The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-06-30

1t is not possible to describe III words
the meeting Of the School Board of
Caddo Parish held Friday afternoon.
1t was extraordinary There has
never been one like it and there can
never be anoter like it.
This meeting was reminder of the
days of knock down and drag out gath
erings, when the rule of the chairman
and of the committee in charge of the
aggregation was law from which there
was never tolerated a refnonstrance or
appeal. under penalty of being pitched
out of the window or kicked out of the
door.
The public, that is, the people who pay
the taxes for the support of the schools
and the teachers, had entertained the
belief that this meeting of the board was
intended not only to give opportunity to
teachers to be heard but also to grant
the privilege of this hearing to the
teachers, and to the greatest number of
the people interested in the welfare of
the public schools.
It was believed that the Board in def
erence to the ladies in attendance would
have adjourned from the room of the
board to the court house. directly across
the street, but the board to man re-
sisted every every suggestion and every
appeal and persisted in holding their
meeting in room in which attendants,
the majority being ladies, were as
jammed as sardines in a box.
Over FIVE hundred ladies desired to
attend this meeting, but when they came
and could not get through the crowded
hallway left displeased
If it was intended, indirectly if not
directly, to tire out the crowd or to COM
pei the attendants to leave the room,
such design was frustrated by the de-
termination of the attendants, who
though women, protested in vain
through their intermediary, the editor
of The Caucasian.
When it became evident that the
School Board, regardles of the discom-
fort of the ladies standing and packed
so closely that the atmosphere was in
sufferable, it was then that the resent
ment of the attendants almost reached
the climax of uncomfortable explosion,
which fortunately was checked by the
wise counsel of Hon. John D. Wilkin-
son, who was present not in his capacity
as an attorney but as citizen and tax
payer, one having children in the public
schools and one having at heart the best
interest and the welfare of tine public
schools.
The president of the School Board,
Mr.. Leon R. Sn1it, with the unanimous
approval of the board, having announced
that the meeting would proceed TO the
consideration of hearing the complaints
of teachers, it was determined to fight
it out on that line, and from this stage
to the end it was as animated as the
most strenuous could have desired, with
strikingly sensational incidents and pro-
ceedings without a parallel in Shreve-
ports history of public schools.
So great was the crowd that the
School Board members were jammed in
a corner and standing with scarcely ell
bow room.
The press representatives had no OPP
portunity of taking notes, except in
mind, but on this occasion they reached
a mutual understanding of cooperation
with the view of giving the widest pub
lieity to the extraordinary proceedings.
When The Caucasian's editor began
to address the School Board on behalf
of the ladies and suggested an adjourn
ment to the court house, he was ruled
out of order, but he persisted although
ordered to sit down and keep quiet, but
-as there were no seats or seating capac-
|ity he persisted in being heard nor did
he desist until after the president had
ruled and re-ruled "Mr. Grosjean, the
board has ruled on the matter and we
have decided to stay here.
Then sir" he replied tartly, IF this
is the ultimatum, then we will fight it
out right here; go on with the fight.
At this stage every one in the room
was hot and getting hotter.
"Fake!' e.Farcei' .Outrage!' 'Put
him out!.' were the words which re-
sounded in depreciation of this ruling.
rs the board Blantonized?"
pitch Blanton out of the window !"
President Smith raped vigorously for