Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-31

I board of education at the insulting
| conduct of members of the Parents
League at public meetings of the
board. al the threats to which they
resort and to- the intimaditions which
they employ is no matter OF wonder.
Is it my fault that these things be?
1t is not mine to control these dis
turbers of the public peace. If it
We're my job. l should do it without
fiinching.
The so-called Parents League has
now. in fact. almost petePed out.
Ignorance. love for sensation and class
luminosity have been it's chief allies
Human nature is very imperfect We
must educate not individuals. l some
III think. but generations
Mt George f. Hamilton. when
president of the board of education.
dld not play politics with this motley
! array Eminent in the law. he is a
. business man of the highest type. He
stood like some Gibraltar, firm for
law and order and Justice and prog
ress. His stanch friendship for the
Coiored people in their striving up
ward is beyond cavil.
our kindly suggestion that you
and the board members would be
outside of WASHINGTON overlooks.
may | be bold to say. the circum-
stance that. born in this beautiful
city more than forty years ago and
nurtured here and educated in the
public schools here. my hope and plan
have been to live in Washington with
my family for the rest of my days.
In word, my dear DR.. Van
Schaick. I am of opinion that in my
situation no one but a coward or a
confessed knave would consent to
carry out your policy and be eased
out of the school system. l am in no
sense coward. And 1 am no knave.
My retirement from office will not
restore peace and harmony to the
colored public schools. The suppress
sion of the Parents League ire
sponsibles who have sought to break
the Indispensable. the sole restora-
tive. The way to do right is-to do
it. The good citizen must put down
| mob law
"'The Parents League. so it's orators
have announced, intends to destroy
Principal Wilkison of Dunbar. Super
wishing Principals Shadd am Bruce,
Director of Primary instruction Mer-
rift and various other of the most
cultured. most effective and best be-
loved officers and teachers of the COL
ored schools. When l have been
| lynched. however bloodlessly, by this
/ bowling mob. will they be less zeal
Gus in getting the next victim? Or
more so? Mob psychology is assured
~ not unknown to you.
-! stand for a progressive admins
l stand for a progressive admins
tration of the colored public schools
of the National Capital without re-
out respect for the threat and intimi-
cation of the patronage hunter.
Il stand for law and order, for JUS
tice.
'T stand for school government by
intelligence and culture.
officers of color in American public
schools. wherever the pupils are seq
reeated on the basis of rare and
color.
.'lr snch schools l stand for equity
in the allotment of school funds.
Il stand for teachers of superior
endowment, culture, character and
training.
g! stand for the children who need
superior teachers as against the in
ferior teachers who need jobs.
II may become a symbol ] NAV
he overthrow. but I shall not lower
my standards. I shall not be untrue
to my trust. And 1 shall not retire.
| earnest hope that you will not SEX
/ TO impress upon the members of the
! board of education your idea of my
retirement from office. ! beg you
! to recall that when the bill of the
! senator from Mississippi to abolish
| the hoard of education as now con-
stituted had passed the Senate in
! the closing hours of the last Con-
I gress and was about to pass the
! House it's progress was stayed and
the project defeated by the as
! surance which you gave, both di-
! rectly and indirectly, that you would
: retire from the presidency of the
'r"ard of education and membership
thereon. These assurances were ac-
! crptad as given in good faith and
accordingly you did withdraw from
all Official connection With the board
As a private citizen you will ret. I
trust. seek to impress upon the mem
! bers of the board this the most novel
= of YOUR uoicieS ROSCOE G. RRIrCE."