Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
OPINION OF MEMORIAL
VIEWS OF BOARD MEMBERS ON
PETITION TO CONGRESS.
Dismissal of Teachers From the Pub
lie Schools Subject of
Comment.

BY way of comment on the action of the
delegation known as 1.-The citizens commit
tee on the public schools of the District of
Columbia" In memorializing Congress
Thursday in condemnation of the board of
education for alleged violation of the law,
In dsmissing Mrs. NJ. J. Cooper, John L.
Love, A. 7. Clark and ]. r. Keene and NJ
F. F. Swartzell, members OF the board
have shown little hesitancy in voicing
counter condemnation.
Admiral Baird, president of the board, is
reported to have said:
PERSONALLY l am in favor of educating
the colored people, but they should re-
member that they do not pay a very great
proportion of the money that supports the
schools. AS matters stand now, the col
ored schools about half as numerous
as the white schools and we have ten times
as many complaints from them. l haven't
the slightest idea that Congress will pay
any serious attention to the memorial
Views of Mr.. Cox
In stating his position in the premises,
Mr.. W. V. Cox said that, while he had not
READ the text OF the memorial, he supposed
it was founded on about as mucn TACT as
have been similar propositions brought for
ward by the same people, "If the school
ma that the District will find itself In pos
session of a school ssytem conducted on
bushes basis, he said, for the boaru has
no enemies to attack and no friends to
whom to show favoritiSm.''
Personally l want to see the children ed
ucated, continued Mr.. Cox, and that you
will find. is the single purpose of the whole
board. So far as l have been able to see
none of the persons who have come for
ward with complaints yet have seemed to
take the children into consideration but
their shafts have been directed at some
teacher or some person against whom there
was cause for a real or an imaginary
grievance In a word, l would like to state
the whole matter under two heads-First,
the children should be educated. Second,
the taxpayer should receive a proper return
for the money he has invested"
Capt. James f. Oyster declared that Mr..
Corrothers and his following do not repre-
sent the citizens of Washington. I'VE have
heard the same thing that is now expressed
in a memorial to Congress from the same
people before he said I'VE have had no
troules, but absolute harmony, with no dis
sension and no factionalism, has been the
rule. The board has found it necessary to
make some changes for the good of the
service, but there has been no favoritism
shown, and all appointments, in my opin-
ION, have been made on merit and record
Mr.. A. 7. Stuart former superintendent
of schools, was asked for an opinion, but
he said that he was no longer a men\.r of
leave the whole matter to them.
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, member of
the board, said she would rather not go on
record at the present time.
Regarded as Unfair.
Il feel that the whole proposition as adj
vanced in the memorial is based upon I'M
fairness and injustice said Mrs. Mary
Church Terrell. From our point of view
we have done nothing contrary to law and
personally l have done everything in my
power for the teachers against whom
charges were made by members of their
own race, for believe every teacher should
be considered as innocent until proved
guilty. l feel very sorry that these colored
people have deemed it necessary to lay
the matter before Congress in such a light,
though l have no hestancy in saying that
the sgners of the memorial do not voice
the opinion of the majority of the lntelli-
gent colored people of the District"