOrialize the Senate.
Complaint of the Administration of
COIOFed schOOis-Counfer OpIniOn
as to Criticism OF school Board.

SSHetOi NTdiiiHSer presented to the SEN
ate yesterday afternoon, and asked to
have printed, a memorial from Rev. 5. +.
Carrothers and sixteen others in regard
to the condition of the Washington
schools.
MI. Gallinger was reminded By Vice
President Fairbanks that he was out OF
order in presenting the memorial. but the
Senator insisted that it was desired that
it be printed as document, and it was
allowed TO go in.
As he presented it, Senator GalIinger
said that he accepted no responsibility
for the paper. and that he introduced il
by request. Mr.. CaTTOthers and d num-
Der of prominent coIored citizens visited
the room 90 the Senate Committee on
District Affairs early in the day. and
there met Senator GaiIinger and asked
him 20 introduce their memorial, which
he consented to do
Admiral Baird. president Of the board
Of education, in speaking Of the memo
rial, said: These few colored people who
have made this petition seem to have
taken pains to conceal their identity as
colored people. and the minority Of their
number probably had a purpose in do
ing so.
The cOlOTed schools are about half as
numerous as the white schools. and the
majority Of their teachers are friendly 20
the board of education. and probably
have no sympathy with this movement.
The board of education has had proba-
bly, ten times the number of complaints
about coloTed schools and from colored
schools as they have from the white
schools. Personally, I am much in favor
OF educating the cOlOred people. They
should, however, remember that they do
not pay as large a portion Of the taxes
that support the schools. Indeed. I think
the majority Of them recognize and are
profoundly grateful for what they re-
Ceive.
THE few. hnwever. who have been
dismissed are the chief CompIainers in
this matter. and really do not deserve
any consideration. Every last one of
them who was dismissed was objectiona-
bic OF incompetent. and they were dis
missed for the good of the service They
We're replaced in every case by coIored
people, who are quite up to the standard
and who have no complaints to make
Personally I have visited at least
twelve colored schools, and have observed
their methods, and it Is needless to say
they are now satisfactory to me.
MY own conception OF the Law which
created the new school board is that Con
gress desired to get the schools under a
single executive officer whom they might
hold responsible. a plural executive can
never be satisfactory, the public does
not know whom to hold responsible. Con
gress in its wisdom created the new
board Of education with advisory and
legislative powers. but the executive
duty is vested in the superintendent OF
schools. My own opinion, personally, is
that the former board was composed of
a splendid lot of men and women. If
they made any mistakes, those mistakes
were on the side of leniency and mercy.
They would listen to the appeals Of the
fond parents Of children who had beer
conditioned and in some cases would over
rule the superintendent and the teachers,
which 1 think rather discourag ged the
superintendent and the teacher. That
board had executive powers also, and
its system, so far as I can see, was
admirable
'The new board, however, profiting by
experience, has uniformly sustained the
superintendent, whose influence, conse-
quently, has been felt throughout the
entire school system. The only people who
education so far have been principally
those who have lost their places and are
consequently disgrUntled.
II haven't the slightest idea that Con-
gress will pay any serious attention to
the memorial The board is of opinion
that the appointing power carries with il
the power 10 dismiss. There can be
nothing found ia the law which gives a
tenure of office TO anybody in the school
system under the superintendent, and his
tenure is limited to three years.
Capt. James F. Oyster, of the board of
education, said: The contents of the
memorial was no surprise: it is only a
repetition of what we have heard from
the same crowd for the past two months.
I haven't seen any of these troubles. We
have had absolute harmony. and there
has been no trouble or dissension and no
factionalism.
'Mr. Corrothers and his following don't
represent the citizens Of Washington. We
found it necessary in our best wisdom and
Judgment to make some changes for the
good of the service, and all appointments,
in nv opinion, have been on merit and
record, and there has been no favOritism
at all.
The memorial is signed by Rev. S. l.
Corrothers. president; Charles z. Lane
secretary; Rev. E II. Hunter, treasurer,
James /. Neill, Ferdinand D. Leo. Rev.
T. J. Brown, W l. Stewart, James L.
Jasepr, George S. Mabry, Wilson Wood,
G. D. Williams. George ". Jackson, G.
W. Richardson.