Evening star., 1920-06-16
|'BOLSHEWST RULE
In SCHOOLS CHARGE
Thurston Strongly Praised at
Benning-KeniIworth
Meeting.

"Bolshevik rule must be banished
from the public school system and
| Ernest L. Thurston must be reelected
superintendent for another term"
With this declaration. DR.. Starr Par
sons of the Northeast Washington
Citizens Association last night opened
a heated discussion over the school
controversy at joint meeting of the
Benning and Kenilworth Citizens AS
| sociation in Costello Hall, Benning. 1t
resulted in the adoption of a resolu
tion calling on the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations to make the school
issue the subject of special discus
sion and instructing the delegates to
secure affirmative or negative action
| by the central body.
| Indignation at the proceedings of
the board Of education which had for
their purpose the ousting OF supt.
Thurston was registered at the meet
ing. Speakers highly praised supt.
Thurston and denounced the one-man
trule" of the school board by DR.. John
Van Schaick. jr., it's president.
| "Un-American. Bolshevistic."
"The people have carefully and
prayerfully considered the method Of
the school board in transacting busi-
ness" said DR.. Parsons, land have de-
dering on bolshevism and should i'm
mediately take wings and fly away
to some country like Russia or Mex
leo. where such methods are permit
ted. The people are so aroused over
1.-THE action of the board in Disregard
ling their wishes and refusing to re-
elect Supt. Thurston that they have
taken up arms. and we will never lay
down our arms until bolshevik rule fs
banished from our schools and Mr:
iThurston reelected superintendent.
Washington Topham. president Of
the Northeast Washington Citizens As
| sociation. declared that the people Of
the District have been ruled too long
| by judges. I'VE are displeased about
that" he said. Mr.. Topham expressed
smart man." but that he has Ger
tainly displeased the people Of the
District and has not ruled the school
board wisely. We want Mr.. Thurston
at the head Of the school system"
ut. would be q calamity for the
present time" declared A. J.. Was
| cum. president of the Kenilworth
| Citizens Association. He character
| lied the action of the board as spite
full" with three reasons the object
the people Of the District. Supt.
the belief that Mr.. Thurston and the
people were selected because they
were weaker than Congress.
| r. 8. Field, delegate to the fedora
tion from the kenilworth association,
said that Senator Harrison Of Missis-
sippi told him recently that the school
situation would be the first problem
| taken up by Congress when 1t con-
venes in December. Until that time.
he pointed out, 1--WE are absolutely at
! the mercy Of the school board"
Until the method Of appointing the
members of the board is changed the
citizens Of Washington will get no
relief in the school situation. was the
belief expressed by Roscoe Jenkins.
secretary Of the Northeast Washing
| ton Citizens Association. John T.
Barber OF the Kenilworth association.
was another speaker who discussed
the school controversy.
Resolution Ii Adopted.
The resolution adopted at joint ses-
sion Of the two associations was in
| troduced by Warner Stutler, presi-
dent Of the Benning Citizens Associa-
ton and A. J. Wascum,. president Of
the Kenilworth Citizens Association.
Ninety per cent Of the people be-
lieve that Ernest L. Thurston. super
| intendent Of schools Of the District of
Columbia. has, during the six and a
half years Of his incumbency OF that
onices, discharged his duties faith
community; that he has managed the
school system with skill and in a
progressive spirit. notwithstanding he
has been faced with great difficulties,
some Of them the result Of the dis
turbances Of the war. others due to
the obstacles thrown in his way by a
hostile faction of the board of educa-
ton. bent upon his removal"
He has met with opposition" the
resolution added, within the teaching
ranks, encouraged by that same fac
ton Of the board Of education. Re-
"A al hflffv fnf CnrtQ{n llnfavnrahIe
conditions in the schools which have
developed within the past few years
has been unjustly placed upon him,
whereas It belonged to the members
Of the board Of education and to sub
ordinates who had fallen under the
direct control and influence of those
members. Mr.. Thurston has succeed
ed in his administration of the
schools despite these handicaps. and
has impressed the parents of the
1000 school children with his fidelity
to his trust, his sagacity in the han
ding Of diff1culties. his eagerness to
give the community the kind Of
schools 1t desires, and his dignifed.
patient bearing under the constant
pressure of factional opposition.
"All these facts have been brought
forth in the report OF the hearings
recently conducted by q select COM
mittee Of the Senate, after an ex-
haustive investigation initiated when
the board faction, l0d by Its president,
declared it's purpose to displace the
| superintendent at the close of his
present term. Owing to the lack of
| time. the session of Congress closed
without the completion Of legislation
based upon the Senate committees re-
port. designed to change the method
OF organizing the board Of education
and plainly indicating that the super
iintendent should be continued in Of
! fee. The school board has now de-
cided to ignore the hearings and the
report and the all but completed leg
islation and has voted to displace the
perintendent at the end Of the pres
ent fiscal year..
Wants Reconsideration.
ut Is now the duty Of every WASH
| ingtonian interested in the welfare OF
the public school system to endeavor
| to secure a reconsideration of this ac-
ton by the board Of education. The
more them in the pursuit of factional,
personal desire to punish faithful Of
ficial who has fully measured up to the
standard of requirements, but has
failed to meet the peculiar individual
views Of q single man, who went upon
the board of education prejudiced
against him and bent upon his remov-
schemed and plotted to accomplish this
end.
| There Is, unfortunately. no assured
way in which public sentiment can be
brought effectively to bear in Wash
ington. We of the District have no
voice in our affairs, not even In the
control and management of our schools,
which we maintain with our taxes and
to which we intrust our children. 1t
| is. however the hone of the Benning