Evening star., 1936-01-29
CONFIDENCE VOTE
IS SG|VEN.PR|NC|PAL
AT FIERY MEETING
Many Parents Unreconci|ed
Following Arguments on
'F|oggings."
BALLOTING IS 22 TO 21'
IN SUPPORT OF MARKS
Broome Soothes Crowd as Tenn
pers Rise-Debate Goes On
After Adjournment.
BY staff Correspondent Of The Star.

BY Staff Correspondent of The Star.
SILVER SPRING, Md, January 20.
Fifty or sixty Montgomery County
parents took their tempers to a meet
ing last night, let them out for two
hour run and departed unreconciled.
The meeting was to protest floggings
which Principal w. B. Marks of the
Takoma Park-Silver Spring Junior
High School allegedly administered
several pupils for bad behavior. 1t
started with a burst of attack on
Marks and the State law which per-
mits corporal punishment of public
school children, but ended with passage
of a resolution expressing confidence
in Marks
Temperature Rises.
Dr. Edwin w. Broome, superintend-
ent of Montgomery County schools,
told parents the incident would not be
repeated, but several remained angry.
The temperature Of the room in the
County Liquor Control Board Building
here, where the meeting was held, rose
several degrees from the heat of argu-
ment. Faces purpled, voices broke with
excitement, neighbors glared at each
other.
Henry ]. Mehserle, whose son Jack,
IA, it was alleged was flogged for gig
Cling in a French class, presided. The
first speakers were mothers and fathers
outraged by the incident.
Il simply can't send my boy to
school where he's going to be intimi-
dated by such drastic methods" said
Mrs. William H. Kesler of Wheaton.
Objects to Method.
my boy" said Wilton E. Disney,
Silver Spring garage proprietor, still
carries the stripes of flogging. I won't
stand for it. When Marks hit him he
hit me-"
Disney said he had threatened to
give Marks lust as good thrashing
as you did my boy" and that his threat
still holds good" 1t was not so much
the whipping itself as the method
Disney resented. He charged Marks
had used double length of insulated
electric light wire, and had been as
sisted by a teacher supposed only to
act as witness.
Herman Meadow declared parents
should have been notified of their
sons misbehavior before whippings
were administered.
Next spoke a backer Of Marks.
Marks told him, said Guy F. Mcintyre,
that his decision not to spare the rod"
was not snap Judgment; hat he had
used every means he knew Of Sc
curing cooperation" and that the
fogging had been "a last resort"
Those children have shown bet
ter attitude since the whippings," he
said. Il think Marks was fair and
honest"
Warns Against Custer Move.
Parents who would oust Marks are
asking a greater punishment than
any child has received" Walter M.
Peacock said. He said taxpayers can
not get the maximum for their money
as long as we have a few disturbing
elements in the schools"
E. Brooke Fetty, vice commander Of
the Takoma Park American Legion
Post. started speaking in defense OF
Marks but ranged into an attack on
the evils of teaching Communism, and
that communistic crowd in the
District"
"Boo," piped woman.
"Boo, boo," booed masculine bass.
Mehserle said his boy may have de-
served punishment. but that he did
not think "the punishment fits the
crime" Marks should have consulted
with him beforehand. he declared. :,
He was greeted with shouts Of "Sit
down, you've said enough" 1--WE want
an impartial chairman" "Let him
talk"
BroOme So0thes Crowd.
Dr. Broome then rose and soothed
the tumult like parent soothing a
child. He talked for half an hour
about greater understanding between
parents and teachers and the COM
plexity of modern education. He
urged that parents and schools work
together toward a common end.
Capt. Frank L. Hewitt introduced
resolution expressing support of and
confidence in the high school prin-
cipal.
mo child ever got licking he
didn't deserve" he said. "We've got
to have discipline n the schools"