The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-06-21
A WORD ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
Taxnayer Protests Against the Blund'
ers Of the Board-Should Respond
to Public Sentiment.

u to Public Sentiment.
To the Editor of The Herald and
evs: As a well-wisher Of our puollc
hools and one who voted for the
Ind issue in good faith, I wish to pro-
st against the many plumbers OF the
5resent board of trustees, and to beg
them if they are to continue ID ONCE
7 to be careful in future that our
. schools NAV not be wrecked by I'M
wise legislation on their part SEARCH
their past record and one will n d
inability to deal with ques-
lions Of such magnitude as our
schools demand, and a series OF
failures to meet with a broad and IN
,+~ellisent grasp problems and condl-
lions which they have had to handle.
They are all good, clever, well-mean-
inc citizens, every one, but seem TO De
I utterly unfit for the duties encumo-
cred upon a body to which has oeen
delegated the responsibilities OF trus-
teeship for schools Of a city the size
of Newberry. And if the public SEN
timent that is being pretty generally
felt and expressed should be respond"
ed to by the present membership OF
Tho hoard. every one would resign,
and let some others Of more d1scrlm-
7nation and tact and broadmindedness
he selected in their stead. For IL
would be a shame and a calamity q a
the future of our schools should be
hammered and endangered by 1ii-ao-
>.vised management.
The recent communication OF one'
If not other evidence were needed
shows that he does not appreciate the
situation intelligently; the election OF
a young Ohio Yankee not yet u OF
college and with no experience what
ever in public school work a with a
! znk ignorance of Southern .condltlons
EIA a Southern view-poins'"end
'IEA1RBE upon the recommendation OF
&SEs#g who knew nothing of him and MS
R&S& Publications save from reputation,
k5g& that too having attended a school,
to both races; the displacement
M,s. Fair, a teacher Of long ana
bessful experience, and of State
reputation, the creation OF a
high school building, when it is
@$B##Iy &there will be several vacant
nsf in the Pope building. These re-
INT Errors on the part of the board
oil tAb 20 any further back, show an
aE lack of appreciation Of their
R6sition and have tended to force the
Public to m~istrust their judgment, and
nd deep down in the hearts of the people
IS the wish that they should get out
of the way.
Be it understood that this criticism
of the unwise displacement OF Mrs.
Fair does not question the ability OF
her successor, whoever she may be.
It is the frank and plain statement OF
an u~nvarnished fact And if the SUI
perintendent-elect should remain at
the head of the school for a genera
ton he could not outlive or overcome
the bitter and intense unpopular1ty
caused by her displacement. For, it
is generally understood, whether
rightly or not, that he is responsible
in a large measure for her failure OF
reelection. Hundreds of mothers who
speak with glowing pride and aHec-
tion. of Mrs. Fair that she started
their little one in their school career,
and the hundreds Of children who
took their first lessons from this
teacher of unsurpassed ability in this
particular sphere, will not become
reconciled for many years.
It is unfortunate that we should
have at the heads OF our schools, SUI
perintendent and principal Of the high
school, young men educated under en-
vironments distasteful to our people,
and from a social standpoint, so far as
the principal is concerned, positively
harmful to Our school. For our
young women will likely shy Of any
young man coming forth from such
! surroundings, however fair and repu-
table and free from faint. he may be.
If there is one thing that can be said
to the everlasting honor and glory Of
our true Southern women it is that
they have an utter adherence and