It is our good fortune to report that Cook County and Chicago escaped the shame and disgrace that threatened it by the dismissal of the excellent Director of the Teachers Seminary, Francis W. Parker. It was a hot fight but one worth while. The majority of members of the County School Board voted to retain this famous scholar without any reduction as to salary, and the re-engagement of those instructors chosen by Mr. Parker for the institution. This victory can rightfully be called a German victory for Professor Parker is one of those English American Scholars, who went deeply into the study of German educational system. Returning to his homeland he became the head of a school, making use of all his knowledge to implant in the student the power of independent thinking and independent judgment, to inspire their honor and sense of duty and the general education of mind and body, in accord with the needs of this country. And there is another reason why we Germans feel that this was our victory, for it was due to the German influence that Mr. Parker was called to his present post.

It was Washington Hesing, who some five years ago while President of the County School Board, while sojourning in New England, heard of this excellent scholar Mr. Parker in Quincy, Mass. And of the high esteem which he enjoyed among the 2finest educators in the East, thus taking the opportunity afforded him to get acquainted with Mr. Parker's German educational system. From that time on Mr. Hesing did not stop until the County School Board had appointed Mr. Parker, unanimously, to his present post, succeeding the deceased D. S. Wentworth who was for many years, Director of this school. As the question of compensation is secondary only to the enthusiatic educator, Mr. Parker consented to the same salary as he had received at Quincy, Mass. During the five years of his directorship here the Teacher's Seminary and the Normal School connected with it, as well as the Kindergartens established by him became really model institutions praised by the highest authorities throughout the land. It was for the third time that the Germans stood on the side of Mr. Parker, when the conspiracy against him became known. This plot was fought against by the German citizens of the whole county, and were supported wholeheartedly by the Illinois Staats Zeitung.

A letter from Hermann Raster directed to the School Master Charles Bary and published in all of our local English newspapers on the day when the County School Board met to render the decision in Parker's case, was the real deciding factor. Through this great scholar, the English-American population of our 3city became acquainted with the merits and indispensability of Mr. Parker and with the miserable plot designed by his opponents.... Never before have our German citizens of Chicago and Cook County won a more noble victory than was this one.