Evening star., 1937-02-01
BLANTONDEFENDS
RED RIDER" AIMS
Author in Radio Debate on
Measure With Education
Board Member.

The widely discussed "red rider" to
: the 1886 District appropriation act
which forbids the teaching or advo-
cacy Of communism in the public
schools, was the subject of q radio
debate yesterday between its author,
former Representative Thomas l..
Blanton Of Texas, and Henry I. Quinn,
member of the Board Of Education.
Blanton, who has engaged in the
practice of law in Washington since
retiring from Congress. defended the
rider as q patriotic measure enacted
in response to the wishes of represen-
tative citizens. Quinn condemned 1t
and the effect he said it has had on
the educational program In the
schools.
Special attention was called by
Blanton to the recent remark Of
Archbishop Michael ]. Curley of Bos-
ton, who spoke here on communism,
to the effect that go per cent Of the
propaganda for repeal of the law is
absolutely false and deceptive"
Replies to Blanton.
Replying to Blanton extemporane-
ously, Quinn described the rider as a
blanket indictmentS of some 5000
District teachers because Of the pos
sibility that few teachers might
advocate communism in their class
work. He denied that LBlanton or any
other proponent of the rider had ever
been able to produce any evidence
that communism was advocated by
any teacher in the District schools.
Denying that he had initiated the
rider, Blanton declared:
Its enactment was especially re-
quested by resolutions duly passed by
the Federation Of Citizens, which en-
braces SO different citizens associa-
tions in Washington, ana certainly
represents the will Of Washington
people better than any other body OF
any set Of newspapers"
Blanton pointed out that the rider
does not specify that teachers be re-
quired to make afidavits each month
stating they have not violated the Law
before they could receive their pay
Controller General McCarl required ar
unsworn statement be signed by each
teacher, he explained, because of 9
report that the law would be ignored
Opinion Of Prettyman.
To show that the rider does not pre-
vent the teaching of facts regarding
the q. S. S. r. or communism, Blan.
ton quoted from the opinion rendered
In 1885 BY E. Barrett Prettyman, ther
corporation counsel, which said, ir
part:
ITO state that communism exist!
Is not to teach 1t. To state what Com.
munists believe Is not to teach com.
nunism within the meaning Of thi,
statute, provided that the method OF
manner Of statement does not imply
approval. Thus I am Of the opinion
that the mere recitation or study o1
factual data Is not teaching pro.
hibited by this statute"
In his reply to Blanton, Quinn sale
that the controller generals ruling
that teachers declare each month
before receiving their pay that COM
munism had not been taught in their
classes followed as result Of a letter
Blanton wrote to the controller gen.
eral after the Prettyman opinion was
rendered. In the letter, Quinn said
Blanton called attention to report.
that the rider was to be ignored and
the strict language Of the statement
McCarl required the teachers to make
and which has in effect prevented
teaching even facts about communism
for fear it might be construed as "ad-
vocating" was therefore the result OF
Blanton's Intervention.
The debate will be continued next
Sunday, when Quinn will speak in
favor Of repeating the rider and
Blanton will be given an opportunity
to comment on his remarks. Their
talks will be followed by round
table discussion. VOL officials an
nounced today.