The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-06-23
A COMPROMISE SUGGESTED.

superintendent and the teachers ha
been stirred up by The Caucasian; ant
some of these gentlemen, in the interest
of harmony, have been urging COM
promise of the differences arising ant
existing, as is said, between some Of
the teachers and the superintendent
and some of these gentlemen have sug-
gested that politics is at the bottom OF
it which, to say the least is ridiculous
In his individual capacity, The eau
casian's editor has resisted the sugges-
ton of a compromise, involving the
teachers deliberately singled out and set
aside, with discredit and cited to APP
pear before the teachers committee with
out having any, knowledge of the cause
of their offending AS these teachers
are consciously satisfied that they have
committed no act which has warranted
their discredit and they are prepared to
stand the test of whatever there is
against Them which is to be developed,
it would be unreasonable and unfair to
expect these teachers to agree to COM
promise
What these teachers want is square
deal Nothing more; nothing less.
If these teachers have been guilty of
anything which has suggested their dis
credit, they should be fully acquainted
with their offending, and neither these
teachers nor their friends will consent
to any compromise until they shall have
fair and impartial hearing, which I'M
questionably may lead to a direct dis
proof of Prof. Blanton's allegations
Why were these teachers singled out
and then advised by official notice to
have an interview emphasized in the
words quoted from the official notice:
THE School Board desires this inter-
view in order that there shall be COM
plete and absolute harmony i'll the
teaching corps of this city for the COM
ing term We wish, therefore, to have
from you an assurance that if appointed
you will cordially and sincerely co-ope-
rate between the board, the city super
intendent and all the teachers ("
Why should these teachers have been
served with such notice?
The logical conclusion, from care
ful and impartial perusal of this notice,
is that these teachers have been disloyal,
Or have been the cause of some irrita-
ton, leading to confusion, and that IF
appointed they must give assurance
that they will cordially and sincerely
cooperate between the board, the city
superintendent and all the teachers.
If this is not an indirect Indictment,
what is it?
The Caucasian will coneede that this
Indictment is not intended, nor is it de-
signed, but the verbiage is plain.
Have mot these teachers always CO.
operated, tremendously, cordially and
sincerely in promoting the welfare OF
the school in which they have been
teachers?
If necessary it can be. shown and
proven that in more than one instance
these teachers have been the happy
medium of conciliating friction and in
the encouragement Of good fellowship
it can be proven that they have oiled
with words of kindness and love threat
ened troubles, but, these teachers, while |
loveable, gentle, loyal to their mission
as teachers and always mindful of their |
obligations and their duties, are pos
sessed of the spirit of equity and JUS
fice and as wonanly women have been
sufficiently bold to maintain their rights
and prerogatives as teachers.
When the School Board heard the re-
port of Prof. Blanton, supplemented
with an address or speech, during which
in personal explanation he said that. it
did annoy him to see the time of the
pupils wasted and referred to the teach
ers who did not wait until the last
stroke of the clock to come to school,
and who did not get her class ready for
dismissal before dismissal time. who
did not regard the school as a mere
aiace to draw a salarv. etc. etc, etc.
It was one side of the story. 1t was
strictly Prof Blantons side, unsupport-
ed by evidence or proof, and which the
board accepted unqualihedly.
In these reflections on teachers, whose
names he withheld, Prof Blanton's dis
credit may be applied to every teacher
for which he had no special mention in
his report.
To say the least, in this connection,
the board was hasty IN accepting re-
port rejecting seriously on teachers of
the public schools. and should have in
sisted on a hearing of the other side.
For these reasons stated. The Caucasian
would not approve a compromise which II
would involve any one or all the teach Fl
srs discredited IF what has been al Ii
|eged against these teachers be true,