Evening journal., 1915-06-09
NEW BLOOD NEEDED.

n VENTS within the last two years have demon
T. strated clearly that the Wilmington Board of
Education is not constituted properly and that new
blood is needed in it valize it and bring 1t up TO
proper standards of efficiency We have a Superin-
tendent OF Schools who knows his business. What is
needed now is a Board of Education that knows its
business and that has intelligence and the willing
ness to join with him. in doing team work
The school election will be held Saturday The
voting WI. begin at noon and continue until P. NJ
The action of between those hours will de-
eide whether there is to be continuance of the jani-
torrue ciosed-frontdoor whitewashed-basement pol
icy or new deal that will be farer to and better for
the children, especially those in the High School
There will be FIVE contests for commissioner. The
wards affected by those contests will be the First Third
Fifth Seventh and Ninth. In the First ward the con
testans will be Dr. T. o. Cooper and Allen p. Citing.
The fight in the Third ward will be between Hiram
Yerger and James A. Bracken. In the Fifth ward Dr.
Victor d. Washburn and William f Kurtz are oppo-
nents neither having been member of the Board.
There will be triangular contest in the Seventh in
which the principals will be Dr. John Palmer Jr, Al
fred d. Warner, Jr and Walter r. Clark. Three can
didates also are in the field in the Ninth ward They
are James Logue. Ellwood souder and Richard Smith
The most acute interest centres In the First ward
contest That is because DR.. r. o. Cooper who is
seeking reelection has figured so conspicuously in
tho High School troubles that have caused so much
Indignation in our community. He was at the head
of the High School Committee that attempted to force
the graduating class of 1914 to hold its reception in the
whtewashed basement OF the High School building and
that established and protected in the High School
system OF janitorial rule that intimdated the teachers
and students In addition. he has been an avowed ad-
vocate of keeping the front door Of the High School
closed to the students The whitewashed basement
edic OF 1914 led to revolution by the students With
the aid of sympathzing and public-spired citizens,
they took their play to The Playhouse and their re-
ception to the Hotel DUPONT The result was that they
had The largest and best High School function ever
held in our city and warmly congratulated by the
public and the press upon their commendapie lnuepeh-
dence of thought and action
II is noticeable that this year. with the school eec-
ton impending DR.. Cooper and his associates did not
attempt to force the members of the graduating class
and their hundreds of friends into the whitewashed
basement of the High School Not at all. In an effort
to appease public they made arrangements for tho
use OF The Playhouse and the Rose Room, large din
ineroom and lobby of the Hotel DUPONT and the func
tons we're held there This bald attempt to play schoo
hoard politics with the senior class play and reception
has aroused much feeling among parents who resen
such tactics and who assert that by its action thu
hoard and the High School committee not only admit
that they we're wrong and that the students we're reh
in 1914 but also show disposition to make politica
capital out of an annual public school function
DIR Cooper expects to be elected. His friends sa
he has the voters in the First ward thrown, hog-te
and branded with &C" They also assert that Gii
ling, VINO mas the support Ol lhVSV WIZ "'N 'fP''N
whitevashod basement, closed-front-door and lanoI
rule tactics will not be able free the First ward vol
crs from the Cooper rope and branding iron Whethe
their claims will be verified remains to be SEEN Tn
First ward voters showed their independence in tn
recent city election. II is hoped by those who al
working for better things in the Department of Educ
j. tion that they will show the Cooper mon that they al
o not Thrown hoged and branded and that they. to
n arc in favor OF improved conditions especially in Il
Il High School,
A. The contests In the other wards mentioned also pror
Use to be spirited as the progressive factors IN u
IN educational situation will do their utmost to drive fro
in the Board of Education the reaconary influences IN
A. have done so much in the past retard the cause
re education in our community.