The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-11-06
DIRECTOR GRIMM STATES
HIS POSITION.
Mr.. Editor:

Mr.. Editor:
l submit the following facts in re
ply to the misstatements concerning
me that appeared in the Chronicle OF
last week.
My position in regard to the schools
is and always has been to give to the
children the best possible educational
advantages. | believe that the rising
generation is entitled to better educa.
tional facilities than we grown-ups en-.
joyed, because the conditions of life
have grown more complex and those
denied the best school advantages are
badly handicapped in the struggle for
a living. AS the world goes today only
a small percent of the children can
ever take advantage of a college edu,
cation; therefore the common schools
must be equipped and managed prop
erly to train the boys and girls in ways
to earn livelihood
l am ready and willing at all times
to listen to any and all persons in re-
gard to school matters, but when pc
tition to the school board is circulated
and signatures are secured by making
misstatements and Misrepresentation
do not consider such petition as one
representing the wishes of the petition
ers. When such a petition was pre-
sented refused to consider it as soon
as l learned of the way in which it
was gotten up.
If you have read the school law,
Messrs. Ford and Lancaster, you will
find that Chapter 4, Article 1, Section
4, reads as follows: "The county su-
perintendent shall have the power and
it shall be his duty to suspend any
teacher who may be teaching in his
county, against whom he files charges,
and in case of such suspension he shall
Immediately notify the superintendent
of public instruction of his action and
shall clearly and fully state his reasons
for said action"
The law is very clear that the teach
er MUST BE TEACHING IN THE
COUNTY. Mrs. Jones sent out an il
legal order to suspend J. e. Sinclair
on August 20, when Mr.. Sinclair had
not yet taught in this county AS evil
dence that she later recognized this
blunder note the fact that on October
she sent out another order of sus-
pension, which, regardless of its JUS
tice, was at least legal. Upon receipt
of this order Mr. Sinclair agreed that
he should stop teaching.
The term "seditious disloyalty" is
one coined by Lancaster for the oc-
casion. If the school board is guilty
of seditious disloyalty (whatever it
may mean) you are also guilty, Mr..
Ford, for in a recent issue of your
paper you are willing that Sinclair
should teach in some other school In
the district. Even Lancaster, who has
such great alarm concerning the teach
ing of "seditious disloyalty" under the
Stars and Stripes, advised Sinclair in
very fatherly manner, after the mass
meeting in the high school, that he
had better go to some other commun-
ity and teach The enlightened form
of patriotism that wishes to infict "se-
ditious disloyalty" on some other
community or on some other school in
the same community is rather ques-
tionable.
If you, Mr.. Ford, will study the
school law you will find a decision by
the state supreme court, as follows:
"A teacher, outside of his profes-
sional obligations, possesses the ordi-
nary personal rights and freedom that
other persons do; the same social priv
ileges, the same right to discussion Of
public questions at proper times and
places"
With this in mind fail to see upon
what grounds / could have voted to
oust Sinclair for exercising his consti-
tutional rights in discussing proposed
laws in the press. Besides, it is rather
bad taste for you, Mr.. Ford, and you,
Mr.. Lancaster, to abuse me for not
using the fifteen-day clause against
Sinclair, when you maintain that the
clause is illegal If that clause is il-
legal in one contract it is Illegal In all
contracts. and an this fuss about our
not dicharging Sinclair is simply so
much useless nonsense. And the two
gentlemen who are directing their big
gest guns against the two members Of
the school board who would not obey
their orders. say that this very clause
is Illegal
After proper Investigations, Mr.
Ford and Mr. Lancaster. 90 viii find
the board has always acted in a legal