The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-18
gelaeol Trustees. Il
tForthe Dispatch.1


school Tsuhsees.
tForthe Dispatch.1 N y.
MILLER's PosT-orFtcE, EssEx. VA.
August IL 1871.
Il The Constitution of Virginia requires
that the trustees Of tho public free schools
shall be "elected /" annually each
year--by the people; and why the Legisla-
ture, hasing It's action upon one toord only,
and that word itself one rendered OF no
effect nv the prccod'nv and subsequent
parts of the game clause, in which Gap
pointed" don't appear, should. in viola
ton of she.yerv spirit and letter Of the
Constitution, deprive the people of the
ants. hut should confer this esscntia, right
In right of The people essential to liberty
itseiD upon the Board Of Education. cannot
be answered. unless our legislators intend
ed to make the Officers of tbA nublic schools
an irresponsible, absolute oligarchy. asthey
now are to all intents aud purposes. BY
the nresent frce-school laws, the petty,
ignorant. or learned, native or alien born.
county Superintendent Ia sole autocrat"
in his hailiwick. having. virtusllv, absolute
control over all the public free schools in his
circnit~; and we fear has trustees often too
rend;ly "dance attendance to his nod. He
nomnates ,ohon, he ,riu, aud the Board Of
Education, rs q general rule. acts accord
ingly--hence, his mere nomination Is tpso
fdcto his own appointment of trustee. The
Constitution intends that the trustee shall
act as check upon the county superin-
tendent, and not he his tooi-shall be indie
pendent Of, not, dependent upon him in
any way.
with this virtually absolute power Of
appointment the county Superintendent
can have everything "cut and dried" an
terror to the meeting Of the trustees over
which he ,rresidies: and with no little
vanity he hears the clerk read his netty
[ukases, and with supercilious cir he
treats every one who darcs oppose his
"ipso dirit," and this, too, to the no little
modification Of any man having one spark
of fire in him. We do not admire vanity,
q domineering spirit, or supercitious air
in men even Of education and talent !; but
in county superintendent, public free
schools, destitute Of both these claims
to superiority, become in the eyes OF the
public abomipahlc, and render the pub
lie free school system obnoxious to
ievery right-minded man. BY tic pow.
ers conferred upon him, directly and
indirectly, the county superintendent can
locate his school-houses precisely to sal
his oaon friend and at any cost that suits
the "favored few" who build them, and
can appoint rs trustees, teachers, &C., just
such of his own connexions by birth OF
marriage IS suits him. to the no small detri
ment and dissatisfaction nf the rest Of the
lpeople. Yet the people, who support both
officers and schools, have no remedy against
these tyrannical outrages of a county su'
perntendcnt, for they have no voice in
these schools, and are never recognized 10y
or known to the public free-school laws
except when the taX.collector, for the sup
port of free schools and the officers, with
as much authority as death itself, makes
the irresistible and irrepreSsible demand Of
the Impoverished taxpayer, "Pay up, OF
be sold out" If, as required by the Con.
stitutlon, the people elect the trustees,
they would elect competent men whom they
well know-men LATTER their own hearts,
the people. and having q common interest
with and a sympathy for their neighbors,
and being equally interested with them in
the usefulness and success Of these schools,
sthey would appoint suitable teach
ers, entirely regardless Of the wishes
or appointments of the county SUI
Iperintendent. Thus and then the pe0-
| pie who support these schools and
| the appcndages would have voice in
them through the trustees, their represen.
tatiyes, and would take an Interest in their
4 stlcCe>S. uc u uStCCS, huUNluS tucIl OD-
legations TO the people-not to the super
intendent, nor to the Board of Education
would watch both, and less money would
be squandered, less partiality would be
shown to "select few D." family connec-
tions, and last, but not least, the county
superintendent would have less opportu-
nifty to use his Office as a stepping stone to
political houOrs. We must have checks
and balances in the operation OF the free
school system as in other things, and the
sooner this one man power of county SUI
perintendent is abolished, and the trustees
are elected by the people, the better it
will be for the people ; and the sooner the
public free schools will become useful and
popular with many of the people. Be-
lieying that the popularity, usefulness, and
success of the public free->chools depend
almost entirely upon their management,
we trust that the people will unite ut the
| peXt election in selecting men who will
place the election of the trustees OF public
| thresholds, where the Constitution places
it, in the hands OF the people, where it
rightfully belongs. LOUISA.