The Washington herald., 1920-01-27

tual resident, OF the DlstriCt' anu
to be eligible for appointment on the
Board of Education the candidate
must have been for Ave years a
bona fide resident" of the District.
He stated that he had been bona
fide resident of the District for six
teen years before he went on the
Board of Education and that he had
been bona fide resident of the
District for fourteen years before
he went on the Board of Charities.
But during this time. since he came
to the District, January 3, 1900, he
had maintained his voting residence
at Cobleskill up through the year
1916, Then he went to Europe to
serve in the Red Cross till the end
of the war. He did not return to
vote in the year 1917, as shown by
the record produced at the COM
mittee hearing yesterday. he said.
The record was fraudulently made
out. he stated. He said the fact
that he had not voted in New York
since 1916 made him an actual
resident" of the District and that
for this reason his right to serve
in the office should not be ques-
toned.
As to the question by what right
he could claim eligibility to serve
as a member of the Board of Edu-
cation, he stated that il devolved
on what constituted a bona fide
resident" Such a residence here. he
believed, did not preclude a voting
elsewhere than in the District.
Refused to Vote In 1919.
DIR. Van Schaick stated that he
loved his native State. New York,
no less than he ever did. but that
he had definitely removed his actual
residence to Washington and there
fore renounced his former home
He said that he had refused to vote
in New York in 1919 when a new
legislature was to be elected. al
though he had been requested to do
so. In long statement he laid
bare his voting record before the
committee.
The statement of Rev. DIR. Van
Schaick was ELECTED by the production
of the record OF his voting precinct
in Cobleskill by Col. c. G. Lancaster,
of Washington. The records We're
shown by Photographic copies which
indicated that DIR. Van Schaick regis
tered as a voter at CobIeskilI in the
years 1917. 1918 and 1919. He was asked
the specific question II he had voted
in Cobleskill in the election of 1917.
and said that he had not. He said
that Charles F. Nesbit had called his
attention to the irregularity of his
voting in New York while holding a
District government office and that
he had ceased voting there since
1915
Discussing the fact that Mrs. Julia
aha, i
voter at Cobleskill in the year 1919,
after suffrage was granted to women.
Col. Lancaster admitted that in towns
of less than 5000 population under
the laws of New York th> name is
automatically carried upon the regis
teration list without the voter appear
ing in person.
why nc had lettcr-heads printed
recently with his address as Coble-
skill. and used them in his personal
transactions was explained by DIR.
Van Schaick, who stated that these
had been made for use only while
he was on his vacation there. and
that he had had similar ones made
and used while he was on a vaca-
tion at Sea Bright.
Defends strong Language.
Senator King, OF Utah, a member
of the committee. questioned DIR.
Van Schaick about statements in
letter he had written to DIR. Learn
ed. a member of the Board of E.du-
cation. in which DIR. Van Schaick
referred to the Colored Parents
League as being "one-third child,
one-third savage and one-third
shell-game man" DIR. Van Schaick
admitted that he had written il and
that he had written a similar let
ter to DR.. johnson. of the Board OF
Education. He said in justification
his having been among very rough
people sometimes while he was
abroad, and that his opinion merely
related to a group of persons who
had been active here. He said that
he could not have put across" his
own job effectively if he had not
used such words as damn" and
hell occasionally. He insisted
that he did not intend to character
ize the colored race in these letters
In reply to question of Senator
King about his career, DIR. Van
Schaick said that he had been a law
student, but from force of circum-
stances had given that up and
taught a country school; that he had
been the principal of a small grad
ed school for two years and profess
sor at the College of Emporia, Kans..
for one year. and that then he had
studied for the ministry.