The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-03-03

New Orleans. The day for discrimination
has past, whether directed in favor of or
against New Orleans. Especially is this
the case as to the public schools, where the
rules and regulations should be the same
for city, town and parish.
We are glad to see that the country
papers, except the organs of the clique,
take this broad and public spirited view of
the case. The idea is we'll expressed in the
following from the Lake Charles American
Press, which, speaking for Southwest
Louisiana, has this to say of the recent
action of the State Institute Board:
"That was low down trick the State
Institute Board played upon the country
teachers, who would like to attend the
summer normal school and enjoy at the
same time the pleasures of vacation in
New Orleans. lnasmuch as the summer
normal takes up almost all Of the teachers
vacation and leaves them scant time for
recreation, the action of the board seems
somewhat arbitrary. 1t would have cost
little to extend the time three weeks, so
that they could obtain the usual credits
and enjoy summer visit to the city at the
same time.''
The language is strong, but not too
strong. ga low down trick" is a very
emphatic expression to use relative to the
action of men who are directing one of the
most important branches of the State edu-
cational system; and the Press is i'm
pressed by the fact that this Glow down
trick" was "played,' not on New Or
leans, but upon the country teachers, its
apparent purpose being to prevent these
teachers from coming to New Orleans,
getting the advantages of term here, the
opportunities Tulane offers in it's splendid
equipment, as we'll as the pleasures of a
trip to the city.
The expression arbitrary" better fills the
bill. ''Arbitrary" and "autocratic - are
the two terms that best express the methods
of our school clique, and this "arbitrari-
ness" and "autocracy" are all the more
striking when it is considered that not a
member of the clique which has cotton
control of our school system was elected
by the people or is in any way responsible
to them, who give the money for the schools
and who are supposed to have regained
control of them.
We are glad to see light breaking over
the State as to the school methods in vogue.
The American-Pre thinks the action of
the clique as far as the summer normal is
concerned an "arbitrary,'' Glow down
trick" What must it think of the original
decision of the clique to shut out New Or
leans altogether? What the city received
in this matter, which our country neigh
bors regard as insufficient and unworthy
of the educational facilities of this city,
was concession wrung from the school
clique by the prayers of the Mayor and
School Board. The original intention had
been to grant nothing; but on political
pressure this concession was granted, but
under rules and restrictions intended to
keep all teachers from the country coming
to New Orleans. Unless these methods
and this narrow sectionalism, by which it
is hoped to devide the people of Louisiana
and keep the clique in control of our school
affairs, is promptly suppressed, it is GER
tain to seriously injure the school system
Of the State. The remedy is plain and
easy-to restore the schools to the control
Of the people of Louisiana, who are not
sectionalists, who are working, not for
special interests or for special institions,
but for the better education of the youth
Of Louisiana and the better qualification of
The teachers.