Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-27

I helpless IN TINS matter Snoulu inc
regent ask the president of Columbia
/ university. ur the president of any one
OF four or five other great leading insti-
/ JuJions supported by predatory wealth.
! 40 recommend 2 president, some man
| would certainly be named for the PLACE
entirely satisfactory 10 the founda-
lions. Should the regents as any one
Of several Of the presidents of certain
/ Of our leading state universities. the
/ name first suggested would very likely
! be entirely satisfactory, at least that is
/ the way many of us educators believe
| this matter works The president Of
/ the Ohio university and very few
others are bitterly opposed 10 founda-
| tion plans and policies.
"Tf il is true that these foundations
are making conscious effort 20 control
public school ideals. as you believe. and
| ii it is true. as l believe. that. in their
| giving pensions. giving men jobs in sur
veys. aiding men in securing desirable
promotions. and in giving others help
and preferment. they are doing these
things simply to increase their prestige.
and 20 give them recognition which will
enable them to outline and direct every
, thing fundamental in public-school af-
fairs; then this senate action rs a most
fortunate deliverance for our cherished
III EuuCdllOll no not be-
lieve our government can afford to go
into partnership with Mr.. Carnegie, Mr.
Rockefeller, or still worse, with their
paid agents, on a thing so vital as that
OF shaping the school policies of our
country.
I'm regard to the free foundation sur
veys throughout the country. the fact
that the funds are provided by the pre-
datory interests through the founda tons
naturally arouses suspicion. What do
ne give the predatory interests in re-
turns u fair question. Possibly
more of a share in shaping our educa-
tional policies than we are aware of. 1t
is certainly an easy matter in conduct
ing 4 survey 20 find fact basis for all
conclusions previously decided upon and
TO substantiate nothing which is not in
absolute harmony with the. standards
and ideals of the paid officers of the
foundations. Perhaps the chief reason
the Carnegie foundation is -epudiating
its pension is because the survey
club accomplished more rapid and GER
tain results than the pension club.
There are two kinds of government
the one handed down from above, and
the other coming through the people.
Corresponding to these two theories in
government are two policies i'm educa-
ton. The one which is handed from
above is plutoracy in education. and the
other is democracy in education. IT
stands to reason that a foundation lead
ership would develop plutocracy in edu-
cation rather than democracy in educa-
ton.
Il have wondered whether this drastic
resolution of the Senate was not has
tened by the announcement I'm the press
of the beginning of a great movement
under the auspices of the foundations
and financed by them, to revolutionize
elementary and secondary education in
America I have also wondered whether
the action taken by the Federal Govern
ment will not interfere seriously with
foundation plans of surveying State nor
NAL and other Misunderstanding schools
OF the country. The fact that the Sen
ate looks upon this gratuitous survey
ing and other work of the foundations
as a most serious menace to democracy
in education in our public schools, will
doubtless make ii embarrassing for any
State superintendent, State Board of Ed
ucation, or even city boards of educa-
ton to make use of foundation men or
foundation money for these surveys of
teacher-training schools or of the teach
ers' work in the public schools. In
other words. this action of the Senate
effects.
at is expected that friends of the
foundations will attempt TO secure the
passage Of a resolution at the February
meeting of the department of superin-
tendence at Kansas City, requesting the
United States Senate TO reconsider it's
action, so as to enhance the interests of
educationby the use of the foundations
millions. 1t is not believed, however,
that any such resolution will pass. The
pension club can hardly be used on the
membership of this particular depart
ment. We do not admit that educators
are purchasable, but if the foundations
do expect those who have directly or in
directly received pay from them to stand
for this resolution, what about those
who have not received pay? If they eX-
pect help from men who have secured
promotions through their aid, what
about the larger number of men who
have not received special favors from
them? 1 think the department might
very properly request Congress tc make
larger appropriations for the bureau of
education.
1T seems to me that the Senate. hav-
ing cut the connection higher up. edu-
Gators might render a valuable Service
by standing in the way of connections
being formed between the foundations
and school authorities lower down. l
firmly believe this will be done"
President Crabtree is entirely right.
Governmental connections with these
foundations ought to be severed all
along the line.
In the universities of a number CT
Southern States there are engaged men.
who are called professors of secondary
education" and. who are paid By the
Rockefeller Board. AS l understand
these professors do not teach, but IN
some way they classify, "standardze."
and corral the high schools of the com
monwealths in which they are engaged.
II such officers are needed in the insti-
-uJions of these States, they ought TO
be paid by the State governments and
entirely separated from these Boards.
n the general government sees danger
i'm having the agents o. these Boards
connected with its operations. the State
governments may. with far greater real
son, fear any such connection with state
INSTITUTIONS.
In the course of the debate i'm the
Senate on February s. Senator Chamber
lain put in the Record a vigorous edi-
tCrial from the New York Times. Under
the caption, RADICAL AND DANGER
OTIS" the Times said