Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-12
SENT TO COMMITTEE
Senator Burkett's Resolution
on School Controversy.
DISCUSSION IN SENATE
Proposed to Suspend Trial of Dr..
Chancellor.
OBJECTION BY SENATOR CLAY
Senator Teller Questions Propriety
Of Interfering With the Local
Board Of Education.
OBJECTION BY SENATOR CLAY


jumped into prominence today in the Sem
ate a few moments after the beginning
Of the session. Senator Burkett. who
drafted the present school law presented
resolution which proposes to direct the
board OF education to suspend all action
in the case now pending against Supt.
Chancellor until the Senate committee on
the District of Columbia shall have in
vestigated the case and reported to the
Senate. There was considerable discus
sion of the question OF the present consid-
Grafton of the resolution, and much
against the wish of Mr.. Burkett it was
forced into the District committee by SEN
ator Clay. who objected to its immediate
consideration.
After the resolution had been read and
Mr.. Burkett had asked for its immediate
considerat on. Senator Teller interjected
the following inquiry:
Senator Teller's Query.
II would like to know what the inquiry
is. think 1t Is somewhat doubtful about
our interfering with the board Of educa-
| ton under the present conditions. If
there has been a call for sundry informa
ton or something like that do not know
| what it is. I wish the senator would state
why this resolution should be passed"
Mr.. Burkett said that three days ago
the Senate directed the committee on the
District Of Columbia to investigate the
school trouble here. The matter. he said,
| was proceeding before the board, and he
said he had been informed ind rectly by
the board that some precipitate action
was going to be taken.
| LAS the senate. perhaps knows from
| the press" said Senator Burkett, 1.-The
superintendent of schools Is being tried
| by the board, and members of the board
have informed me they have made up
| their minds quite before they had begun
the trial. The superintendent at present
| Is sick in bed on his back-very seriously
| Ill. am informed. He has not been able
| to attend the hearings. The hearing Is
proceeding. and from the best information
| that has come out as to the result Of that
hearing the final action Of the board Is
| likely to be reached at any moment, and
| If we are to have a hearing at any time,
then 1t will be Of consequence we should
ask the board to desist from further pro-
cedure until the Senate committee has
had chance to hear it and to have the
| parties interested appear before it."
Mr.. Teller interrupted with the remark:
Il do not remember the resolution.
OF the hands of the board of education
| and put It in the committee of the Dis
| trict of Columbia. If that Is the case, /
| have nothing further to say about It."
Inc senate, TSptleu OuThStIs ny
-esolution directed the committee on the
District of Columbia to Investigate this
matter
At this point Senator Culberson inter-
| rupted the debate and asked that the
resolution be read again. which was done,
but before there could be further discus
| sion Senator Lodge called for the regular
orde-. After number of memorials.
resolutions and bills had been introduced
| in the regular routine, and after Senator
| rnDOrtad a
| the finance committee directing the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury to furnish the
Senate with certain Information, Senator
| Burkett again called up his school resolu
ton.
Senator Teller had left the chamber. but
Senator Newlands took his place and be-
gan to question Mr. Burkett about the
| resolution.
II should like to ask the senator from
Nebraska" said Mr.. Newlands whether
this resolution has been referred to the
committee on the District of Columbia
Il just offered it this morning" said
| Senator Burkett.
II think it is of sufficient importa nee
to warrant its consideration by that COM
mlttee before the Senate acts upon It,
| 1t proposes
Mr.. Burkett Explains.
Il will say to the senator" interposed
Mr.. Burkett. that I explained before
| he sdme in that the Senate the other day
| passed resolution directing the COM
| mittee on the District to make this in
vestigation. The matter is going on
| the opinion is that the Superintendent will
| be discharged. rightly or wrongly
The senator, no doubt, has read the pro-
ceedings that took place yesterday with
reference to the testimony of at least
| three principals of high schools I ask
hao riv,oc J,
reference to the evidence OF the Western
High School principal. Probably before
| the Senate Will convene next week. as we
now have agreed to adjourn until Mon
day, final action may have been taken by
the board I will say to the senator that
this morning the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia, that is. certain men,
bers who could get together to confer
opinion-some four Of us-that such a
| reso luton should be passed to stay pro-
ceedings until the committee could do
what the Senate has directed.
Il will further say said the Senator
that from all appearances down there
the board started out. In fact will say
| that two Of the members of the board told
me that 1t was not necessary to have
discharge the superintendent. They have
| pretended to give a hearing and as the
nearing has progressed from day to day.
1t has been apparent that the statement
|
true. A thing that occurred yesterday
| displays the hostility, and the refusal OF
the board to give the superintendent Of
the board anywhere near a fair hearing
| The superintendent is at present sick at
| home in his bed. and his doctor says he
is very seriously i'll. Yet notwithstanding
| that the fact. the board is going on with
the hearing, and it may possibly-and
think 1t. altogether probable that 1t will
dispose Of this matter by discharging the
superintendent in that condition.
Charges Against Superintendent.
II will say to the senator that there
seems to have been in the start four
charges against the superintendent. Two
| Of them 1 understand have been dropped
One Is that he collected $1,000 books of
the District and withdrew them from use
in the schools. 1t was shown in the evil
| dence that this was done on the boards
order. The other charge was. so far as
] can be learned. that he ordered Latin to
1 be taught in the seventh grade which the
board did not approve. I understand that
| both of these charges have been with
| drawn. OF the other two charges as
understand from the best information
| can get. one is that he did not attend such
board meetings that probably he should