Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-02
HALF-THOUSAND REBELS
MARCH ON SCROOL HEAD

his Office in the Filter school TO similar
position IN the John Sartain school at 3ist
and oxford streets. His successor was TO
be Miss Margaret Gill They were sim
ply trading places.
Now Doctor Sowden has been at the
head Of the Filter school for is years
He taught some OF the mothers and
fathers OF the striking pupils. SO when
It was made known that he had to 20 It
didn't take long for parents and children
to get action. II occurred to all simultane.
ously. They would protest. and the easiest
and most incsve way would be to break
up the discipline.
The older boys struck-haltingly, but
they went on strike. Then they went
home and told about It at the dinner table
| They were applaudcd; surprised, but ap.
! plauded. So by this morning the string
/ of concerted action was all around the
: pupil body, And a real strike was on.
The reasoning of the school board
| officials finds no sympathy In German.
! town. The argument advanced for the
| change in principals is that the Fitler
i school, by reason OF recent addition to
| It's building is raised into the class of n
! 22.grade school Doctor Sowder's ranking.
says Superintendent CARRIER, does not en-
title him to the principalship Of a Upgrade
school Miss GillS does SO they are
ordered to exchange places.
TECHNICALtTY cuts NO ICE"
This tcchnicality "cut no ice" In the
minds Of the Germantown folk when they
heard II. Doctor Sowdcn is their friend
and mentor, their idol. He has been such
for is years It was like taking every
bodv's father away.
Doctor CARRIER gave ont formal state
ment this afternoon, in which he OK
planned in detail. why Doctor Sowden
was taken away from the Filter School
He also took a rap at the parents of tho
striking children. saying that 1t is a shame
to think that parents would openly teach
children to rebel against authority when
n principal function of tho schools Is to
teach them to obey. lie said he deplored
the matter greatly and mentioned that
II was also a shame that the question OF
religion should have entered into the dis |
cussion. II had been reported TO him. |
Doctor CARRIER said, that there was some |
objection to Miss Gill on Il religious ac- |
count. This was n question that was |
never considered by the board. he said, |
and had no place in merit system.
SUPPORTED BY PARENTS.
he demonstration in front of the school |
today Is without parallel
The din Is terrific. and II is the strikers
announced intention TO keep it up until
they get what they want-the reassign-
ment of William H. Sowden to be prin-
cpal of the Fitler School
The leaders of the march this afternoon
are Harry Rosenhcim, Harold Transue.
Frank Stern, Donald Wanamaker Mar
Euerite Judge, Sarah Hanback,, Mildred
Wanamaker. Betty Cochrane, Evelyn
Greenwood and Eleanor Sweger
The girls are of the few of their sex
who aren't in school They were detailed
to see that none of the older boys come
to class. The younger pupils were al
lowed to come, but the sentiment of the
whole class body is one against the |
change in principals.
The sentiment of these boys and girls
can best be understood from an interview
today with the generalissimo of the strik-
ers, Harry Rosenheim, a NTH grade r
scholar.
I'VE WANT SOWDEN."
Harry submitted to an interview like
Il veteran. punctuating it every once in
n while to take a directing part in the
trouble he was fomentng at the school.
He was the manager of the demonstration
against order i'm which 500 boys took part.
I'VE want Sowden," he declared de-
family. Were going to get him back
We want him, not Gill referring to Miss
GilD, and what's more we're going to get |
him. too
At this juncture the reporter inter
rupted to ask him whether his mother
knew he was neGlecting his school work
by striking. Before he could answer a ,
,omely woman alongside spoke up, saying ,
HYes. I'm his mother, and I'm glad he's {
ioing just what he is
Harry's father is Harry r Rosenheim,
'redit manager for John r. Ellison &
sons, dealers in wooens, at - South 6th
street They live at 1896 Greene street, -,
The lad continued: 5
I'VE want Sowdcn because he's a good {
elbow. He treats the poor and the rich
he same. And he doesn't go all the time Z
according to rules. why, when ! have to
,lay soccer or baseball he often let's me {
ut 10 or Is minutes ahead of time"
When Harry had delivered this very
uman boysh admission he went away ,
o lead yelling group. A brother pupil '
salloped him one. Harry responded by ,
aking a sign he carried and breaking it !
yer his assailant's head That sign !
vas beauty. II was a great piece of I
built on n broom stick, and a
ore a strikngly printed assertion that d
We want Sowden." The breaking of it :
aused him real concern, and he asked
he reporter to get him one for tomor-
ow's use. =
For" he announced, we're not going II
D quit, We're going to keep on striking y
ntil we get him back Wen carry on !
Ike this and get it all in the papers =
ntil the boards got to give him back"
BY carrying on like this Harry meant
he procession in the rain today when he r.
'ad the half thousand protestants from h
-noX to Coulter streets to Greene, to n
.ouden, to Wayne avenue. to Apsley, to a
avenue and back to the
rhoOl. -
YESTERDAY" said Harry, ~ thought q
ne kids were only fooling. But when II
lw they meant it | jumped right i'm and /,
oosted. Why. say, my brother and sis
,r graduated from the Filter school, and
it's good enough for them I guess It's y
ood enough for me. with Pop Sowden II
inning things. Pop or no SCHOOL, u
hats our slogan" u
"Why do you suppose they changed "
rincipals?" he was asked, and answered u
law, CARRIER superintendent GarbeO, u
g thought ii was good 10 make change -
guess | want to tell you, though a.
lat Sowden's good enough for us" c'
Harry is II typical little radical. lie
oked II today, too, dressed in a n
,u' wester and boots that made the storm L
Germantown matter not at all. He Is
little chap, and chunky with very rosy
leeks and dark hair, and a smile that
genial all the time. v
When he had talked awhile he ran
way to take a hand in affairs once more.
his wasn't the sortie of the kind that
e had been making while he was being