The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-28
HARRISON COUNTY.
County Superintendent Of. Schools
Defended Against the Attacks Of
HPhIlOm."
CLARKsBVRG, ". Va, a

CLARKsBVRG, W. Va, April &c.
To the Editors OF the IntellIgeneer.
Gen. X. s. NorthcOtt, a school commits.
sioner, for the Clarksburg School Dis
lrict, seems TO have taken umbrage at the
County Superintendent Of Free Schools
in this county, and INDUCES In quite a
philippe against that officer in the
Wheeling lETELLIGENCRR under the nom
do plume Of "Philom."
This irate commissioner, whose daugh.
ter is q teacher in the Clarksburg graded
school, Is sorely YeXed because the Coun-
~ Superintendent in his report, does not
speak IN very ilstteripg or complimentary
terms OF the conduct and progress Of
said school under the management Of
NorthCOtt and others. He should have
lauded NorthCott and complimCnted him
upon his scholarship, his gentleness and
refinement, his polished manners and I'D.
dress, his kempt beard and general good
looks, rivalling as he does Apollo in
beauty. Had he done this Northcott
would have been happy. He would not
have been troubled with a sour stomsch,
and the public would have been spared
the exhibition Of petty spite and
mean personality, displayed In the
article signed "Philom." There Is moth
ing in the Superintendent report TO war.
rant Northcott's structures, or at which
Offense can be taken, unless itlbe offensive
TO some people TO tell the truth. Every
body knows that there has been and IS
great complaint about the graded school
IN Clarksburg and its management. The
lack oil discipline, the inefficiency. OF some
ofthe officers and the want OF proper gov
eminent in this school In Clarksburg, are
matters Of public notoriety and talk. In
Justice to the tax. payers, 1t was the duty
Of the Superintendent to call the attention
of the proper officer 10 these facts In order
that they might be corrected. II upon
Investigation Il turns out that under the
superintendence OF Northcott and his as.
soCiates, incompetent persons are permit
ted to conduct the school, and the people
are taxed TO pay unfit persons TO teach,
the facts should be known and. the evil
corrected. Leniency to incompetent Off.
Gals who arc paid out OF taxes wrung
from the overburdened taxpayers, Is in
Justice TO the public-whelher commits.
siOners, principals, or teachers let them
be exposed. The education Of the
youth of the country is a matter
OF too much Importance TO be left
In the hands Of charlAtans and ig-
noramuses. To the knowledge Of the
writer the Superintendent has been strict.
" non-partisan. He has no connection
with the "Camden Ring" or any corrupt
political faction, and is as free from such
alliances and influences as Northcolt. In
charging the Superintendent with being
"eyer ready 10 do the dirtiest work Of the
Democracy" Gen. Northcott Is simply
looking in his own mirror, and measuring
tho Superintendent grain in his own
half bushel. A familiarity with "dirty
work" breeds in some minds the belief
that TO grovel in dirt and filth is the nor.
NAL condition OF all men. People who
chSrge.others with doing dirty work gen.
orally succeed in convicting but one and
that one themselves. A perusal Of the
Superintendent report is sutilcint re.
lutRtion OF the false charges made in the
communication referred to, and shows
that the structures Of the author of that
communication proceed from spirit OF
malignity, and are unwarranted by any
thing contained therein. II his purpose
was 10 stiae inquiry into the conduct and
management OF said school and shift
the responsibility from his own and other
shoulders for its bad management he will
be disappointed. PHIIoM, JR.