The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-07
THE SCHOOL CONTROVERSY.

1 see by your paper of the 9Th inst.
that the Board of Education at their
meeting on Monday evening, the 4th
inst. elected a Superintendent OF Public
Schools for this city district, and fixed
his salary at 81 300, or in other words
have agreed to squander thirteen hun
bred dollars of the peoples money.
Thirteen hundred dollars expended
to keep up "my Office" seems to be
regarded by majority OF the Board as
"a very tritllng matter, but is viewed in
"A different light by the citizens in
general, and particularly by those who
are compelled to pay the taxes 10
defray the expenses of the School
organization.
They have Just cause to feel aggriev-
ed at the injury inflicted upon them,
when we take into consideration the
fact that the Board could have had the
duties of the Office attended to at
much less salary II not by the present
incumbent, by some other just as COM
petent and efficient as he.
But the public need not look for nor
can they expect anything else as long
as the present state of affairs exists.
The Principals of the Schools concur
and the Superintendent dictates to the
Board, and that body accede to his
behests with amazing devotion, at least
Il majority of them amongst whom
there is one extremely ardent in bis
devotion, from the simple fact that ne
is an interested party and Is favored
with all the printing necessary to be
done for the schools. This charge may
not apply in every instance. but it was
| certainly made manifest in the recent
election for Superintendent.
Some of the Principals exhibited
| feeling in reference 10 the subject alto
| gether unOecoming their positions, es-
pecially the one who is the author OF
the article relating to the Superintend-
ency, and written over the signature or
'.justice." In this connection 1t is not
out OF place TO say that the writer OF the
article referred to is the right bower OF
the Superintendent, and had his COM
municatiOn been signed VindicEUeneSS,
instead OF Justice, 1t would have been
far more appropriate title. The in
| cumOent OF the Office owes his success
| 10 the combination of teachers gotten
up in his interest. They have spent
| great portion OF their time in schemlnR
| and leViSing for his election ever since
1t was known that he would have a
competitor. Add to this the services
Of the learned gentleman from Union
| Township, who, by the way, Is pro
| fessed schOolist, and who no doubt VIII
deliver discourse on the duties OF Su-
perintendenL at some future time should
| 1t become necessary for the people Ia
know what his duties are.
| A treat so rich and raCy as this would
be is not probable, however, as there Is
no responsibility of any Importance at
| Iached to the position. But to return to
the subiect-the considerations named,
taken III connection with the pleas
of sympathy and charity on the
part of the Principals in behalf OF Mr..
| Williams and the secret of his success
| is made known. Tito go round on an
electiOneering tour i'll the interest OF II
particular pet is IA duty devolVlns upon
| The Principals they should be renulner-
ated for extra labor tor il comes strict
w under that head as the law defines nc
duty of this kind for them 10 perform
and AS IL majority of the board are char
itAbly disposed to throw away money
that might otherwise be saved without
having II damaging effect 10 the inter
estS or the schools and as the Superln-
tendent and principals seem to have
formed n CO. partnership for the ad-
! vancement Oftheir own individual III.
terests 1t is right that they should all
receive an equal proportion OF the spolls
For charity sake let the salaries OF the
Principals be increased from eleven &c
thirteen hundred even if there should
| be Others willing to perform the duties
for II thousand. "ChArity envieth not"
aud the people can afford to pay the
taxes. 1t is right and proper that the
public should know who are RESPONSE
BILE to IL great extent for the exOrDltan'
| school tax imposed upon lneln. 10 as
certain this fact it is only necessary tC
refer TO the proceedings Ofthe Board al
their last meeting as published i'll both
papers of the 9Th inst.
In conclusion, the office Is bugbeaI
and nuisance, Mt best, and could ca
silly be dispensed with, so far as benefi
to the schools is concerned; but 1t has
been created by Legislative enactment
and the only recourse of the people tC
have the evil remedied is by petition tC
the Legislature to have it abolished A
petition of the kind would meet with
the hearty approval of our citizens, es
pccially the working class, who labor
hard from morn till night, and support
large families at half the salary the
Superintendent receives.
But "Justice," who is as bold anG
fearless AS ii lion, will, no doubt, as
sumo to instruct the members of the
Legislature in regard to their duties il
this matter, should the question come
before them.
Before closing, let it be known thai
it is considered a crime by some of the
faithful for any other than the present
incumbent to make application fol-
my Office" no matter what may be
the qualification, or how free the appli-
cant may be from reproach.
Wheeling, Jan. 9, 80. CITIZEN.