The New Superintendent

The selection of Herbert M. Sla:; of Molïne, 111.. for the posltion oi superintendent of Ann Arbor's schools is senerally believed to be a góod one. Mr, Slauson comes r'eeommendeó! as aïi eaueator of the first olass. His u.-vfiinïess hfi-e will largely iepend up n the scope of the authority allowed him by the board of education. lf that authority be suffieient to compass the work, the new superintendent will lind ampie opportunity for re-organlzation and reform in the ward school.--. But if the board continúes in the iuture, as it has in the past, to interfere and díctate to the superintendent in matters of a purely technieal nature, the possibiyties of reform will be slight. Let us hope that under the new ordei of things the board and superintendent will work together in harmony, and (uit as a result of new blood and new vigor our vanl schools will be brought up to that standard of efficiency which the taxpayers and patrons of the schools have a right to expect. The Standard of the high school and that of I the naiil schools are too widüly separated. We would not bring Uu Standard of the high school down but ■aise that of the ward schools up. The people of this country have not yet forgotten the Virginius aff.dr [n 1S73 during: the former Cuban rebellion, the American ship Virginius was captured by the Spanish navy. The crew and passengers were charged with belng engaged in a filibustering expedition in aid of the Cuban patriots and, in the face of the protest of the Amerigan consul 53 American citizens were arbitrarUy shot down without so much as the semblanct of a trial. The counhockea hy this outrage. Sunimary vengeance was ilemanded. But the country was cursed at that time' as it is now, by mie of the most venal admlnístrations it has been the misfortune of the country to suffer. 'Diplomacy" was allo wed to pr and, after long waitlnjf, the families of the murdered men ivere raid the siim of $80,000, and Ihe same was accepted y our goverhment as adequafe . action for one of the most brut he long series of atrocities which have liaracterized Spanish domination upan his continent. Is it any wonder that he American peoplé distrust a falt'erng government which presumes to place the well-being of stocks bonds and the m iney sharks above the interest; of humanity and the prctectïon of American citizenship.