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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1894)
THE COURIEH .. MR. L.BWIS' CAUSTIC PEN. It Deals with Board of Education Matters Again. To the Editor of Tiik Couiiier: "HE anonymous communication is tho favorite resort of the Ij liar and tho coward. When it comes to us through the mails, . : we consign it to the waste-basket, as unworthy consideration. Whether it shall be used in the newspaper must be left to the editor's conscience to decide. It is the usual vehicle for malevolent abuse and slander. I will state a few facts in connection with matters covered by tho Ul-Btarred communication in your last issue, and leave it for the readers of your r.aper to judge whether the writer of it comes under the general rule of tho anonymous letter-writer. Strip tho communication of its verbose and malevolent falsehoods and see what a gauzy framework you have left. Let mo tako these charges up xrriatim. They have been so often repeated, usually under cover, that some one may really believe there is some truth in them. First, the statement that I am opposed to the employment of women as principals is obviously false. Out of seven principals now serving, that have been elected by the Board in the grade schools since I became chairman of tho teacher's committee, live are women. I have said that I thought more men should be employed in the schools, but that under present conditions we could gtt a better order of ability for those positions among women than among men, and that a first-rate women should always be chosen rather than a second-rate man. Of two men mentioned as chosen for principals, the charge that they were without experience is grossly false. There were both ex perienced teachers, one of them haying done many years of success ful school work, and he is not even guilty of tho heinous offense of being a college graduate. As to tho charge of favoritism and prejudice jn the selection of teachers, tho committee passing on all nominations is made up of the superintendent and three members of the board, who have always acted unanimously in recommending tho election or dismiss al of teachers, and the chairman has no more voice or influence in the matter than any other member of that committee. It is the usual charge of the incompetent when dismissed from the force. The oft-repeated charge of extravagance on the part of the board has never yet had a fact or a figure back of it, so far as I am aware. The past records of the board and a comparison of the cost of educating our children with that in other cities in the country dis prove the charge, and show that in hardly a city, east or west, is the cost so small as here under the present management. It is time to give us something else than vapid charges of this kind without a fact to base them on. Thero is nothing-more absurd than the claim that the board in having its books examined and put in shape attempted to "indict former boards of education with (ic) criminal mismanagement. Through the employment of various secretaries, some of whom were not experienced in book-keeping, the accounts of the board were in undesirable condition and it was thought desirable to em ploy an experienced accountant to disentangle the threads. For this work, Mr. Learitt, a thoroughly qualified man was employed. His work was a long and tedious one, and he charged what he claim ed was a reasonable sum for his services, which was paid. Is this vilifier, who draws his inspiration from a member of the !oard, pre pared to say that the work was unnecessary or the sum paid excess ive? And is it material whether he belonged to tho Congregation;'! or the Lutheran, or any other church? The dreary mass of misrepresentation and abuse that follows, covering the elections to vote school bonds, and the refusal by the board to pay a species of blackmail demanded of it, I will not take your space to answer. Let us come to tho action of that dreadful "Lewis clement sup ported by the women in selecting an architect for the high school and other buildings. A special committee was appointed to take this matter in charge. Neither of the women upon the board, nor I, was a member of that committee, and our only action in the matter was to vote on the re port made, as tho records will show. TJie ''comparatively inexper ienced architect' chosen, (whom, by the way, I did not know by sight at the time) has planned and superintended the construction of some of the most expensive and substantial buildings of the city, including tho Draco block, the Y. M. C. A. building, the Universalist church, not to name many of our best Hats and private residences. His selection gave. I believe, general satisfaction, except to a few disgruntled architects and their friends. His plans for the High school have received tho unanimous approval of the loard, includ ing the "Lewis element. Again as to the election of Superintendent Strong for a term of three years, there is the same disregard of facts. The statute gives tho power to boards of education in cities to elect a superintendant for a term of three years, and I believe wisely. Acting under that poww tho "ward, as then constituted, elected Mr. Strong by a unanimous vote for a term of three years and fixed his salary. The wishes of tho newly elected members were not consult ed, but as six hold-over members voted favorably on the proportion, it is difficult to see how their rights were interfered with. Another trumped up charge is that we have slighted tho claims of teachers from our own city, and imported a large number of teach ers from tho east to take places in our schools. Xo home-bred teacher lips been refused a place in our schools when fitted by education and experience to till one, and tho High school has a larger proportion of State University graduates in its corps of teachers than tho university itself has. "Furthermore, we do not believe, etc. Who pray is the anonymous "we? Why did not the people in its wisdom elect him, her or it to tho school board to put his, her or its extraordinary abilities in school management to the test and save us from my "imbecile policy"? Is it some teacher discharged for incompetence or something worse? The cry againBt tho "importation of teachers is tho last word of incompetency. Is it someone whoso "job I have helped to block in the loard? Is this the explanation of its anonoymous malevolence? Is it some poli tician of tho baser sort who thinks that some of his would be spoils are taken from him? I have sutfered sufficient abuse since I went upon the board to Income somewhat callous to it, and shall try to endure with more or less of patience, tho mendacious and cowardly communications of anonymous writers. The little curs and all. "Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart, see they bark at me. Hknkv E. Lewis. w AIMCIL HOl'ES. IN MEMORIAM. Mrs. Harlan P. Foster: Thursday morning at seven o'clock, the spirit of Mrs. Foster left its earthly confines and entered the great unknown. Surrounded by the dear ones of her family, she pasted away in peace. Hers was no ordinary character; a devoted wife, a fond and loving mother, and a loyal friend. The indomitable will which upheld her in her last sickness is an indication of the strength of her character, yet she was gentle, and kindiness was her prevailing characteristic. Her's was always the kind, gentle word, never the harsh oriritat ing. Her friends she counted by scores. She never swerved in her loyalty to them. In every emergency, in joy or in sorrow, in pros perity, she was always to be relied upon. A beautiful life is gone, but the memory of that life will always be a comfort to her familv and to her manv friends. M