St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-02-27

nappy-nelBneT SUfTelQ3FeQ CHE Qleu
first. / know / am happy over the
END, not because Of the n~otoriety OF
popularity it has given me, or any
thing of that sort, but because have
no reproaches Of conscience. | had
too much respect for myself; for my
grade, to which / have always tried
to be an example in every way; for
the school in which | was working
and for the cause to which | am de-
voted, and for, to say, all in all" for
the principle Of the thing, to change.
On the afternoon of this clustering
scene, / was called to the superin-
tendent's office where was, IN a very
pleasant manner, told that, in bis
opinion, the punishment was too ex-
cessiYe for the crime committed. /
could not and have not yet been able
to see it that way, but again, as to
the mother and Mr.. Prescott, | said /
would resign but never change. Two
witnesses can prove that never during
that interview was any decision
reached on the part Of the superin-
tendent, but | was asked by him to
do nothing hasty and be would do the
best possible for me. And for that
best, | thank him. From a talk he
gave my pupils next morning after a
short interview with me, during which
he tried to induce me to modify my
stand, |, as we'll as the grade was led
to infer the victory was mine, though
no reference TO the matter in hand,
or no direct statement of that kind
was made. On Monday, the fifteenth,
a letter from the superintendent was
handed me. This statement was in it:
L have now left the matter open for
three days for you to reconsider the
stand you last took" etc. Very
strangely and very unWisely everyone,
before or since my resignation, who
has read the letter has interpreted
this ambiguous sentence in a false
light. It meant that the three days
were then up, although / had never
been told I had only three days to
reconsider previous to the receipt Of
this letter. If ] had been told so, in
a quiet and gentlemanly way on that
proceeding Thursday or Friday, I
would have quietly resigned and not
eneroached on premises that were
not mine-the fifteenth and sixteenth.
| do not believe, for one second, I
was wrong anywhere in my course,
and Judging from the letters from
teachers in the various parts of the
parish, from the expressions which
were heard on all sides, from the
congratulations I received, and from
public sentiment in general, do few
others. But, granting that / was,
why was ignore it" first told me.
DO nothing hastily" secondly; third
y, three days given me, of which e
knew naught, and, fourthly, being
commanded to remit the punishment at
a moments notice. Why? You all
can answer it without one word from
my pen. Nothing was to be gained
by me winning the victory. Discip-
line at school was nothing, a teachers
word or s~elf-respect or example was
nothing compared to the odds against
me; and that one sentence of mine
about never wishing to see the child's
face was a sufficient teehnicality to-
base claims OF moral rights upon. If
it had not been this something else
would have led to the same result |
am confident, for my ideas seem very
paculiarEto some, it seems. | was
alone here, in a manner friendless, at
least d~efenseless, for every person
here who has mentioned the matter
to me says it would have never hap
pened to a home teacher. Haven't
teachers done the same thing
or something equivalent to the same?
Ask them, if you wish to know. This
will serve as q good advertisement If
ever any other strange teachers,
normal graduates and good teachers
as those who put me out say | ann
hear Of this and are invited to come
here under present conditions.
When | look back upon the whole
thing after this lapse Of time, words
fail to express what I fain would say.
! have done far worse things to other
here, even whipping one, slap
ping several, keeping another in a
and on one occasion even
o~Verstepping my authority and send
ing one home, but when / went to
the principal with any of these cases
at the outset, / was told to do any
thing ! thought best. Il was all right
except in the latter case. It was not
il my power, but it was all right that
once, and when ! realized that, while
strongly in sympathy with me, even
slough he admitted the punishment
excessive, / was deserted By my prin-
eipal, | was most willing to resign my
place in the high school faculty. III
know such things could be said
and done only to some, and nowhere
lnder my authority shall such d dis
sinction be made for my policies. Ny
profession and my religion recognize
only a pure democracy. !
At Ill q. M. of The morning Of the