Evening star., 1920-06-26
PETWORTH REPLIES
TODR. VAN SCHA|CK
Citizens Association Charges
He Lacks Harmony With
People of District.

Charging him with lack of harmony
with District people. Jesse c. Suter.
representing the Petworth Citizens
Association. today sent a letter to
Rev. John Van Schaick, jr.. president
of the board of education, in reply
to one written by the latter answer
ing a petition of the citizens associa :
ton urging the retention Of Superin-
tendent of Schools ThurSton.
Mr. Suter says in his letter he be-
lieves that the people will accept
DIR. Van Schaick's challenge and will
go on with this fight until the Con-
gress shall speak in a way that even
you and your colleagues on the board
will understand
The letter reads as follows:
Your very courteous letter of the
21st instant. has been read with con-
siderable interest. but without surprise.
for it is merely an elaboration of your
former statement of your position. 1t
is disappointing only in it's reiteration
of the fact that the touch of yourself
and the members of the board has not
been more sensitive to the unmstaken
throb of the public pulse.
Cites Lack of Harmony.
For specific reply to your letter you
are respectfully referred to the inclosed
report. WHICH was dOOpteO Dy tile Il Gu
Grafton of Citizens Associations by a
decided majority at the meeting on Mon
day evening last. 1t may interest you
to know that 1 consider that the very
opportune arrival Of your letter played
a most important part in determining
the form of the action by the federation.
THE tone throughout your letter is
most convincing of your lack of har-
mony with our local people. You
nj hn ~ si a nf
our city and to utterly disregard the
inha bitants thereof Even though you
have sOjourned among us for long
time you seem to lack an understand
ing of the methods through which
necessity compels our local citizen
ship to find expression. When one
recalls that you have retained your
citizenship in New York state and
as a voter have had other means of
such expression it is not difficult to
see why you have never been able
to put yourself in the shameful and
humliating position of being an
American bereft of all powers save
the very weak and unsatisfactory
rights of petition and protest. OF
course. you cannot be expected to
understand anything so far from W
own personal experience.
Only Recourse Petition.
"Our position under these very un-
American. conditions mas only DeeH
rendered less intolerable through the
| fact that our local administrative Of
ficers have for the most part shown a
decent respect for the opinion of that
small but quite important portion OF
mankind calling the District of Co
! lumbia it's home. Our civic and busi-
ness organizations have been founded
| and operate upon the effectiveness OF
petition and protest. Other local Of
| ficiaIs in the past have had no diff
| Guilty in understanding the desire and
| temper of our people, expressed
| Through the very channels which
seem beyond your understanding. and
they did not regard the honest. force
| full expression of opinion by individ-
uals and organizations as intimida-
ton.
Had our forefathers held to the
| be British subjects and the Declara-
| tion of Independence and the Boston
| tea party would have been unknown
Il do not think that the ideas laid
down in your letter will influence the
public to subside into that state OF
utter hopelessness to which you
would consign us. / do not think that
| our organization of citizens will
cease their activities because you
| think their action only vocal. I do,
however, believe that our people will
accept your challenge to go on with
this fight until the Congress shall
speak in way that even you and
your colleagues on the board will
understand"