The Washington times., 1920-04-22
THURSTON TO
GO BY JULY |
Van Schaick Tells Senate
School Head Cannot Remain
After That Date.
CONTINUED from First Pags)

Superintendent OF Schools Thurston
began his statement before the in
vestigating subcommittee today. and
Roy c. Claim OF the Board OF Trade,
made a plea for the election OF mem
bers OF the board OF education in the
District.
Robert C. Maurer, principal OF the
Central High School. made a brief de-
Tense OF Miss Summers. a teacher
who was charged with having dis
paraged Senators and Congressman
In her classroom.
Van sehaIck's stateaesL
Van Schaick, In his statement while
on the stand. said:
"In the case OF James II. Oyster. ]
am compelled to say that. In my opin-
ion. his memory Is defective.
II do not deny talking with oys-
ter about going back on the board.
The talk was purely informal IL
was due to oyster telling me how
well he always handled the negro
problem-how he would have them
down, sometimes 35 or 80 a day. to
his butter store. and how he avoided
trouble with them. told him, laugh
ingly, we needed him back on the
board. and, asked him II he would
come back He said he would. He
said, moreover. he was most inter
ested in Bruce-whatever ] did or
didn't do with Thurston I should
back up Bruce-that the crowd fight
ins Bruce was a bad crowd, mainly
crooks, and I'd never go wrong IL
I supported Bruce's recommendations.
Ho said, moreover. he was disap-
pointed I'm Thurston-that Thurston
had no 'guts,' and he understood how
l felt about Thurston.
Forgets "PubIIe he Damned
"I have not the slightest recollec-
tion of saying The public de damn
ed This much Is absolutely sure
nowhere in the realm OF fact or fancy
could he have found an utterance
more foreign to my nature. more op-
posed to my economic. political and
religious views than the public be
damned
my faith in the people, my trust
In them rather than In coteries like
that represented by Oyster. consti-
tutes the deep underlying objection
they have to me in. any capacity.
"Now. with these serious words ut
tered, the committee Is entitled to one
or two minutes of humor before l
close.
II met Captain Oyster on the street
not long ago. He had just been ap-
pointed as rent commissioner. Know
ing that he had been a candidate for
the position of District Commissioner,
a post to which had been appointed
knowing the disappointment which
ne and his friends felt at his failure
to become Commissioner and also
Public Utilities Commissioner,
hastened to extend congratulations on
his being. at any rate, rent commits
sioner.
Captain Oyster held me talking
some ten minutes-told me how much
he liked me, how ne had debated with
himself asking me to come to the
Board Of Trade that night to a big
dinner, but decided 1t would make II
appear as IL ] was seeking aid 70,
confirmation. He said he wanted nt
confirmed-was for me-there was
no doubt would be confirmed-ant
as soon as 1t happened he would have
me down to meet the members OF the
Board of Trade that they might know
what an able, fine fellow / was.
"IIis coming UP here to testify
that ] uttered the famous remark OF
| Commodore Vanderbilt, The public bt
damned may be a part of his cam
paign in my behalf-may be to carry
out his desire to help me get rid oi
Mr.. Thurston- may be to reward me
for backing up Mr.. Bruce. II so.
| thank him for the good intentions
and merely asy the way to hotter
| place than I hope he will ever go tc
! is paved with that kind of intentions
Accepts Presidency.
I am the president OF the Boart
of Education. elected to that position
on July 0. 1919. after I had requested
my colleagues to vote for Mr.. George
S. Hamilton.
"a direct charge has been made af'
| fecting the honesty of the president
of the board; that he acted not from
considerations of the public good. ol
with a desire to decide the question
of Mr. Thurston's efficiency upon it'
mcrits-but to punish Mr.. ThurstoI
for opposing legislation proposed b.
| the Commissioners.
These charges, levelled at tn
President of the board, indirectly dis
credit the board as a board. so l con
slider them in this connection.
ID. c. Court Involved.
| Consider for a moment what Il
involved in this charge: That
abandon now my role of dictator ant
become a tool: that for selfish. per
sonal considerations, politics, o
friendship, or revenge. I'seek to dis
credit an able public official, an
ieopardize the welfare of all tn
school children of Washington.
| But that is not the most seriou
phase OF the matter. The charge
made that I came on the Board 70
that purpose. This involves the Jus
tices Of the Supreme Court OF tn
District OF Columbia
"Mr. Blair stated that in his opir
ion he was not reappointed becaus
Of opposition to legislation propose
by the Commissioners. l succeede
Mr.. Blair.
T now desire to put into the recor
this statement: That neither an
Justice or Commissioner, nor ex-Jus
tice nor x-Commissioner, has eve
requested or suggested, directly o
Indirectly. any change In the Super
iintendency OF Schools in Washington
nor in any way attempted to contrc
nv action in the discharge of my put