The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-09-12

ed from the standpoint Of dollars and
cents alone. That money expended in
the education of the masses is expended
in good cause few will question; that
the monies expended upon buildings and
grounds and in other ways have, IN all
Instances, been judiciously applied, who
will venture to affirm!
An interest which involves an annua
tax upon community such as ours, of
fifty to seventy-fve thousand dollars is
one which should be carefully scrutinized
by those who have the tax to pay.
Those to whom is entrusted the eY-
pendture of so great an amount of the
peoples treasure should be men of iudg-
ment, of Intelligence and Of standing in
the community.
A Board of Education should. as far
as practicable, be represented by men of
some degree of education, competent to
Judge of the character of a school and
sufficiently well informed to Judge cor
rectlv of the work required and Of that
actually done by the teachers they EN-
ploy; ready also at al proper times to
adopt such measures ~ may be calculated
to facilitate the labors Of the teacher and
to so improve the character of their
school as to make them effective for the
fultilment of the important objects which
they are intended to accomplish.
Ward politicians, party trickstcrs and
those who belong to the numerous class
of seekers for petty public positions, are
not the men who are titt'd to direct or
control the educational Interests of the
community.
At the ensuing October election a full
Board of Education, consisting of TWEEN
ty-one members, three in each election
district. will be chosen, 'thc person in
each district receiving the highest NUM-
bcr for tie tern. Of sir gears, the person
receiving the next highest number for
the term Of four ycarS, and tie next
for the term Of two years and until II
successor is elected and qualified
Its for the voters to decide whether
the educational interests Of our city, COM
pared with which all other Interests are
Of vastly minor importance, shall be con-
trollcd for the next six years by proper
and.Suitablc men, or by politicians.
In every election district or ware of
the city may be- found men competent to
discharge the duties which pertain to tie
office Of School Commissioner. Part,
politics should be wholly ignored in tn,
choice of candidates. But how
is this to be done? Will nV the
ward politicians who manipulate the
party machinery and control the primary
meetings, do, as unfortunately has too
often heretofore been done, manage to
have put in nomination anybody who will
accept, irrcSpectiv" of fitness or qualitica-
ton, provided only that he is true to
party. If voters generally could be in
duccd to turn out to these primary meet
ingS and make proper selections of candi-
dates. this danger could measurably be
avoided
The wiser plan, however, would be to
remove this matter of the selection Of
candidates for the Board of Education,
entirely from the muddlc of politics.
This can only be done by calling primary
meetings of the citizens in each district,
irrespective Of party, with the sole object
of making choice of properly qualified
candidates for the Board of Education.
Cannot this be done? Who will move
in the matter? FIFTH WARD.