The Washington bee., 1907-03-02

board at the time concerned and the
superintendent of schools were total
strangers to the great body of teachers
and to the operation of the school sys-
TEN added to the provocation for com
plant against their action aforesaid. In
no spirit of carping criticism but frankly
and dispassionately we have endeavored
to set forth our grievances TO the school
authorities, to the general public and
to the Congress of the United States
and in each instance have clearly stated
the facts which have constituted the
grounds of our contentious in their re-
latiOn to the entire school system. the
orderly and efficient conduct of which
was then and has continued to be jeop-
ardized by the unlawful and unrighteous
acts complained of.
The circumstance that this committee
IS composed of colored citizens has moth
ing to do with either the justice of our
protests and criticism or the propriety
Of our corse. The evils which we have
pointed out have related equally to the
educational interests of all good, law
abiding and respectable citizens of the
District and to the safety, peace and
welfare Of all teachers. There have
been several developments which have
indicated that the colored schools have
been specially marked by the superin-
tendent Of schools and certain members
Of the board of education for a peculiar
slaughter, but the Citizens Committee
on Public School Affairs has hitherto
refused to see any more serious danger
in these developemnts than that which
results generally from the unlawful and
unscrupulous conduct of public officials.
To charge those clothed with the man
agement of our schools with discrimin-
alton on account Of race or color has
not seemed exactly proper in view OF
the presence on the board of education
of three members who it might be sup
posed would not without protest con
done such. 1t IS true that the particular
members referred to were not selected
by the colored citizens as their repre-
sentatives, nor were they recommended
by any considerable number of them
1t is extremely doubtful whether two
Of these persons at least could at the
time of their appointment have received
the endorsement of one hundred persons
out of the ninety odd thousand men
women and children who constitute the
colored population of the District and il
is even less doubtful whether now, in
spite of their commanding position oi
influence and power TO reward and pun
| ish, they have the confidence as public
servants of a dozen honest and respect
able colored citizens of the District
| Whatever inclination there may have
been to repose confidence in them wher
their appointment was heralded to ar
astonished public, this the few month:
| of their service on the board of educa-
ton have about completely destroyed
The course of logrolling, reprisals, favor.
itism and shameless disregard of tht
public good in the quest for private gain
or advantage which has marked tht
brief exercise of power has been motor
ious and resulted in greater detrimen
to those whose representatives they ART
assumed to be than could have resulted
from monumental inCOmpetency. Al
ready there are evidences that they fee
I the sting of public disgust and they
seek to allay further criticism and de
nunciation by sounding the alarm o
danger to continued representation Oh
| the board while they continue to act up
on the principle of latter US the deluge"
SWhatever influences, therefore, the po