The Washington times., 1922-08-27
TEACHERF|LE
SUIT To KNOCK
OUT DANCE BAN
Woman Pedagogue Attacks
Kansas Law That ousted'
Her From School Staff.
TOBACCO ALSO PROHIBITED
Low Necks. Short Skirts, and
Bobbed Hair on the In
dex Expurgatonus.
ny International News Service.
EMINENCE. Kan. Aug. Z6.

@
Boy, page Priscilla Prim!
For there is a place in the
world for 'the old-fashioned girl"
The place Is Eminence, Kan.
Or so, at least, claims Miss
, Clara White, mistress Of the little
red school house" at the end Of 81
Simpkins' farm, on the flat wheat
land of this one-time prominent
Kansas community.
Miss White Files Suit.
Miss White has filed suit against
Miss Lizzie Wooster. State supertn-
tendent Of schools, in which she
sounds the call for "old-fashioned
girls"
For Miss White has been dismissed
from her leadership in any school
In Kansas because she dances.
Her suit, upon which a Judge and
Jury of Kansas farmers must pass.
climaxes one Of the most drastic
school board rulings ever issued in
q Western State.
Miss Wooster, temperance advo-
cate, antl-cigarette campaigner, en-
emy of the bobbed head and the
abbreviated skirt. has made law Of
her own by which Kansas teachers
must abide, Miss White alleges.
Tobacco n Barred.
First-Teachers in Kansas-men
or women-cannot use tobacco in
any form: pipe, cigar. cigarette. or
Second-Teachers must not dance.
Third--Teachers must not permit
dancing in Kansas schools.
Fourth-Low' necks and short
skirts are not to be tolerated, and
bobbed hair is frowned upon.
'And what right has any woman
TO dictate such laws to those who
have passed normal school coursesf"
Miss White demands.
1t is this question the Kansas jury
must answer.
In her suit Miss White alleges that
q dance was given by tho covntry
folk about the little town Of Emil
nence in her school house. She at
tended.
''It was a lovely affair, and a
pleasant time was had by ALL" Miss
White admits. There was a polka
and a two-step, and everybody Joined
In the Virginia reel"
Ma, Paw and Sis all were there.
The town boys slicked up for the
doin's. Miss White says. and the
whole community joins her in saying
1t was q gosh derned success"
Dancing Not Permitted.
But teachers in the Kansas
schools cannot dance" Miss Wooster
Rad already ruled. Furthermore, 4"
the school superintendent wrote her
employe: You have broken tho
school law of Kansas twice over
you allowed the school house to be
desecrated by a shameful, sinful
dance"
To these charges Miss Emma VII
son. county superintendent of schools,
added another-that Miss White per
mitted many of her pupils to "cut
capers" on the floor, while old Tom
Smith called his Swing your part
ner!'
Miss Wooster and her administra-
ton of the, Kansas schools are fac.
ing other suits, filed by male teach
ers throughout the State, who seek
70 enjoin her from canceling their
teachers certificates because they
are users OF tobacco.
Kansas-home of the anti-cigarette
law-cannot tolerate q teacher who
uses tobacco, even In the privacy OF
his home, Miss Wooster has ruled.
She requires every teacher TO take
oath that he, or she, will not use
''the weed" In any form.
Eminence Back In Print.
Miss Whites suit has brought the
little town Of Eminence back on the
map of the daily press.
Eminence was the county seat for
old Garfield county, which was
abolished many years ago and made
a part ef Finney county. In the
days Of the hfe Of Eminence as q
city II was on page one OF half the
newspapers Of the country almost
daily. 1t was either under arms pro-
tecting its county seat against the
attacks of rival towns, or under
arms and marching orders to bring
the county seat back from some
other town which had taken It away
over night.
The Snte House at Topeka was
kept busy for years answering the
call for troops for or against EN-
tnence.
It may now develop that Eminence
again will become the seat of trouble
over the vital question Of whether
q 'schogl marm" may dance, or
paint hkf face, or bob her hair
or, perhaps, smoke an occasional
cigarette and still hold her certificate
to teach.