The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-04-29
EDITORIAL VIEWS.
HEETER'S CASE.
fort Wayne. Ind, News. }

trofl wayne Inu-, News
There are excellent reasons for be-
heving that Superintendent Heeter, of
the Pittsburgh schools, is the victim
of one of the most villianous political
conspiracies ever framed up by con-
scienceless scoundrels. Indeed, evil
dence to that effect is overmastering
when presented to Intelligent and I'M
biased minds. But for all that there
should be no question whatsoever of
the gentlemen's retirement from the
office he holds. The public schools
are maintained for the public. not for
the individual, and there is 10 dis
putting the fact that Superintendent
Heeter's retention makes for discord
and decentralization. Any man in the
church or in the schools who has been
placed under accusation serious en-
ough to warrant Indictment and trial
has had his usefulness in his position
nullified. While it is probably true
that the same evil forces that brought
about Heeters indictment also pro.
NOTED and financed the strike" of
school children, it must be realized
that the agitation has created a con-
ditiOn that renders Heeter'S contin-
uance in office absolutely inccmpati-
BILE with the welfare of the schools
In the minds of thousands of ignorant,
biased and suspicious persons he is
condemned forever and no evidence
or argument can remove the malign
impression that has been created. The
morale of the schools under his ad-
ministration is destroyed and cannot
be restored He should step out, and
he will do so if his love for his work
is greater than his own personal inter
ests. This is a harsh judgment, it is
true, but it is one which is inescap-
able.
A few years ago in the general con-
ference of the Methodist church
charges We're made that the secretary
of the Epworth league had with the
aid of a noted evangelistic singer eX-
plotted a song book for the personal
profit Of the two, the secretary max
ing use of his office to promote the
enterprise. The charge was the SEN
sation of the conference, and the eli
max of the investigation came when
the secretary, a gifted and man elo-
quent man, arose to speak in his own
defense. His explanation was AN in
genious one and his plea for his honor
was an impassioned cry that simply
swept his auditors off their feet. 1t
appeared that a complete triumph was
to be his until DR.. Buckley, the great
church editor and Warwick Of the
episcopacy, arose and, addressing; him.
self directly to the accused man, said
in tones as cold as ice:
Your explanation, sir, is a notable
one and, to us before you, convinc-
ing one. We accept it. But you must
resign! No minister who has been
under serious charges of dereiction
and has had those charges believed by
thousands can thereafter fill his po-
sition as it should be filled. A mill
stone is about his neck. Sir, you must
resign and resign at once!
And the man did it, too, all acknowl-
edging that his action was distinctly
in the interest Of the Epworth league,
which could not afford to have it said
that it's secretary was a crook who
had been whitewashed by the general
conference while under the spell of
his matchless eloquence.
1t is so in superintendent Heeter's
case as well. He may be as pure as