The Washington bee., 1910-09-10

Washington, D. c., Sept. 9, 1910.
Mr.. A. 7. Stuart, Superintendent OF
Public Schools, District of Column
bia.
Dear Sir: The Act Of Congress ere
ating and defining the duties OF the
present Board of Education tor the
District of Columbia imposed upon
the suoerintendent vast power and re
snonsibilities. not the least among
which IS that of naming certain sub
ordinate officers second only to the
sunerintendent in authority and power.
In the continuance OF MI: ferSy
Hrones IS your chief aid for the white.
schools YOU displayed your usual good
Judgment, for in Mr.. Hughes the white
schools have a broad-gauge educator
a man who IS not only familiar with
the school system, but by his knoWl-
edge and thoroughness has impressed
boIh teachers and pupils with the tact
thar he Oossesses all the qualifications
for q safe and sane guide. On the
other hand. the legacy LETT by your
immediate predecessor, the assistant
suDerintendent for the cOlOred schools,
has proven a lamentable failure!
Inducted into a position previously
held bv such competent and expert
enced educators as Cook and Mont
gorncry, the present incumbent, after
a few months drilling, was placed by
the before-referred-tO superintendent
at the head of the cOlOTed schools
q position next IN numbers and I'M
portance to that held by yourself. II
IT were a chair in some college instead
of the head of a vast school system,
he would founder in its vastness; as It
Is. X-rays fail to do justice TO his in
initesimalism-
Nh Superintendent, the cOlored
people look to you for the betterment
OF their schools, not because Congress
has placed in your hands the remedy;
but from the fact of your personal
knowledge of the great difference IN
the colored school management under
Cook and Montgomery. The former,
as you are well aware, were COM
petent and practical educators, while
the present accident is a visionary
theorist and eXperimentOr.
Mr.. Superintendent, no large body,
civic or otherwise, can be successful
unless there Is confidence in the abll-
ity and integrity of those at its head.
The lack of those pre-eminent ele-
ments for success IS one main reason
why the colOred schools are trailing
far behind the white schools. The
teachers confidence as to the prac-
teal knowledge and reliability of the
misfit at the head of their schools is
OF d variable quantity. Those, and
thew are few in number, who fawn
for favors, are loud in their praise Of
the youth Of Tuskegee, but the reli-
able mass who appreciate the trust
the peoples children, cOnhded to
them are compelled to witness daily
fruitless attempts to engraft on a pub
lie school system the lgaments of col
lege life
Mr. Superintendent, analyze the
many, many things of questionable
correctness brought to your official
notice pertaining to the management
of the COlOred schools, and, having
done so, weigh them by your sense of
Justice; then add a margin for the
silent, suffering teacher. The result,
] feel sure, will be to the advantage
of the Colored schools
In conclusion, Mr.. Superintendent,
Tuskegee IS a wonderful Institution
and DR.. WashingtOn's great insight
INTO personal fitness and character
has unquestionably made it what it IS
as he is known to get none but the
best educators. and let go only those
who fail to make good.
| am, with respect,
THE Editor