The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-23
RICHMOND, January %, 1874

| hlCHMOND, JANUARY IA 1911.
70 the Editor Of the Dtspatch:
In yesterdays Dispatch you quote some
thing from the Richmond correspondent OIL
the Alexandria Sentinel, and then say :.
eve avail ourselves of the appearance o.
the above paragraph to express our opinion
that DR.. Ruffner is capable, faithful, and
efficient, and will probably retain his office
| as long as he desires to do so if he will con.
sent to deprive himself of what members
doubtless consider too much power. We
regard him as model superintendent Of
public instruction !; but neither to HIM nor
to any other man would we be willing to
entrust the welding for many successive
years of such influence as now belongs to
his office. In ten years he would be able
to rule the Virginia Legislature as Tom
Scott is said to have ruled that Of PennsYl-
vania.o A.s4 ss bgsa as .t
In reading these remarks on my poor
| self cannot say whether I felt the more
| Aattered or alarmed. l have never thought
much of myself as an officer, and ii
never occurred to me that was dan
gerous character. IF be the latter, /
ought to be shorn; but perhaps there is
| some mistake on this point. A great
deal more power has been ascribed to
my office than ever discovered. l have
no patronage to bestow-not particle.
appoint nobody-not even my own
two hard-worked and poorly-paid clerks.
And in this respect | have less power
than any other head of department, and
| less than the clerks of the Senate and
House of Delegates. ela
I handle no public money, appropriate
no money, and draw no drafts on the
treasury for any purpose whatever. oc-
| casion no expenditure that is not allowed
by the board of education.
have no power of command except in
the way of general interpretations of the law,
and of practical instructions as to carry
ing out the school laws and regulations,
| all of which are published before the eyes
of the world. Beyond this cannot con-
troll the action Of any one connected
with the school system. Cases may be
decision may render is liable to reversal
by the board of education. "a
Then, if | appoint and remove nobody,
control nobody, and handle no money,
! wherein do threaten the public liberties Z
education am only one Of three menu
l DcTS, Auu IL ~ Couiu Uc pFoftu tHHt hlu
more than match for the Governor and the
Attorney-G General combined, then | ought
to have a higher office, or at least get o
better salary
AS you have the law on your table, Mr.,
Editor, and are recognized authority in
legal interpretations, (Which remark make
sincerely, respectfully ask that you will
point out the section or clause which con.
fers on the superintendent of public in
struction any dangerous grant of power,
and | will unite with you in laboring ia
have it changed.
| That the Superintendent occupies an in.
fusntial position no one would attempt to
deny, andI should hope that no one wouli
have it otherwise but the character O
his influence is chiefly moral and educa.
tional. There is immense power in I'll,
school system--power for good in goot
hands, and power for evil in evil hands
But submit that the centre of this power
is not in the superntendency. And care.
full study of the law will exhibit the fac
that whilst world of important duty II
laid upon the superintendent he is sufficient
ly strapped in the matter of power. p
1t is very likely, Mr.. Editor, you coulG
quote instances in which I exhibited unbe
coming torwardness in pushing the educa'
ton cause and IN defending it from deadly
perils, but beg that my sins be not lai(
to the charge of the school system.
| w H. RUFFNER.