davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Stressinq the Three RS

School Superintendent Corning I'M
derStated the case when he told a
teachers assembly that the continuing
lag in scholastic achievement of local
public school students is "diSquieting"
The relatively low standing of Washing
ton pupils as compared with those else
where, is diSgraceful. Remedial coaching
is important, but 1t is not enough. Dr.
Corning is right in calling for funda
mere l improvement in teaching meth
DDS, through all the grades. We are glad
that he has laid special emphasis on the
so-called three Rs-reading, writing and
arithmetic. For recent achievement tests
have shown an alarming weakness in
those basic subjects.
The most recent report on scholastic
levels of District public school children
showed that, while some Roadway has
been made in overcoming the lag, stu
dents in most grades still average from
several months to about two years under
the national achievement" averages.
Similar tests in nearby Virginia and
Maryland communities have shown that
most school children in the suburbs equal
or exceed the national average in scho-
lastic standing. The comparisons indicate
the seriousness of the local situation. The
latest tests in District schools showed, for
example, that third graders are nine
months below national standards in para
graph meaning, eight months below in
arithmetic reasoning, seven months in
word meaning and six months in arith-
metic computation. Fifth graders are a
year behind in all subjects. Eighth
graders are one year and four months
behind in arithmetic reasoning, arithme-
tic computation and paragraph meaning;
eight-tenths of year behind in word
meaning. Ninth graders are nearly two
years behind in arithmetic reasoning and
computation, one and Six-tenths of year
behind in paragraph meaning and one
and one-tenth of year behind in word
meaning. Similar deficiencies were found
in the other grades.
There has been a tendency to put
most of the blame for the poor showing
Of the children on the teacher shortage.
Additional teachers and smaller classes
undoubtedly will help to improve condi-
lions. But we think DR.. Corning pointed
toward major trouble when he called
on the teachers to put more stress than
they have in the past on reading,
arithmetic and other fundamentals"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Retiring Judqe

It would have been difficult indeed to
have found more unpromising candi-
date for the Supreme Court than Sherman
Minton-back in the days when he was
carrying the torch for the New Deal in
the United States Senate. To say that he
was a violent and extremely unjudicial
PARTISAN is to stay safely on the side of
understatement.
But the passing years have brought a
transformation which often attends the
donning Of judicial robes. Sherman Min
ton, the judge, turned out to be the
antithesis of SHAY" Minton, the poll
tician. The New Deal partisan who went
down the line for the Roosevelt court
packing" bill emerged some two decades
later as staunch member of the "con-
sentative" wing of the Supreme Court.
Labels, of course, are misleading, and this
case is no exception. Yet the fact remains
that Justice Minton often sided with
those members Of the court, generally
minority, who spoke out strongly and per-
suasively against an expansion of judicial
power which struck deeply into the au-
thority of the States to manage their own
affairs. AS judge, he strove continuously
for an impartiality and objectivity which
were utterly alien to his earlier per-
Torrance in the role of a politician.
1t is regrettable that the state of his
health has impelled him to apply for
retirement, although he certainly is to be
commended for taking this decision, once
he had concluded that he was no longer
equal to the exacting demands of service
on the highest court We hope very much
that the President, in choosing a success
sor, will select man whose concept Of
the responsibility and obligation Of a
Judge will parallel that of Justice Minton
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

present Federal sick leave system is a
good one. It is more liberal in some
respects than most sick-leave plans In
private industry. Here is the reasonable
rule laid down by the union: IF you are
genuinely sick, stay home and in bed. To
come to work under such conditions will
only delay your recovery and may spread
the illness among other employees. But
if you get up late or have a mild headache,
don't call in sick" And, the union adds,
the sick-leave cheater who is caught
cannot expect to get any help from the
union.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Mixed BLESSING

The Bell Telephone Laboratories are
making significant advances in develop
ing contraption that may yet take its
place among the standard fixtures of the
average home. In some ways, it promises
to be rather good and exciting thing,
but it is not likely to be a pure, un-
adulterated Joy when it becomes-as
seems probable-an economically feasible
gadget for everyday use.
AS described and demonstrated by
the Bell experimenters, the contraption
Is telephone that permits people to see
each other while they are talking to-
gether. You Just dial the number of the
party you want, and then you get both
the living picture and voice Of that party.
And your own living picture and voice
are simultaneously received at the other
end of the line, more or less like two-way
private television.
1t is easy to see how this picture
phone" could inject certain new meas
ure of pleasure into life. But let us not
cheer too soon. What II 1t rings while
we're in the bathtub and we rush to an
swer 1t, unthinkingly, while still stripped
w Tie shlllf anu AOW Will we DC aOle W
put on nice, CHEEKY smile when some Of
our merry-making friends put in long
distance call and wake us in the middle
Of the night? And what about the sweet
young thing whose suitorS summon her
while her hair is in pin-curlers and her
face gooed over with vanishing cream2
These are but few Of the questions
that come to mind in connection with the
prospective "picture-phone" The device
probably will offer many satisfying mo-
ments when 1t becomes available, but it
viii also be capable of being a nuisance
or worse. Such is progress in our time
a mixed blessing that somehow always
seems to attach q penalty to the good
in II.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
THE GAME OF POLITICS
Stevenson Aims High, but Hits Low
BY FRANK R. KEN

many months now; second to
Mr.. Reuther, Of the CLIO, who
is far more a Democratic poll
itician than he is a labor
leader, and who has been a
powerful influence in the DEM
ocratic Party for some years.
The third influence, of course,
is the greatly intensified desire
Of the good Adlai to become
President. It will be clearly
recalled that in 1862 he was
an apparently reluctant candi-
date who had been drafted"
by the Democratic convention
and who really did not want
to be President at all. That
was the Stevenson pose Of that
campaign. What q difference
there is now! Instead of watt
ing again to be drafted" Mr..
Stevenson entered every pri-
mary where he had q chance
and out shook the champion
handshaker Of all time---the
redoubtable Senator Kefauver,
who despite the bad blood be-
tween them is now his run
ming mate. Wholly abandoning
that "reluctancy" OF 1852 and
the charming humility with
which he then regarded him
self, Mr.. Stevenson is now as
eager an aspirant for the presi-
dency as any candidate in
American history.
Some Are Disappointed
Some of his friends are dis
appointed about this and some
are highly pleased. Mr.. Tru-
man, of course, has now said
he was mistaken in his con-
vention Characterization and
that Adlai really is a fighting
man." in the Truman sense Of
the term. Certainly, Mr.. Tru-
man is justified in this feeling
by the recent Stevenson ut
terances, particularly those of
Labor Day. when Mr.. Steven
son, Mr.. Reuther and Mr.. Tru-
man all spoke disparagingly Of
the President as a "betrayer"
OF the people and belittled
every Eisenhower act of the
last four years.
True, the memory of the
American voter is short, but it
does seem that many will re-
call the old Stevenson whose
nobility of character" and
unselfish spirit were hailed as
a model upon which all should
build. 1t is not easy to recog-
nize that old Stevenson in
this 1856 bellicose aggressive,
self-eulogizing candidate who
denounced the President as a
"betrayer of the people" and a
"part-time President" boasts
about his grandfather to please
a tough labor boss, talks
grandiy about 1--WE Steven
sons" Were grandfather Ste
venson alive today it is doubt
full that he would care for that
line.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
A Furious Negative

In the life Of that great
Revolutionary patriot, John
Randolph, of Roanoke, it is
difficult to find very much that
is positive. He was great
despite many eccentricities and
defects. He had exhaustleSs
energy, initiative, sincerity and
honesty. But a historian said
of him, analysing his public
life, that he opposed all parties,
all movements, and pretty
much all men. With the rec
ord of this great Virginian's
life before him for inspection,
Gamaliel Bradford, that prob
er of souls, remarks: I'm the
main he was a furious mega
tive-nothing more" That
phrase is intriguing. 1t is a
searchlight revealing the in
herent weakness In many a
life.
1t is a devastating judgment
upon any person who may be.
like Randolph, a bundle of
variableS, to sum a life up by
saying, "On the whole he was
a furious negative" That
means that the main drive of
anyone who could thus be
justly characterized is to be
against things, rather than for
things. 1t could have been
said of Saul, the first King Of
Israel. that he was a furious
negative. A modern Old Tesla
ment commentator has said of
him: "He had no real inner
temple of his own, but was
angry at surrounding nations;
angry at the other mans idol,
criticizing the other mans
faith. His is the portrait of
q man trying to live on mega
tiveS."
1t has been suggested that
if we could ask Saul, what
are you for?" he would have
said, II am against my neigh
bors. I'm against the dam
gerous Philistines and the
traitorouS MoabiteS." Yes, we
understand that. But what
are the permanent, positive
convictions of your life? In at
tempting to reply to that he
would have been evasive. The
only things Saul was positive
about were the things he was
against. AS we read an entry
found in the First Book of
Samuel let us emphasize the
word against every time it is
used. Nov when Saul had
taken the kingdom over Israel.
he fought against his enemies
on every side, against Moab.
and against the children Of
Ammon, and against Edom.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Abuse of Sick Leave

Federal employees entering the Gov
eminent service have been offered some
good advice by the American Federation
Of Government Employees. In pamphlet
directed specifically at new employees, the
union warns against any abuse of sick
leave privileges. The warning points out
that abuse OF the privileges could lead to
revival OF congressional moves to curtail
them. There have been several such
moves in recent years.
A the AFGE pamphlet stresses, the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Rich Men AnoIyzed

Frank Clements keynote
statement about millionaires In
Government has aroused sew
eral rebuttal statements, in
GLIDING your editorial, point
ing to millionaire Democrats,
but they seem as inadequate
in one direction as Clements
was in the other.
There are two kinds Of rich
men. roughly. as far as Gov
eminent service is concerned.
One is the lifelong business
man, whose habitual motive is
the profit motive. The other is
the leisure class intellectual;
his wealth Is usually inherited.
As to the way the wealth
was acquired. we naturally
have special respect for the
do 1t yourself" man. But in
. Government position. much
Ct his past experience Il detri-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
LETTERS TO THE STAR

full criticism and went on to
the excellent drawings and
paintings by Ruth Levin. Mrs.
Levin is an artist and q
draughtsman Of first rank and
it was a pleasure to view her
work.
Let us be frank and admit
that Mrs. Goldberg has not
yet learned to draw or paint
with ability. The inclusion Of
such work in public gallery
does nothing to increase the
prestige Of American art. !
asked Mr.. Bader to explain the
value Of Mrs. Goldberg's art.
because. after careful scrutiny
I could find none. Mr.. Bader
was embarrassed, shrugged
and mumbled something about
experimentation" Like Miss
Bergman. he saw the art, but
he could not explain 1t.
/ have always been q de-
fender Of modern art, so-called.
l have never condoned or de-
tended art, either academic or
modern, that was without merit
from the points Of view Of good
draughtsmanship and UNDER
standing Of a particular me-
dunn. A European friend re-
Gently wrote to me complain
ing about the influx and infiu-
ence Of American abstract art.
Why do you send this stun
over here?" he wrote. "Some Of
our good artists are copying it
because they think it Is FASH
ionable and will SELL" This is
a valid complaint from a coun-
try where high standards in art
are being lowered BY the In
different standards Of selec-
ton set by museum directors
and shopkeepers in America.
1t cannot be justified BY either
sales or sensationalisEn. Per-
haps II IA Just the confusion Of
our times. John G. Rogers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
Inteqrotion and Bible
In the Holy Bible. Genesis

In the Holy Bible. Genesis
xi, we find:
81. And the whole earth
was of one language, and of
one speech"
IS. And the Lord said. Be-
hold. the people is one. and
they have all one language:
and now nothing will be
restrained from them, which
they have imagined to do.
az. Go to, let us go down.
and there confound their
language. that they may not
understand one another's
speech"
70. =. the Lord did there
confound the language Of all
the earth; and from thence
did the Lord scatter them
abroad upon the face Of all
the earth"
Bihle Student.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

nism, I'm against radicalism.
I'm against the Jews. or the
Catholics, or the ProteStants,
and I'm against foreignersi
And that too often is the end
of the story Of many a furious
negative.
Of course denunciation has
its place. But always aff1rma-
ton is 10 times stronger. To
borrow the phrase of a popular
song, this surely is a time to
"Accentuate the positive"
A nationally known religious
leader recently returned from
a visit to Europe and Asia,
where he gazed with sympa-
thetic eyes at want and woe.
Upon his return to this prom
ised land. flowing with milk
and honey, he declared that
everywhere abroad he had
heard the plaintive question.
What is your America for?
We know what she is against;
but tell US, as you see our low
levels of living. our chains, our
misery, our hunger, our dis
ease, our high death rate-with
all her vast resources, what is
America for?" That is the
piercing question put by the
French planter in the popular
play, South Pacific" An
American general has been
seeking his friendship and 10y
atty. Says the planter to the
soldier: II can see what you
are against. But what are you
for?"
We need to have it pro-
claimed from the housetops in
these days Of destiny that it is
not enough to be a furious
negative, against all the evil
philosophy and lying propa-
ganda centering in the Krem-
lin. The seething world waits
a more positive word from
America that she is on the
side Of dignity, justice and
freedom. One Of the keenest
minds of our times, listening
to so many who are anti-this
and anti-that. declares with
sage insight: when we con-
fine ourselves to criticism and
hate, that gives the enemy the
center Of the stage. 1t puts the
initiative into his hands. We
must be a vital democracy in
which we believe more strongly
and love more dearly than we
hate any totalitarianism."
That means that today's
global battle for the minds Of
men will be won not by furious
negatives, but by calm posi-
tives who know what they are
for.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

WreckerS. Their work is to
demolish, to tear down, to raze
to the ground. And later on,
when the process of destruc-
ton Is completed, another
combination takes over. An
other sign is in conspicuous
evidence - So-and-So g. Co.,
Builders. And then the work
Of construction goes on apace.
Realizing how abrupt the sign
"Wreckers" is, some such COM
panies are adding beneath that
word, ION the Way to Prog
ress." In building enter
prises both are essential.
Somebody has to do something
against the old in order that
there may be room for the
new. And so the wrecking is
all part of the building.
And so it is in appraising-
the total contribution to his
day and generation Of any
toiler in these fields Of time.
He is judged by whether or
not his negatives are to make
way for positives. If he is
only q wrecker-juSt a furious
negative, with no passion for
clearing the ground for a
fairer building yet to rise
then history will not record his
name among the benefactors
Of his day. The ideal COM
bination is John Smith, Wreck
er and Builder. But, alas, too
often to the question what
are your positive values? What
visions Of a fairer earth possess
your SOUP" the revealing an
swer would be. with many
moderns, I'm against commu-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

and against the kings Of
zobab, and against the Philis-
tines" It is evident that that
word against is the key to the
attitude of this man who lived
on negatives.
Often in teeming cities there
are set up two different signs.
One is So-and-So & Co.,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

Apparently stung by Harry
Truman's criticism that he
was not a fighting man." was,
in fact. a political weakling
and could not win without Mr..
Truman's help. Adlai Steven
son has been strenuouSly Striv-
ing to prove the Truman esti-
mate unfounded. He seems not
only to have gotten down to
the Truman give 'em hell"
level but some observers think
he has gotten somewhat below
it.
For the past three weeks he
has been tearing around the
country lambasting the Eisen-
hover administration, below
ing about Mr.. Eisenhower's
betrayal" of the people, as
serting that his only concern
is with big business" that all
the promises he made in 1852
have been violated; that moth
ing he has done in either do
nestle or foreign field has
been right; that his advisers
and aides are all enemies of
the people," and there is MOTH
ing to admire in him at all.
All of this, Of course, is legit-
innate enough in the ordinary
politician and candidate. 1t
is the sort Of stuff that sur
prises no one coming from the
Truman type or from such
persons as Democratic Chair
man Paul Butler, or Walter
Reuther, the labor boss, or
from Gov. Frank Clement of
Tennessee, the unrivaled key
noter in Chicago.
Out Of Character
But it is distinctly out OF
character for the Mr.. Steven
son who has been portrayed
by his friends as a lofty
minded moderate" far above
the personal abuse of the av-
erage politician and deter
mined not to descend from the
thigh plane" described by his
journalistic adorers as his
habitual living level. His pub
lie utterances, and especially
his sponsored propaganda out
put since his nomination are
in conflict with this idea. Ac-
tually, there is no real differ
ence between them and the
usual vituperative, demagogic
eloquence of the lower-bracket
political candidates.
If this is the new Steven
son" proclaimed by his press
agents, while it is certainly
different from the Stevenson
Of 1852, it certainly is no inn
provement. The change from
the old "high-minded" Steven
son pictured four years ago is
attributed first, to his new
press representative. Clayton
Fritchey, an astute ex-news-
paperman who has been "han-
ding the newspaper boys" in
the Stevenson interests for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE STAR

Warf1eld resumed his long run
in THE Music Master" at the
BUou. This is his third con-
secutive season on Broadway
with practically the same
cast. :"
Theft
A train theft a half a CEN
fury ago left police and rail-
road officials with red faces.
On September S, 1906, The
Star reported: "The police Of
this city and Alexandria are
hunting for the adroit in
dividual who succeeded this
morning in stealing a tin box
containing a sum variously es-
timated at from SAT- to $499
belonging to the Washington,
Alexandria g. Mount Vernon
Railroad Co. from the 8
O'Clock train, while it was
standing at the Royal street
station in Alexandria, or before
it had left that city. The thief
was bold in the extreme. While
trainmen and passengers were
either on or about the coaches.
a man stepped aboard and,
without attracting attention.
secured the regulation box,
which is Of a pattern rec
ognized generally as belonging
to railroad employees. and
walked away. He was well
out of immediate reach when
the robbery was discovered. y
River Boot
The death Of a river boat
was reported in The Star on
September 10. 1906. The story
said: The shattered hulk Of
the once fine excursion steamer
Samuel j. Prentz Is lying on
the mud Of the Eastern branch
flats near Giesboro Point, q
melancholy reminder Of van
ished glories and departed
pleasures, for no steamer ever
in service on Chesapeake bay
or the Potomac River was more
popular than the Prentz in her
day and none carried larger
throngs from this city on
pleasure bent. As stated in The
Star recently, the old boat has
been brought here to suffer the
final steps Of the wrecking
work which was started In
Baltimore several weeks ago.
The steamer Samuel J. Prentz
was one Of a feet Of clipper
steamers built just prior to the
Civil War. All Of the vessels
were in their day magnificent
steamers and all were fast
boats. ;"
l'inoerprints
The system Of fingerprint
identification was about ready
to 60 into operation in the
Metropolitan Police Depart
ment so years ago. On Sep
TENDER 2. 1906, In story
about the fingerprint method
and how 1t was being adopted
by Washington and the Fed
eral Government, The Star re-
ported: Mrs. z. M. Holland
Of Chicago, who studied the
system under John X. Ferrier.
fingerprint expert Of Scot
land Yard. England. where the
system is used exclusively. has
been In this city about q
month, giving instructions in
the manner Of taking finger
prints and Of classifying them
after they are collected In
large numbers, and now her
pupils are ready TO carry out
the system IN their respective
Offices. Fred Sandberg, as
sistant BertilIon measurer at
police headquarters. has re-
ceived instruction In the system
and he viii put II into eject
In the local department. :.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

mental. The motives are con-
siderably different. There are
few more faulty premises than
Eisenhower's idea that busi-
nessmen are best equipped to
run "the business Of govern
ment." Government is not a
business. A business is run for
the benefit Of one man or a
select group Of men to the de-
liberate exclusion Of others.
In the Government career
man who has enough wealth
to be completely independent
Of personal financial pressure
we have a different individual.
a different background. differ
ent habits. While some mem
bers Of the leisure class become
notorious through their extrav-
agances, detachment from So
ciety and lack Of responsibility,
there are different kinds Of
human beings whom wealth
affects differently; there are
some who use the advantage
Of wealth to be Of special serv-
ice to society.
George his government in
America was one Of business
men; 1t was challenged by lei
sure class intellectuals, among
them Jefferson and Hamilton.
Our Charles E. Wilson well rep
resents the businessman-in-
government type. H. w.