Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14
OYSTER MAKES REPLY
He Denies Charges Made by
DR.. Chancellor.
SCHOOLS NOT CORRUPT
President of Board Would Vote
Punishment for Wrongdoing.
ACCUSATIONS CAUSE SURPRISE
Former Superintendent Reported to
Have Assured Friends He
Would Say No More.

"Dr. Chancellor charges there was
graft in the schools The board handles
no money, and in educational matters
only acts on the recommendation of the
superintendent of schools. I deny the
charges Of DR.. Chancellor.
IF I had an intimation that there was
any graft or corruption in the schools
and investigation proved it to be so, 1
would be the first to vote the guilty
party out Of office"
This is the answer of Capt. James F.
Oyster, president of the board of educa-
ton of the District of Columbia, to DR..
William E. Chancellor. formerly super
fntendent of instruction in the District Of
Columbia. who has made a remarkable
| statement, alleging graft and other forms
OF corruption In the present school syS-
| tenn of Washington
That he has written book bearing on
the subject and making sensational state
ments along the same lines is information
also contained in dispatches from Nor
walk. Conn. 1t is claimed he procured
the data for his statements while at the
head of the educational department in
Washington.
Capt. Oysters Comment.
Il had hoped that after a short period
OF rest Dr.. Chancellor would recover his
senses and learn to tell the truth" said
Capt. Oyster today. when shown the dis
patch in which DR.. Chancellor is quoted.
DIR. Chancellor is ancient history to
the board now declared its president.
I'VE gave him twelve months in which
to make good. He showed himself incom-
petent to handle the job here. The board
saw the error of It's initial judgment and
| removed him as it would any one who
had failed"
The action of DR.. Chancellor in break
ing silence of several months and again
making charges Of graft and corruption
against the school board. came as great
surprise even to Dr. Chancellor's friends
1t is understood that the former super
intendent had, under their solicitation.
decided to say nothing further about the
District of Columbia school system Cor
those In charge of it. This promise to his
friends. 1t is declared, was known here.
Therefore the latest epistle from the pen
OF DIR. Chancellor was entirely unex-
pected.
DR.. Chancellor's Statement.
DR.. Chancellor's statement follows:
my attention has been called by many
persons in Washington to an article pub
lishsd in the Washington Herald, in
which Mr.. Elmer j. Burkett, senator from
Nebraska. refers to the Dolliver bill in
relation to the public schools of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and in which l am
specifically mentioned.
To this date the board Of education Of
the District has unquestionably maintain
ed itself against its critics. 1t Is a board
of persons who are unlike those upon
any other board in America.
What its methods are in so maintain
Ing its authority I know. What part its
members played in bringing about a con-
dition which resulted later in the death of
my wife. and in the publication of Ger
tain newspaper attacks in papers of cities
nearly 1000 in all, against her after her
death l also know.
Hopes for Action.
"For the sake of the good people of the
District of Columbia. and for the sake
of the other millions of good American
citizens who would like to take pride in
the Capital city of the nation. l am hope
full that the vast inertia of Congress
may be overcome this winter. and that
this board will be done away with, and
In its death be suitably labeled. l hope
this. but do not expect it.
Unless the Sixtieth Congress does dis
pense with this board, root and branch,
shall publish for the benefit of the
Sixty-first Congress an exposition Of the
real facts Of the District situation. This
will come out with the imprint of one
Of the greatest of American publishing
houses. and will contain, in facsimile,
documents that will shame Congress and
America before the world.
1.-The Chancellor side of the Dist rict
war has not been told. 1t is told in a
series Of carefully prepared letters and
papers. that include every. variety of
American citizen, from President and
senator's down to the vile anonymous
letter writers who have paid the United
States government postage upon over
5000 vicious communications.
Promises Disclosures.
This book will be fully illustrated. /
shall tell what the shocking side OF
Washington is, 1 prefer not to do this l
hope that Congress will, without any sug-
gestion upon my part, merely because of
surface symptoms, remove the cancer;
but II ! must prove its existence. prove
it l will. Graft, - blackmailing
and official corruption are crimes, well
recognize das such generally, If not yet
in Washington. and l shall present my
evidence before the country for the judg-
ment of my fellow-citizens. unless Con-
gress relieves me of that sad duty to
the dead by driving the present board
to the doom that properly belongs to
it. Such book might make money
for me, but it would hurt Washington
business interests far more; and do not
desire for the city financial loss, but
moral gain.
EXPERT ON THE STAND.