The Bourbon news., 1912-05-14

disturbing Element Removed.
The turbing element so to
speak. has been removed from the fac
ulty of the Paris city school, regardless
! of qualifications. and the breach be-
tween the people. the School Board
and the alleged head of the institution
widened to an enormous degree.
The "disturbing element" to which
we refer is the deposed music teacher.
who after years of connection with the
institution in various capacities was
truthlessly removed without any ap-
parent cause, except for the reason of
long g-since-forggotten episode, ,rekind-
led and employed as an excuse for her
dismissal by designing. unscrupulous
superintendent and members of the
Board of Education.
When we state it was the work of
the Board of Education we do not re-
fleet upon the one or more of that body
whose honor and respectability would
not permit them to be drawn among
the cohesive members who stood for
the removal Of the member of the fac
ulty to whom we refer. AS far back
as the history of the public school in
Paris dates, and with all credit to pre-
cedIng Boards. it is the first time en-
record where personal enmity, for
which the unfortunate victim was rot
responsible, where tactics of this
character have been employed.
The matter has caused considerable
indignation among the people Of Paris,
PRINCIPALLY patrons Cf the school, whose
children felt the influence nf this
worthy preceptress. and whose removal
without any plausible reason other
than that she was "disturbine ele-
men" was accomplished alone by the
superintendent. who has assumed con-
troll of all the affairs of the institution
that belongs to the people, by leading
certain members of the Board of Edu-
cation around by the nose. 1t has
been our good fortune to become
acquainted with the motive designed
for the removal of this teacher, and 1t
is known to many others. The dirty.
Shiny nature of it's concoction is a
simple problem to solve. even by the
most incomprehensive. and we feel that
the public will concur with US in the
opinion that the true 'disturbing ele-
ment" destined to corrupt the institu-
tion was left untouched by the narrow
sighted mempers e the Board who cast
their votes for another teacher in this
department the last session of the
body.
The public school, we take it, is a
place of learning. 1t is not to be domi-
neered by an Individual or a body who
would use it as cloak to conceal the
nakedness of their perfidy; a place of
learning for the rich and the poor-for
the children of the taxpayer. and for
those who are less fortunate. In re-
cent years it mas been regarded in a
different light-that of belonging to
only few, who were elected to serve
the will of the people, not to be influ-
enced by one or more who might center
their efforts in this body to settle their
grievance. More recently Instead of
place of learning and instruction it has
become place of amusement, so to
speak, and we might add that, in the
absence of other means of entertain
ment, it has been converted into
dance hall, at the whims of the heads
higher up, to satisfy the desire of the
pupils for diversions, instead of efforts
along plans and ideas of higher and
more benefitting natrle. We believe
the public will bear with us in the
statement that the latest action of
the Board of Education, together with
| the manner in which the affairs of the
school have been conducted recently,
are little beyond the measure of en-
durance. There is a solution, and we
are thankful the time is not far distant
for the people who sometimes believe
in fairness to exercise their right of
suffage in selecting a Board of Edu-
! cation which will 90 to the r; seat of
the trouble, eliminate the real cause
for the future benefit os the ychouI. and
not to be influenced to lend :heir vote
in low and underhand schemes, which,
it permitted to continue, will bring to
ruin an institution of which the people
should feel proud-far-reaching in all
branches of public education Justly
| deserved by the people of Paris.