The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-16
MIAMI Is TOO LATE.

MIAMI Is TOO LATE.
Miami citizens. through the columns
OF the Miami Herald. are voicing q
protest against the withdrawal from
Miami Of Professor J. H. Workman,
who has been chosen by the Board OF
Education of Escambia County. as
principal Of the Pensacola High School.
The Herald has been very active in
this matter and The Journal has pub
lished one editorial from The Herald
In this connection. which has been
followed by another in which that
newspaper claims, editorially. that the
Miami board has made grievous
blunder in letting Professor Workman
go. and calls the action OF the school
board "unwarranted."
However that may be, It is too Tote
for Professor Workman to withdraw.
with honor and The Journal does not
believe that he will do so.
Professor Workman has signed q
contract with the Escambia County
Board OF Education for term of four
years. The Journal does not believe
that he went into that contract blind
ly. He had every opportunity to make
his decision and the Miami school au-
thorities had every opportunity to de-
eide this question at the proper time.
1t is too late now for the people OF
Miami to make any effectual protest,
or for Professor Workman to with
draw with honor to himself or his
community.
But The Journal has no fear. The
reputation Of Professor Workman is
such that it is safe to predict that he
does not sign contracts to break them,
at the first protest-particularl a
protest that should have been made
weeks ago, IL at all, and not after
the plans OF the Escambia County
Board of Education have been made
and the principalship contracted for.
The editorial from the Herald fol-
lows:
In another column Of this paper
there is a protest addressed to The
Herald. objection to the action of the
school authorities in permitting the
withdrawal of Prof. ]. H. Workman,
as principal Of the Miami High School.
The Herald is informed that anoth-
err protest has been signed by more
than two hundred persons that will be
presented to the school board. itself.
The protest printed this morning bears
the name of one hundred influential
citizens. and was called out by an
editorial in this paper, yesterday morn
ing.
Confronted with the possibility, nay
the probability, that the city WAS to
lose the great service of Prof. Work
man. men who have the interests of
the great services of Prof. Workman,
men who have the interest OF the
school at heart, set about securing
some expression Of opinion from the
people of Miami. Thai opinion is
stated in the protest published this
morning and in the other one to be
presented to the board of education.
That three hundred names could be
secured to the protests within few
minutes is evidence sufficient to in
dictate that the action Of the school
authorities in permitting Prof. Work
man to sever his connection with the
Miami High School. is utterly repu-
dated by this community as it ought
| to be.
| THE question now Is, can the board
afford to run counter to the generally
expressed opinion that it has made a
grievous blunder Inc this instance
Can it ignore the very general opinion
that its action is serious blow to
the public school system of Miami
| Can it offer any reasonable excuse
for the injury it is attempting to in
flict upon the pupils of the High
School and upon the people, at large
IF the final determination by the
board shall be that 1t will adhere to its
action in letting Prof. Workman go
in what way does 1t propose to better
the situation? Is there any prospect
that it can secure as good or a better
man for the position? Is it not fact
that 1t will be a very difficult matter
to secure a principal for the high
school that will, in any way, measure
lup to Prof Workman?
There are very serious questions
not only for the board to answer but
for the people themselves to answer
/ IF the Herald is any judge of pub
lie opinion its guess is that the people
Iof Miami will not permit the board
Ito persist in its attitude without thai
body hearing some very plain speak.
ling as to its unwarranted action"