Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-22

Doubt that true public sentiment
Is for the retention Of superintendent
Of Schools 'Thursten Is yeiesd by Dr.
John Van Hehaielt, jr president of
the board Of education, In Il letter to
Jesse c. suter. The letter was sent
to Mr.. Suter yesterday as reply to
u petition he presented TO the school
board ut II meeting last Wednesday
urging the retention OF Mr.. Thuratori
In presenting the petition Mr.
Suter appealed to the school board
to heed the wishes of the citizens
Of the District" DR.. Van scha!ck, In
the letter, says that this board re.
spects true public sentiment, but
that the public generally must realize
that tho most vocal is not always
the most genuine public sentiment
DIR. Van Schaick contends that hum
dreds of teachers and citizens are
convinced that the board haa acted
wisely In determining to select
now school head. and this It VIII do
Ee gives. in the letter, Ave reasons
why the board will not defer select
Ing successor to Mr.. Tlurstoa,
Reply Of the Ecard.
The letter reads:
After informal conference with
majority of the members of the board
of education / am directed to send
you the following reply to your nd
dress at the board meeting June 10
and to the resolutions Of the Pet
worth Citizens Association:
The board of education calls your
attention to the following facts:
The board of education, acting
under the law of the land, which is
the voice of the people, took up the
important question as to who should
be superintendent OF schools Ior the
next three years.
In good faith and, to the best OF
its ability it decided against Mr.
Thurston and gave him notice far in
advance.
Mr.. Thurston took advantage of
the consideration and kindness OF the
board to appeal to Congress and to
the citizens ag ainst his official chlefs
Action in Congress.
THE Senate ordered an investiga-
ton The committee of investigation
reported to the Senate that this board
should be abolished. but that it had
no intention of legislating Mr.. Thurs
ton into office 1t asked that he be
kept until Congress meets again, I'M
aware of the fact that if kept at all
he must be elected for a term of three
years.
This in itself would be enough to
prevent the board accepting the
judgment of the committee in this
particular matter. But the history
of the legislation ought to convince
everybody that not only did Congress
as a whole fail to speak. but on the
only vote taken in Congress spoke
emphatically against the proposed &C
ton.
"By device severely denounced on
the floor of the Senate Il bill abolsning
the board of education was fastened
to an appropriation bill and sent to
conference The conferees disa greed.
and eventually a vote was taken in
the House of Representatives by which
the rider was defeated decisively.
THE board of education shows the
highest respect for the law-making arm
of the government by not assuming the
will of Congress before that will! is ex-
pressed
whenever it is expressed the board
will cheerfuly obey, recognizing it as
the voice of the people of the United
States who own this Capital city.
I'm your address you appealed to US
TO heed the wishes of the citizens of
this District
This board respects true public senti-
ment
"But it reminds you that without suf-
frage: with no orderly. regular. trust
worthy method of expression, with no
machinery for laying the facts in any
and the public generally must realize
that the most vocal is not always the
most genuine public sentiment.
"Somc good citizens undoubtedly have
been misled by charges made against
board members in the most reckless way
which are utterly without foundation in
fact.
There is n great body of public
sentiment reaching the board of educa-
ton-indorsing it's acton. Some of it
&c from people personally friendly to Mr.
Thurston, who feel now that his use
fulnnss here is at an end
Hundreds Of other teachers and citi-
zens are convinced that the board has
acted wisely from the beginning
THE board knows that the only way
to get the respect and good will of
citizens ard retain it for all the flu
ture is to follow the hest light which
it has. and to stand firm against in
subordinaton within the school svs-
tenn and Intimidation from without.
Reasons for Early Action.
ITO sum it all up. the board of edu-
cation cannot defer the election of a
superintendent of schools for the fol-
lowing reasons:
Il. No legislation is possible until
the winter of 1921.
80. Legislation is not certain at that
time.
.f2 In rneoptip,a tho hood l.,