The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-05-08


mittcd the following report;
CosxIrTEE ROoN.
AUsTIx. April %, 1873.
Hon. e b. Pickett. President Of the Senate.
and Hon. r. d. II. TAYLOR, Speaker Of
the House Of Representatives:
sIR-Your SPECIAL Joint Committee. to
whom was referred concurrent resolution
directing enquiry into the official conduct
and accounts Of the Superintendent Of Pub
lie Instruction. and Of his subordinates in
Office, have performed the duties assigned /
them 10 the best of their ability, and report /
the following as the result Of their investi- 4
CATION, to-wit: I
1. IN the appointment Of ". B. Bon !
ner, Of Limestone notority, and Of Geo. /
". Smith, commonly known as 'Brenham- |
burner Smith, as inspectors of schools for
Grimes county, your committee are Of the |
opinion that the Superintendent Of Public |
Instruction did. in these appointments,
evince a wanton disregard Of public opinion, |
and a criminal disposition to make the
power, with which he IS vested, means by
which to reward party fealty at the expense
Of the common good. The character Of
these men, and the gross outrages with
which they were charged, certainly could
not have been unknown TO the Superinten
dent, and their selection 70 fill so high and
important a position Us that Of inspector Of
schools does not indicate that true devo-
ton to the best interests Of the department
over which he pTesides that was desired, if
not expected by the people. The testimony
Of B. A. Strange Go. 81, himself an APP
pointee as a member of the board of school
directors for the same county, discloses the
singular fact that Smith left the county as
soon as the Republican nominations had
been made, which circumstance, taken in
connection with the further fact that he
was at the same time postmaster at Corsi-
cana, and while inspector was not known
10 visit a single school in Grimes county,
leads the mind to the inevitable conclusion
that his appointment was made for political
purposes, and not in the interest of the peo-
/ pie Of the county to which he was sent.
What merits these men possessed beyond
those which the notoriety they enjoy
| Throughout the whole country warrants Gin
attributing to them, the evidence does not
show, and your committee feel justifed..in
the belief that the power was used, in this
instance, for the purpose of promoting the
success of that party of which the Superin-
tendent is so prominent q member, and in
whose efforts to control the country he has
played SO conspicuous part.
2. BY reference to the statement OF \.
S. Reed (No ~, it will be perceived that
Notwithstanding the Superintendent was
more than once, notified of the character
aud conduct of the board of school direct
ors of TarIsnt county no investigation was
ever directed into the truth of the charges
made against them by their superior in Of
fee (the witness), and for aught your COM
mittee know, these very same men are still
retained in Imposition TO which they were
originally assigned. Your committee can
find no excuse for the conduct of the Super
intendent in this matter, and deem it their
duty to invite the special attention of this
honorable Legislature to so palpable and
unjustifable a failure upon the part of the
Superintendent TO maintain the good char
acter of the common school system, and to
remove from official position such unwor-
thy persons as comprise the board of school
directors, of which the witness speaks.
3. The testimony of l.. p. Rucker, and
T. J. Lockett (Nos. 8 and 10 respectively,
subjects the Superintendent to another
charge Of very grave and serious charac-
ter-that is, partiality in the payment
of teachers. Your committee have
failed to discover any good reason why
teachers of colored schools, even though
they had come from the North, should
receive salaries larger than those
of the same grade, who teach white schools
II viii be seen from the evidence of Lockett
that six teachers of colored schools, who
were ladies from the North, received pay at
the rate of ninety dollars per month, while
all other teachers, who held the same char
acter of certificates, were paid only seventy
five dollars per month. That the Superin-
tendent was cognizant of this fact is beyond
, all doubt-the vouchers Of all teachers,
upon which alone payment could be made,
being subject to his approval. The rules
and regulations adopted by the Board Of
Education, under the act of November %,
1871, prescribing the salaries Of teachers,
allowing those who have second class GER
tificates seventy Eve dollars per month, but
authorizing the Superintendent, IN special
cases, to increase their salaries to ninety
dollars per month Why this discfimina-
ton was made does not appear in the evi-
dcnce except for the reason that these IA
vored teachers had large schools. But they
, were not without assistants and surely Ia
G5F.Siteg.o Of the schools to which s.iiiev wer,
! assigned did not require qualifications SUI
} perior to those necessary TO be possessed by
teachers Of white schools.
BY Rucker the fact is established that the
voucher of Washburne teacher of o col
ored school, was reduced by him to seventy
. I've dollars per month, and forwarded t
the Superintendent, who,- for some reason
/ unknown to witness. returned It, increasing
Washbune's pay to ninety dollars pei
. month True il is. that Washburne
s school was large, yet the evidence show!
that he was assisted by three others, all O
. whom taught the elementary branches il
e the same room.
The witness who held first class Ger
, tidcate, and was teaching a white school
& Ringing from fifty 10 eighty scholars, re
ccived only the pay Of second clas
n teacher
Your committee respectfully submit tina
The superintendent being. by virtue Of th'
present school law, vested with almost DIES
: rutic power, and requiring, with the dispo
siiioa 81 an inquisitor, the submission o
every official act of his subordinates TO hi
own critical inspection. should Ice held to
strict responsibility for every piece of i'm
fFruprieiy which may have come to- hi
knowledge and which he has not sought e
correct
4 The purchase Of states. through Ga
Intervention Of A. s. Mair no. % raises
Z very grave suspicion in the minds Of you
{ committee that a great fraud was pacticeC
s m that matter upon The State, and, further
/. mere, that said fraud was committed within
the knowledge and with the connivance. o
through the negligence of the Spperintend
ent. The witness, Mair. was instructed {,
s purchase from Q particular quarry certain
nQmirr II states. 1T IS not to be presumet
/. lhst the Superintendent would have re
{ strictes the witness 10 q single quarry. with
eat knowing Nhai would DC the cost. I,
S compliance with these Instructions. Mai
6 purchased four hundred and six states. Civ
: ing il payment therefor New York accept
Within twerty-ivc days after leaving th'
place If manefatture. and more thar sixt,
DAYS before the accepfanccs feii due, tn
slaies reached Galveston and Jefferson at
total eost % MAR Of 1854 -, vh-a Mai
was p1id Tor them the sum Of SS275, thu
rsa.sing net profit q SeSso.ss, on $