The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-17
........ FLOR the Dispatch.I
The appointment of County Superfn-
tendents or Schools.

tendents or Schools.
Mr.. Editor: Inasmuch as the charge that
7 instructed county superintendent to INTEL
fere with elections was made in the Wing
nearly year ago, and answered at the time
over nv own name, shall not occupy your
SPACE with repeating the easy explanation
then given, unless there is really some occa-
sion for my doing so; and as within three
months last past answered in the Osspatch,
also over my own name, the assertion
that my powers were dangerously large, and
then showed that had less power given me
By law than is possessed by most heaos OF
departments, thEnk it scarcely worth "hlle
now to notice specially the same assertion
repeated by your correspondents. But IN
treating Of the appointment Of county super
intendents by the Board of Education, l
Shall incidentally notice the often-repeated
declaration that the Superintendent of Pub
lie instruction practically is the Board.
The Board of Education cannot invest
man with the office of county saperinten-
dent Of schools without the concurrence of
the Senate, which Of itself is sufficient
safeguard against improper appointments.
The Senate always considers nominations
for this office in secret session, and the Sena-
tors naturally and properly feel aadeep inter-
est in these appointments. Can it be sup
posed for moment that senator would
allow to pass unchalenged an Objectionable
name proposed for the school superinten.
dent Of county which he represents, or the
| failure to appoint the proper man. And If
| the Beard of Education and the Senate con-
cur, wherein lies the danger?
| 1t may here be stated that out Of the hurs
dreds of appointments hitherto made by the
Board of Education not an objection, to the
best Of nv knowledge and belief, has ever
been made to any one of them on5the floor OF
the Senate, They have certainly always
been confirmed; and ] predict that they al.
. WAYS will be so long as men OF common sense
compose the-Board Of Education, because,
in view of that ordeal, the Board, II Tor no
other consideration, would strive to select
the very best men Offering. :.
I But as to the part of the work done py
the Board Of Education, there is no way Of
changing that except by changing the Con
stituiion Of the State. If "P." or anybody
else thinks that the Board Of Education
ought to be differently constituted, or thai
school superintendent ought to be appointed
e in some other way, no doubt the Legislative
Committee on Constitutional Amendment!
II would give him patient hearing. AS thu
organic law now stands, the Board of Edu
cation must perform the melancholy duty o
In explanation of the use Of the wore
q "melancboly." allow me to mention tina
Thomas Jefferson, near the close Of his life
said that the appointing power is the mos
undesirable function that can be ATTACHED t.
D a public office; "for,' said he, "euery tim
:. an appointment is made the appointing po,oe
makes a hundred enemies and one ingrdte.'
+, I am not sure about the stingrate; but tina
there is some truth in the first part l an
q fully satisfied. But, never mind the suffer
u iugs of the officeholder. He is born to trou
bic. as the sparks are to fly upward; that is
e if he does bis duty. It is the public interes
], we are now considering. 49, te-s
= Here are three men-the Governor, tn
't Attorney. General, and the Superintendent
% Public Instructon-who constitute boarl
l. charged with making these important az
pointments. 1t seems that the liberties {
l. the people would not be imperilled if thes
c, three gentlemen would all attend to thei
$ business; but the danger is supposed to cor
- sist in the imagined fact that two of thes
VI gentlemen neglect their duties, or by som
49, means come 80 much under the influence {
the third that at least it is only "one.ma
ys power" If this were really the fact the al
tack should be made not on the on
D. man who does his duty, but on the tW
y men who are unfaithful. But when it
ia considered what sort Of men are chosen
a fill the offices of Governor and Attorney
a. General, is it not q most unnatural suppos
ton to suppose that they would eithe
d treacherously abandon Q great public il
terest committed to their charge, or that the
IL would, as matter of intellectual indeper
J. dence or of personal reputation, deputiz
any man TO do their thinking and acting In,
matter demanding the sharpest discrimin'
10 ton, the soundest Judgment, the braves
Il spirit, and most incorrppnble Integrity
Of 4hey would certainly utilize any, khoWleds
possessed BIZ the: S. P. l., but they won
5 ttlke 1t for what it Is worth and nothh
more. i Es5 Xxx
a Now, as q matter of actual fact, the mer