Evening star., 1925-04-02

Inc Board of Education dabbled in
the high school fraternity muddle for
more than an hour yesterday after
noon and ultimately shunted 1t into
the committee of the whole for fur
ther consideration behind closed
doors. Three score high school stu
dents jammed the boards chamber
and followed the proceedings with
studious interest. Virtually all of
them were said to be members of the
secret organizations.
The first sllirmish over the frater
nifty question was carried out as pre-
arranged by Capt. Julius l. Peyser.
champion of the unapproved societies
When strong opposition began 10 de-
Velop to his plan of settling the
fraternity war. however, he readily
agreed to throw the matter into the
committee of the whole, hoping to
muster enough support in the mean
time to secure at least a modification
of the anti-fraternity rule.
Peyser Opens Attack.
Capt. Peyser opened his attack dip
lomatically, with a speech endeavor
ing to show the invalidity of the
boards ban on secret societies by
quoting court decisions, and conclud-
ing put a motion to abrogate the
anti-fraternity ruling. The second
came from Ernest Greenwood. with
an amendment calling upon the board
TO formulate another rule Immediate
ly, not as far reaching in its scope
as the present one.
Mr.. Greenwood, too, made some
preliminary remarks, pointing out
that the signature to the cards on
which the high school students
pledged themselves not to join an
unapproved organization was secured
under duress, and that the courts
have held such agreements are not
valid.
Then came the opposition. Edwin
c. Graham. attending a board meet
ing for the first time in several
months, said he was not concerned so
much over the legal questions in
volved, and explained that the action
proposed by Capt. Peyser should only
be considered in the event of an
emergency. He did not think such
situation existed at this time, and
offered as a substitute a motion to
refer the controversy to the commit
tee of the whole, where it would be
Investigated in executive session.
Opposes Secret Session.
Capt. Peyser did not approve of
the idea of a secret session and OBJ
jected on the ground that it would be
Illegal under the organic act of 1905.
He thought further that it would be
borrowing procedure from the secret
societies, which the board condemns.
But the board thought otherwise;
adopted Mr.. Grahams substitute mo-
tion by a vote of to 2, and agreed
TO sit as a committee of the whole
Monday afternoon at $3.50 o'clock to
thresh out the controversy. Capt.
Peyser and Mr.. Greenwood cast the
dissenting votes.
While the arguments over the two
motions were waxing warm, Rev. F.
l. A. Bennett rose abruptly from his
seat and threw into the discussion
the idea that real moral issue was
invloved in the revolt of the high
school students against the fraternity
rule. II had hoped not to say, any
thing" he said. Does the board eX-
pect to encourage immortality? These
pupils have signed pledges, which
they have violated. 1t seems to me
to be the most immoral situation the
board has been called upon to face.
Would you have the board run like
lot of scared crows because some
children have done things that are
wrong? 1 protest
Mr.. Greenwood did not particularly
relish DR.. Benefits remarks; neither
did Capt. Peyser.
'If we are going to proceed with
the morality ethics" answered Mr..
Greenwood, I'VE must take into con-
sideration the fact that the principals
are all tarred with the same stick.
have been told that the principals
knew certain of their students were
members of fraternities. I also have
been told that the principals per-
mitted students to turn in cards with
the pledges scratched out"
I've got too much red blood in my
veins to allow a member of the board
to class these boys and girls with
criminals" interjected Capt. Peyser.
mo crime has been committed. 1t is
n matter of rules of free institutions,
not morals. Don't try to blacken
these students with void law"
After the debate over the fraternity
question had apparently ended and
adjournment was voted, Capt. Peyser
had the board reconvene, and then
proposed that those fraternity MEM
bers entered in The Stars oratorical
contest be not barred from partici-
pating. His motion was rejected i'm
mediately.
Orders Places Restored.
Capt. Peyser then played his trump
card. AS chairman of the committee
on athletics and Fairgrounds, he held
that he had supervision over these ac-
tivities, and ordered Supt. Frank w.
Ballou to reinstate all athletes and
cadet officers removed from office be-
Several board members, however, re-
fused to concede that such authority
is vested in that office.
DR.. Ballou then forced the question
to a showdown by asking whether
he should follow Capt. Peysers in
structions or those of the board. BY
a vote of to 2 the board told him
to ignore Capt. Peyser's orders. Mrs.
Coralie +. Cook refused to vote, con-
tending that the action was improper.
Ira l.. Ewers, counsel for Sigma
Delta Fraternity, which has chapters
in Central, Mckinley and Western
High Schools, served notice after ad-
journment that an injunction would
be sought against members of the
board to compel the reinstatement of
those students who have been barred
from participation in school activi-
ties.
The proposed creation of a continu
alton school for children between IA
and 16 years of ago, who are COM
PEELED to return to school under the
new compulsory education law, was
voted down by the board upon the
recommendation of DR.. Ballou. 1t
was pointed out by the superintend-
ent that a continuation school is un-
necessary from an economic point of
view and that it would be unwise
educationally to undertake the es-
tablishment of such a school for the
balance of the current school year.
THE superintendent further be-
lieveS," he said, that the new COM
pulsory attendance law can be put
into full force and operation as soon
as a complete census has been taken
under the provisions of the law. This