Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-26
An OMcial Orphan.

yesterday The Star odttoria,ly assumed
that the power conferred upon the Dis
trict Supreme Court judges to appoint the
members of the board of education car
ried with it the implied power of removal.
and also the Implied power to investigate
and vindicate by refusal to remove After
this editorial was in type the judges de-
cided that the law gave them no other
power than that of appointment: that
after they have named the members of
the board their responsibilities cease; that
they can neither remove any unfit MEN,
Der whose unworthiness may develop
after his appointment, nor protect by
examination and vindication any worthy
member who is unjustly accused in his Of
fetal capacity. 1t seems that the judges
are permitted or compelled by the law to
abandon absolutely their official offsp, ing
upon the Districts doorstep. to wash their
hands of all responsibility for its here
after. and as unnatural parents to heart
lessly deny it the benefits of the slightest
parental recognition. protection or correc-
ton.
The ill-advised law which took from the
Commissioners the power of appointing
the board of education and conferred 1t, or
imposed it. as an extra judicial duty upon
Inc Judges. is. il seems, defective in a
Vital point. IL Congress undertakes any
scEool legislation whatever at the ap-
preaching session the power Of removal
should be coupled with the power of ap-
pointment whether the latter power re-
mains with the judges or Is restored to
the Commissioners
1t follows from the judges declaration
of impotency that Dr. Chancellor, after
he has been officially executed by the
board, cannot try for post-morten vindi-
cation of his reputation by the Judges
that members Evermann and Horn ,r
cannot secure from the appointing power
the investigation and vindication which
they demand. and that the District can
not reap the benefit likely to result from
thorough sitting by fair tribunal of
serious charges and counter-charges con-
corning the management of the schools.
In the hearing which. begins today the
superintendent.s chances are desperate,
almost hopeless. Some Of the charges
against him are based on acts, speeches
and writings attributed to him, which
months ago on more than one occasion
caused The Star and large part of the
community to form and express the opin-
Ion that he was temperamentally dis
qualified TO make successful superin-
tendent of the Washington schools, and
there has been public impatience with
the board for its slowness in coming to
This conclusion. Unless DR.. Chancellor
can demonstrate that these acts and
words of seemins,0ontsmpe' for the Com
missioners. the court, the schools. the
community and the beard of education
are either wrongly attributed to him or
are entirely misunderstood. the commu-
nifty Is sure to approve his separation
from the schools, no matter how well he
may sustain himself In respect to other
Issues between him and the board. and
no matter how much he may be able to
divide or shift the responsibility for other
omcial acts which have been Justly con-
dsmned. Meanwhile as a man with his
back to the wall. fighting desperately for
omeial life against overwhelming Odds he
attracts more sympathetic interest from
"ashingtonfans taan he has ever done
NJ any time In the course of his tactless
career as superintendent.