Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-22
POSITIVE STAND
BACK Of THURSTON
TAKEN BY CITIZENS
Following Heated Debate
Federation Adopts Resolu-
ton Criticislng Board.

| A positive stand In support Of
Supt Of Schools Ernest l., Thurston
and against tho board of education
was taken by the Federation of Cit.-
zens' Associations at special meet
.ng In the District building last night
| A report of the committee on edu-
cation was adopted shortly before
! midnight by vote of "a to Ii. after
moro than three hours OF heated de-
| pate. Several attempts to amend the
| report or substitute other resolutions
| For 1t failed.
The report which was adopted puts
| the federation on record as approving
| The administration. of the schools by
Mr.. Thurston, as indorsIng the re-
| port of the Senate committee, Which
recomm ended that Mr.. Thurston be
! retained pending a survey Of the
schools. and calling upon the board
of education to resign II 1t finds
itself unable to comply with the Sen
| ate report.
The school controversy has been
before the federation for several
months, but at every previous meet
ing the delegates avoided taking a
definite stand on the question. Last
night everything was sidetracked but
| the school issue, and from o'clock
until after IL the supporters of Mr..
| Thurston and DIR. Van Schaick
fought 1t out" in one Of the liveliest
| debates in the history of the fedora
ton.
! Mr.. Suter Submits Report.
| When the meeting. opened Jesse c.
Suter read the report of the commit
| tee on education, which quoted from
/ the Senate committees findings and
made the three recommendations cited
| above.
| The first attempt to defeat the re-
port of the committee on education
| was made by Thomas Donovan of the
! Central Citizens Association. who Of
fered a substitute expressing regret
at Supt. Thurston's leaving this i'm
lportant post of duty" and stating
that the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations of the District of Columbia
hereby extends to him greetings and
well wishes for his future welfare.
and as mark of respect to him per-
! sonally that we place these resolu-
| tions upon the minutes of our rec
ords, and that the secretary DE in
structed to furnish him with a copy
! thereof"
| Later in the evening Mr.. Donovans
substitute was beaten, &c to Is. Will
| liam Mex. Clayton had offered an
amendment to Mr.. Donovan's substi
] tute voicing practically the same sem
timents of the committee report. but
withdrew it.
| Another attempt was made by Dele
gate Richardson of Mid-City to in
dorse only the findings of the Senate
committee without approving Mr.
!, Thurston's administration or without
asking the school board to resign.
This was defeated, 81 to 8.
w. G. Henderson's Substitute.
The final attempt to prevent action
, on the report of the education COM
mittee was made by w. G. Henderson
of North C3pifOl and Ecl<ipptop ubo
offered substitute resolution pro-
viding That the federation wants
peace and harmony in the schools and
oeplores the continual agitation of
dlHerences existing between the SUI
perintendent and the board of educa-
ton and declines either to commend
or condemn the school administration
as conducted by and with the advice
Of the board of education"
MT. Henderson's substitute was
voted down. rs to IA, and a few mo-
ments later the long battle which has
waged in the federation on the school
question was ended, when the report
of the committee was adopted "a
to Is.
At the opening of the session Mr..
Henderson asked that c. A. Bowman.
vice president of the North Capitol
and lexington Association, be allowed
to act for Delegate Selden NJ. Ely, who
was not present. Mr.. Suter objected
ana PRESIDENT w. b. WeStlake ruled
that Mr.. Bowman was not a properly
accredited delegate. Mr.. Henderson
appealed from the ruling of the chair,
but the chair was sustained.
MIR. Donovan States Position.
Mr.. Donovan, in presenting his sub
stitute. took the ground that the ques-
ton of Mr. Thurston's departure from
the schools is closed incident He
asked the delegates what action they
possibly could take that would by
intimidation or otherwise lead the
school board to change it's decision.
Taking the floor moment later Mr..
Suter declared that in following the
school controversy closely he had been
unable to find evidence of the
propaganda" referred to by Mr. Don
ovan, but said he has found great
deal of righteous indignation at the
school boards course. The federation,
he asserted has disappointed the peo-
pie of Washington up to this time by
side-stepping the school question.
1t is clearly the desire of the people,
Mr.. Suter continued, to leave the
school situation unchanged until the
survey recommended by the Senate