Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-23

board is concerned. The Colored Par
ents' League, however. again announced
its intention to take the fight on Bruce
to Congress.
Majority Report Read.
DR.. Henry B. Learned. chairman of
the committee which investigated
Bruce's fitness for office. read the ma
jority report signed by himself and Mrs.
briefly the charges that were made
against the colored superintendent, and
told how, in the opinion of the majority
of the committee, these charges were
disapproved. A large part of the re-
port was taken up with a statement Of
Mr.. Bruce's educational and admins
trative qualifications for the Office he
holds.
Fountain Peyton. colored. the dis
senting member of the committee,
read a minority report in which he
attempted to prove that Mr.. Bruce is
not qualified for the office he holds.
Board Adopts Majority Report.
After hearing both reports. the
ton, presented by Mrs. Susie Root
Rhodes:
The majority report Of the special
committee on the Bruce case is issued
with the hearty approval of the board
Of education oftthe District of Column
bia. We believe that the care shown
by said committee and the soundness
of it's conclusions will be apparent to
every reasonable citizen of Washing
ton. After mature deliveration we
find ourselves in, no doubt concern
ing the upright character of the as
sistant superintendent of colored
schools. Respecting his education
and administrative fitness-for the
positions he has held for twelve years
we are treasured and do hereby an
nounce our determination to do all
that is possible to give scope to his
schools and to protect his good name"
Reference to Bruce's Character.
An excerpt from that portion of the
majority report which referred to
Bruce's character. follows:
while a decided majority of the
witnesses showed no inclination to
criticize adversely the school admin
istration or the assistant superintend-
ent, you should observe that the COM
mittee gave rather more time and
space in the record to those inclined
for any reason to criticiSe or to find
fault with Mr.. Bruce. Moreover, it
should be stated once and for all that
the committee lost no opportunity to
follow up remarks from any of the
witnesses which reflected up IN the
character of the man at the head of
the colored schools. Educational and
administrative work. to be effective
and sound in any school organization,
must be predicated on the character
of the director Of such work.
I'm the light of the testimony your
committee discovers no ground for
statements emanating from a variety
n the
assistant superintendent as guilty of
serious breaches of morality. We find
no sound reasons for believing that
he CANDLES. plays the races or is
drinking man."
Might Be "Little Less Diplomatic"
Another paragraph of the majority
opinion refers to Bruce's character as
follows:
Charges of untruthfulness and an
inclination to miSStatement ana pre-
varication which are made from time
to time in the course of the testimony
to some extent by those otherwise
favorable to the assistant superin-
tendent-involve as a rule petty dis-
satisfaction and disagreement WIN ms
conclusions The law has placed MIN
in a position where final decision must
rest occasionally with higher authorl-
ties-he cannot himself be decisive.
Always to know what to do Tor an
applicant for a position is not an easy
matter. Mr.. Bruce has not always
been alert or quite open, we think, IN
stating his inability to decide an issue.
Mistakes have been made on his part.
and now and again some degree OF
injustice through his failure to make
simple direct statements may nave
himself in the eyes Of his subordi-
mates, we think. if naturally he could
be little less diplomatic in speech.
The balance of evidence. however, IS
clearly in his favor as man OF right
and fair intentions"
Commends His Action.
After devoting several pages to reci-
tation of Mr.. Bruce's educational qualifi-
cations, the report continues:
THAT Mr.. Bruce has sought for well
trained teachers outside the Immediate
scope of Washingtons training schools
Is. in the judgment of your committee,
altogether to his credit. Necessarily
this policy reduces somewhat the OPP
portunities of those trained here to OBJ
tain places in these schools. The plan
opens the way for differences of opinion
in individual cases. and it raises numer-
Gus questions, not easy by any means
to decide, regarding the whole policy of
appointments and examinations for ap-
pointments. We shall content ourselves
by suggesting that it merits the con-
slant watchfulness of the board Of edu-
cation, with view to progress in the
direction of just and fair provisions for
as many locally trained and competent
teachers as the system can take care of
"In concluding our consideration of
this second phase of the investigation
paragraphs 11-19. inclusive) all the evil
dence available indicates that Mr.. Bruce
is a very well educated man. sufficiently
equipped to nave organized and sus-
tanned for the colored schools progress.
sive educational policy during twelve
years"
Discusses "Lack Of Force"