Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-14
Anonymous Letter Writers and Other
Slauderers

BY it's action In the CardOzo case. con-
cluded last week. the board of education
has adopted principle in school admins
tration which attracts attention. The board
has by its reception, consideration and ap-
prevail of the charge in this case formally
established the doctrine that anonymous
letter writing is a high crime. punishable
by official death. Were the case Immediate
ly In hand one Of clearer guilt there would
be less reason for the public to apprehend
unwhoesome consequences from this dec
laraton of policy. for it may not be denied
that the writer of anonymous letters is
with few exceptions Qike other secret SLAM
derers) a treacherous. cowardly person.
whose presence in any organized system is
undesirable. Much Of course depends upon
the tenor of the anonymous letter and the
circumstances Of its transmission and Its
evident purpose. Much more, however, de-
ponds upon the degree of certainty with
which its authorship Is established.
In the measure that the board, having
adopted this policy. performs its functions
as a trial body judicially. sitting falsehood
from truth rumor from fact and prejudice
from impartiality 1t will find its action
productive of good In the maintenance OF
discipline in the schools. But the immediate
effect of the announcement of this principle
and of its practical application in the Car
dozo case is the current expression in
school circles that no teacher whose hand
writing can be initiated is safe from accu-
sation and dismissal on the ground of in
diting an anonymous letter.
II the boards action MAJ be construed
as warning to all secret slanderers who
have infested and cursed the schools that
their activities will no longer be tolera ted,
the effect will be wholesome. The board.
having adopted the principle that anony-
nous criticism of the school system by
members of the teaching and administra-
tive forces is a capital offense, will doubt
less go the whole distance and apply its
doctrine without discrimination as to color
rank or sex. furnishing all slanderers and
scandal-mongers in the schools. whose Of
lenses are brought to it's attention 1t has
now before II case which involves this
very question of authorship of an unsigned
publication rejecting seriously upon the
schools of Washington. This publication
appeared in a recent issue of the laduca-
tional Review. 1t severely scored not only
the local school system but the entire COM
munity. 1t shocked and angered the Dis
trict people and caused them to denounce
the unidentified author authors in strong
terms Participation in it's preparation was
admitted, by proxy by no less a parsonage
than the superintendent of the District
schools. Two of his subordinates have also
been named as contributing to it.
The public wants to know more about
this matter. 1t particularly wants to know
who wrote or inspired certain parts of that
article which grossly libeled the city and
citizens of Washington. 1t expect the
board of education. in pursuance of its
policy already established to ascertain who
caused this libel to be published. 1t re-
CARDS this publication, if inspired or aided
by any members of the school administra-
ton. far more serious an offense than
the writing of the anonymous note attrib.
uted to Cardozo. which might more appro-
priately have been hurried to the waste
paper basket than to the Franklin building
VIII not the board OF education in con-
sistency conduct as persistent and as thor
Ough an investigation into this alleged mis-
conduct by school officials as that which
IL has lust concluded?