The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-06-09
Miss Hughan Admits She Is
Socialist and Pacifist
4 and Proud of 1t.
WORD SENT TO SCHOOLS
Graves Regrets Hearings for
Instructors Own Good
Have Failed.

Board of Education. awaited himself
yesterday of the method prescribed BY
Frank Pierrepont' Graves, State Com
missioner of Education, as the surest
way to abolish the latter's advisory
committee on teachers qualifications.
Mr.. Graves had informed Mr.. Ryan
on Wednesday that he would not dis
solve the committee. but that the
teachers could dissolve it by refusing
to take cognizance, of its summonses.
Mr.. Ryan replied to Mr. Graves that
he had requested William L. Ettinger,
Superintendent Of Schools. so to IN
form every teacher and supervisor In
the city.
Therefore, what may have been the
last meeting Of the committee was held
yesterday In the Bar Association Build
ing. Three teachers had been called
on to explain their reayons for being
non-conformists to the requirements of
the Lusk law. Two of them ignored the
summonses.
| One of the trio appeared and she made
it clear that she would not modify in
any particular her stand, which. she ex-
planned. made it impossible for her to
accept without qualification the oath
that the Lusk law requires of teachers.
II she loses her right to teach because
OF her views. she said. she would take
the matter into court despite the fact
that the Commissioner OF Education has
the last word in such disputes.
Jessie Wallace Hugnan, teacher of
English in the George Washington High
School and a Columbia University Pm.
D.. was the one teacher to appear before
the committee. She put in appearance
despite the fact that the Teachers Union,
Of which she is a member. had asked all
its members to ignore the CALL She
showed her summons. which had it that
the committee requested" her appear
ance. She was told that the principal
fault found with her was that she had
written qualifying words on the requi-
site loyalty pledge card.
| Where the pledge or oath called on
her to uphold the laws of the State of
New York she qualified by writing in
subject to the dictates Of my con-
science" Where she was pledged not
to advocate change in the government
she added except as provided for IN
the Constitution and the Declaration Of
independence"
Once Socialist Candidate.
She told Archibald Il. Stevenson. couu-
| sci for the committee. that she was a
Socialist. pacfist and that she hal
been. during the war. active in discour-
| aging voluntary enlistments. She added
| that she was against the use of force in
the settling Of any dispute. political or
| otherwise. and that IL was her opinion
| that the requirement, that teachers make
their personal consciences subservient to
the laws of the State of New York was
''the German point Of view rather than
the Anglo-Saxon."
Miss Hughan. who ran for minor
State office on the Socialist ticket in
1920, told the committee that during the
| war she had been called before the
| Board OF Education several times to ex-
| pain her pacifistic views. She was never
found guilty Of any breach of the board s
rules.
How old are the children you teach,
Miss Hughan?" asked Mr.. Stevenson.
Some are as much as Is years Old
do you pass on your political and
social opinions to your pupils?"
mo. do not believe that Is part Of
4 my duty. What ] say in the classroom
IL by no means what say after leaving
my pupils
'If the boy IS years old asked your
advice about enlisting in the army or
navy what would you tell him?'
81 should tell him to follow the die
tates of his own conscience"
But wouldn't that be interpreted by
| rt,x, baipo odyire NOT tn enlist p
"How can answer that question:
replied Miss Hughan.
"stands by Her Conscience"
4 Finally Mr.. Stevenson asked her to
withdraw or strike out her qualification
having TO do with unfolding the laws OF
the state. She refused. Then she wa
asked to sign a pledge without reserva-
tions and agree I'm case OF war. to resign
from the schools. She again refused.
The two teachers who declined to be
| questioned by the committee were Mrs.
Henrietta Rodman de Fremery. teacher
in the Julia Richman High School, and
Max Rosenhaus. teacher OF bookkeeping
in the Bushwick High School.
Mr.. Ryan wrote to DR.. Ettinger,
quoting the following from Mr..
| Graves:
".You state that the teachers do not
wish II and that Il Is causing unrest.
! II thoy do not wish IL there Is no need
of their appearing before IL. II was
stablished for their convenience and
protection and IL they do not wish to
avail themselves Of 1t they do not have
to do so. II they decline to do so, OF
! course. this automatically terminates
the activities of the committee. as
there Is nothing more for them to do
|