Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/615

 592 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS most efficient snpermtendent the schools of the city have ever had, in the middle of the school year, without cause assigned or cause assignable — that will bear investigation — is an out- rage to public decency and a grave wrong to the people." Still another said : ' ' Chicago does Mrs. Young no favor in want- ing her for the place. The whole country realizes the unique advantage Chicago enjoyed with her at the head of its schools. The word of her retirement had hardly been telegraphed when back over the wires came offers from other cities asking Ella Flagg Young to take charge of their schools. The one thing that might induce Mrs. Young to forget the slight delivered by a few petty politicians and take her old position is her tre- mendous sense of duty ; the consciousness of a better citizen- ship than we usually associate with public office." What she could not do alone, Mrs. Young succeeded in hav- ing the people of the city do. There was nothing for the school board to do but to return her to office and free her hands in the management of the schools. But neither her with- drawal nor her return to the office of superintendent was a personal matter. If it had been, she might better have chosen one of the editorial positions offered her by two great dailies of the city at a larger salary and for very much less work and responsibility. In resigning, her plan was a part of the edu- cational policy she had at heart for teaching her beloved city its responsibility for the welfare of its young people. That she succeeded must be apparent to every one. Never have the people of a large city been quickened to the needs of popular education as the people of Chicago were by the action of Mrs. Young. The biggest piece of constructive education this wo- man has ever done has been to teach a great city democratic principles in the management of the education of children. Mrs. Young has done more by her management of the school situation in Chicago to demonstrate the justice of the claim to political and economic equality of men and women and to merit the appellation of ^^educational statesman" than any other American woman. Mrs. Young's educational interests have not been limited by Chicago nor by the state of Illinois. Her influence has been felt throughout the country and her name is quoted abroad. ^