Evening journal., 1915-02-12
FRIDAY FEB. 10. 1915
SENTIMENT AND rnE BAYNARD.cOOpER CLIQUE.

VXT HEN the Wilmington Board of Education
w ports itself that it loses the confidence OF City
Council, of the Chamber OF Commerce. of the High
School Alumni Association, of the High School Alumnae
Association the teaching stah of the student body
and OF the public generally, IL is time The Legisa-
ture to abolish it end to substitute therefor
board that viii command public confidence and
spec and be responsive TO the public Will It is use
less for the Legislature TO attempt halfway
in dealing with the ianitor-rdden Baynard
board II is beyond rehabilitation and redemption The
people a change. They will not be satisfied until
they get IT, If the present Legislature fail TO act it
merely will mean two years more OF public dissatis-
faction with attendant injury citys educational
interests
Wilmingtonians are very much in earnest in
this matter. The members of the Legislature should
make no mistake on that point Public feeling here
against the Baynard-Coopor clique in the board is
deep-seated that the Legislature win do a distinct in
jury TO city If it ignore IT, Il should not be made
possible for who have lost the confidence Of city
officials, parents, teachers. pupils. former pupils and
a civic body like the Chamber OF Commerce to
tinue charge of educational interests by resort
ward manipulation.
President Baynard may insult the Chamber of Com
arraign its intelligence; he may rail against
the newspapers for showing up the weakness and the
unpopuarity of his administration and he may char
unreasonable the thousands of individuals
criticize that administration but Il will lessen
the force of the fact that the people want change
that they determined to have the schools run
as they want them run and not as a janitor-iidden
clique desires them in defiance Of public opm-
ion
Nor will the well-simulated Indignation of Dr.
Thomas o. Cooper Of the High School Committee who
is looked upon by many persons as a man who be-
eves in educational system of ianors. by ianitors
and for iantors have any effect upon public senti-
ment here Wiimngtonians are accustomed TO his
displays of indignation that they no longer take them
seriously 1t is a pity that he and President Baynard
did not take Dover with them certain of their pet
ianitors and oGer the one at the High School as x-
hbit and the who lives with Dr. Cooper as Ex-
hbit B.
The details OF the hearing in Dover show that The
members Of the BaynardCooper clique are fully cogn-
liant of the public dsiayor into which they have
fallen. What they said was more in the nature of \
plea for legislative mercy than well-founded de-
Tense Of their policies
The very worst that anyone can possibly wish to
happen to President Baynard Dr. Cooper the other
members Of the Board Of Education clique that the
Legislature pass law directing them to come before
the people for yindcaton on a cy-at-large vote at
the next school election The result would show them
quickly and clearly how many Of President Baynard's
so-called reasonable" persons there are in Whining
ton who in sympathy with them and how many
unreasonable persons there are who feel their re-
tirement is essential to the educational growth Of
city