The Washington bee., 1910-12-17
MR.. TAFT AND THE
SCHOOLS.

| members Oh the DOdTu Oh EUuCd-
ton. Because the Engineer Com
, missioner cannot bulldoze the
Board Of Education he appeals to
the President to recommend to
Congress to place the schools
Iunder the supervision of the Com
imissioners. The people in this
city are satisfied to have the
Judges of the Supreme Court to
Iappoint the members of the Board
Of Education.
I The Presidents recent message
caused the resignation of one of
the best men in the city and one
lOf the fairest members of the
| Board. 1t is to be regretted that
Mr.. Cox has resigned, and it is
1.-THE wish of those who are interest
ed in our schools that Capt.
Oyster succeed him.
Why should the President be in
terested in such a small item of
our local government as the Board
of Education? Why should he
allow himself to be imposed
upon? There are greater and
more important questions pertain
ing to the rights and liberties of
the people to which the President
should have called the attention
of Congress. Perhaps his advisers
Iwould say that it would be un-
constitutional.
! There are thousands of cOlOred
Americans in the South disfran-
Ichised; there has been an Ordi
nance passed by the City Council
of Baltimore, Md, compelling
Icolored citizens to live in a certain
section of the city; there are race
determinations In the executive
departments, and especially in the
Engineers Department of the city
government. No cOlOred clerks
IRave been appointed in this de-
partment. There may be one, and
when he was appointed the ap-
pointing power didn't know that
Ihe was colOred.
| The Bee will respectfully call
the attention of the President to
a colored young man IN the En-
gineer's Department, rated as a
messenger or laborer, doing cler-
ical duty whenever his services
are needed, and that is often, but
the Engineers Department can't
see this. But the Engineer Com
missioner can see that there are
too many colOred teachers IN the
colored schools. If you doubt
what The Bee has stated, Mr.. Pres
Iident, ask the Engineer Commits
, sioner how many colOred clerks he
. has in his department, how many
colored messengers have been rec
commended for promotion and
5 failed to receive the promotion
2 and how many cOlored men have
= been appointed since the present
= Engineer Commissioners appoint.
4 ment to his present position, anc
= then decide, Mr.. President
: whether he is competent to pas
n upon the alleged expenditures IL
the public schools.
+ It would seem to The Bee tina
= both the President and the En-
V gineer Commissioner have a
IS much as they can attend to on tn
i alleged Negro question, instead 0
o interfering with with our school
&c and the Board of Education. Civ
Il us the right of suffrage in thi
ft city and many a man who is ap
f pointed to office to rule the peopl
d in this city would not see the ligh
le of day.
ic Whoever heard of the En-
n gineer Commissioner until he wa
1t transferred from the army to th
1t local government? Whoeve
d heard of Commissioner JohnstO
d until he and his autocratic powe
# was transferred from retiremen
le to light. But we have all heard o
d Commissioner Rudolph, and wha
y the people need and our local gov
v ernment needs are men like eS
} Commissioner West and the lat
It Commissioner Douglass.
i Why is not action taken by tn
Commissioners to remove thOs
is sporting houses to which The Be
V called the attention of the Com
n missioners? These houses are nea
l. colored schools. Has the COmmis
n sioner called YOUR attention t
n these houses, Mr.. President?