Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-01-06

Vim. T. Clark resigned his membership
of the Board, and John Collins was elected
to fill the vacancy. The schools, not now
in session, will commence on Monday next
MEssRs. EDIToRs - Will you be
good enough to inform me what is the mean
ing of the recent action Of our city School
Board in re electing that man Kissell, CITY
Superintendent. supposed that when the
Supreme Court decided the new school act
unconstitutional, ard all proceedings under
it consequently null and invalid-that We
were rid of the County Superintendent and
his underlings in the city and county
Boards. Am | wrong in this The law
yers think not then why does our City
Board meet regularly and attempt to exer-
else authority for which there is no warrant
in lawi If they were not legally elected.
why will they persist in usurping power,
and plundering the public treasury Why
will they, for instance, re elect this Kissell,
City Superintendent, and squander FIVE
hundred dollars per year on him Where
is the law that authorizes the election OF
City Superintendent Where is the law
which justfies the taking of five hundred
dollars from the public treasury, and cram
ming it into the pockets Of that odious
creature?
Really, it is sin and shame that at q
time when hundreds are famishng for the
commonest necessaries of life, our City
Board, acting without authority, should as
sumo to create an Office unauthorized by
law-and lavish five hun dred hard dollars
on a man no more deserving or entitled to
it, than Parson Tooke Of the Female College
If you think | am right in my position
wont you speak out for the people, and stir
up Grant or some other fearless lawyer to
test the right Of these men to act as school
board, and run their arms up to the elbow
in the peoples pockets. Yours, DC,
INQUIRER.
RrMAKKs-In answer to Inquirer's com
munication, we would say. that the City
Board assume to act under the law lately
passed by the Board of Education, which
undertakes to legalize the election of those
school officers who were chosen last spring
We will also say that there is no doubt
whatever that this act Of the Board Of Edu-
cation is unconstitutional, null, and void
and that the present City Board and the
County Superintendent have no more right
to exercise the functions of school officers
than gang OF Neopolitan lazzaroni. If
Judge Grant should sue out writ of quo
'oarrd,tto against that Gelectable individual
Mas. klssell, or any other person claiming
to hold Office under the act of the Bo ard of
Education, there is 10 doubt whatever that
the county and city would soon be relieved
Of their Improbable service. We think,
therefore, that in point of fact. enquirer"
is right in maintaining that the City Board
acts without authority or law
So far as the creation of the office OF CITY
Superintendent is concerned, We have only
to say that our correspondent must be dull
indeed if he does not perceive that the
whole object of creating that office is to af-
ford pretext for lavishing gratuity of five
hundred dollars upon the estimable County
Superintendent. Our City Board is made
up of men Of surprising discernment; they
can see the necessity of fifth wheel to a
coach of pocket in shirt; of city
superintendent, and we are only surprised
that they have not devised some other
scheme for giving further douceur to this
worthy object OF their bounty. Money is plen-
ty in Davenport, nowadays, and what bet
ter use could be made of it than to stuff the
pockets of that gentleman Of leisure-our
County Superintendent Inquirer is very
unreasonable; we presume he is a tax paw
er; but he ought to know better than to
presume to enquire into the disposition of
the peoples money. 1t is sufficient for him
to know that the Board is bound to spend
it; and if it can't do it in any other way.
We must expect not only city superinten-
dent, with a salary of $500 per year, but
a superintendent OF each sub-district, with
a salary of three hundred dollars Der
year. When distinguished gentleman, like
our County Superintendent, condescend
to accept Office, we must expect to pay
literally for their valuable services!