The Washington bee., 1907-03-02


have given them to resist any attempts
that might be made to injure OF perhaps
wreck the colored school system, they
have forfeited it by their scandalous in
trigues and misconduct, and are thus es-
topped from protesting against any kind
OF assault. Indeed It has already trans
pired that the responsibility for the un-
lawful and unrighteous acts which have
aroused general indignation has been
shifted by the superintendent of schools
upon the colored members OF the board
which none Of them has had the courage
to publicly deny
Not being able, however, to success
fully or satisfactorily place all the odium
of these outages upon a mere third
part of the board of education, the su-
.perintendent and two OF three prominent
members have, in order to justify them
selves and their acts, seemingly con-
spired deliberately to scandalize or cast
dispersion upon the entire colored school
system. The superintendent, it would
appear, has injected the race issue into
his management Of the schools not
merely to shield himself from just
criticism for unjust treatment Of some
of the best colored teachers, but also
to divert, if possible, attention and crit
icism from his outbreaks of official dis
courtesy as well as misrepresentation OF
the District as a well-governed and hon
orable community.
The attack upon the COlOred school
began early in the school year and has
been conducted principally by two mem
bers of the board of education with the
superintendent. Early in the fall both
by direct statement and by inuendo the
colored schools were stigmatized as be-
ing without discipline and the seat of
insurrection, and within very few days
after the opening of the schools the
great body of colored teachers had cause
to be much offended by remarks ad
dressed to them by a board member
which reflected on their efficiency and
respect for authority. Often on occa-
sions which have borne the marks of
Encouragement this member has affect
ed great concern and shown deep feel
ing in his speeches for the improvement
of the colored schools
When upon the convening of Con-
gress the Citizens Committee, realizing
that for the board of education there
could be no returning sense of justice
in the matter of its wrongful acts, this
committee petitioned the Congress in re
spect to the acts of the school authori-
ties, a member Of the board hurriedly
rushed into print to explain that the
petitioners were simply colored people
and assured himself at least that on that
account Congress would pay no atten-
ton to our statement of grievances.
while at the same time the chief man
ayers of the board of education end of
the controversy had immediate recourse
to those members of Congress and to
certain local agencies known to be hos
tile to anything like a square deal
wherein colored people might be con-
cerned. When, indeed, Congress did
take notice of the matter, the superin-
| tendent and two members Of the board
appeared before the subcommittee which
was investigating the acts complained
of and by their testimony continued to
misrepresent the condition of the colored
schools and to employ for that end un-
vanished falsehood. In spite of this,
they were not able to escape denuncia-
ton for unlawful conduct The start
ling confessions Of the superintendent on
taht occasion can only be characterized
by the pen of DeQuincy accustomed
to wonderful confessions.
The very serious charges made by the
superintendent at the last meeting of
the board February 2o) relative to the
mismanagement of the colored schools
and the competency of colored teachers
and the serio-comic exhibition which
followed, in the latest development of
the purpose to further unsettle and in
jure the colored school system. For the
officers and teachers against whom these
charges are preferred, this committee
holds no brief. If when the charges
were made the superintendent were in
possession of adequate proof, there can
be no question as to what should be
done. The seriousness of the charge
demands that the superintendent should
know what he was talking about and
that too after a personal investigation
on his part and further, that he should
have then and there made definite and
specific recommendations. There is,
however, serious question whether the
superintendent is really in possession
of such knowledge in such manner OBJ
tanned. This general and remarkable
charge of the superintendent is in strik-
ing contrast with a remark which he
made just week previous to a repu-
/ y