Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-12-27
The County School superintendent.

Editors Vi7dicator
The Spectator of the 9th inst contains this re-
mafkaDle paragraph written in connection with the
appointment of Charles Gratt:sn to the position of
County Superintendent of schools: "The impression
has gotten abroad that Mr. M. W, Quarles had been
recommended by the county board of Trustees for
this position. 1t is true that meeting OF the trls-
tees Was held there were present only seven out
OF the eighteen members, and majority of them
did recomm- nd Mr.. Quarles &c If the spectator
knows anything about this matter, it knows that
TINS was not as tntinates an erl oneuus impression
Unanimously recommended by the conn School hoo,
Doald Tuat this is true can BE- easily proven out Of
the Specta orr itself, fo1 in the issue Of Dec d,
1875, tiat paper says: THE vote Was EN- made
unanimous for Quaries, TIE chairman was directed
The o the Board the acon Of
to Nj QuarleS' recommen dation ,ods erroneous the
Spectator is responsible for creating that impress
say thati clrr, ct thea time, upon til point.
The fact that only seye lnemuers of the Board
guyp on M the to e1capae
the Richmond Board for appointing Mr. Grattan.
Il Is true tat only seven MemDers OF ne board were
present as the Special or' must know, had all tne
powers tIat full me- ting would have had and
and ought to have been as binding by unaisputed
custom upon the Richn lond Board; as if the whole
one SO Ginning in his rgum nts as tine spectator
has any DOUBTS, as to ne binding force OF tine County
Oil dCCt EnG Oh Sl dIt -uuduec dG
the meeting Of the Cou nty Board, those DOUBTS can
be easily re owed by a. knoweedge of The fact that
subsequently to the az tion of this ara, composed
OF seven members, tn ell recommendation Was r2tl
fed by nearly all of tlae absent members, who un-
qualifiedly endorsed Mr. Quarles and as against
Mr. e. attain. Seventh cen out If The eighteen endofs
ed Mr.. QuarleS, only endorsing Mr. Grattan.
Or. Ruffaer. it is believed was in favor Of MIR.
quafieS alnst all the; candidates. He had been
III ri auntOn twice ju previous to the elect On OF
County Superintend nG and gave the matter special
attention and was lsrefOre better quali1ed to act
mteligenty in this matter than either of the other
members Of the Boa I'd at kic mond and yet hs,sug-
gestons seem to ha met with the sane fate at the
hands of Gov Ho uiday as did the County School
Boa DIS recommep ioati0n. 1t is conceded tn his
excsllency the Go vernon, is solely responsible for
this outrage upon the people and this insult to the
guSta COUNT, posed it is OF some of her best
l have looked il / vain for some excuse for Gov
Holiday i'll this mattel but have found none, not
He has totally Msregarded the wishes of Augusta
county repreSeI Iative free school men and actua
ted by motives VI 1avorlt1Sm as gar1ng and as pat
ent as ever for md lodgment in the Deast of Geh
Grant has depr red the people of Augusta county OF
the services a. county Superintendent of Schools OF
one who possess ed all the necessary qualifications
for the position and would have been most accepta
Mi. QuarIes is county man and the office he
sought is cou Mty office.
Mr.: Grattan belongs to separate and distinct
school lurlSul eJlon, having no kind OF connection
Mr.. Quarles,, am told, intended devoting his
whole time to the duties OF the office. MI. Graft III
is lawyer al I'd his time must necessarily be div
ded between his profession and his school duties,
and the scho OILS must thereby suffer, Tor you cannot
serve God a nd Mammon.
Mr.. QIal les was recommended by all whose
opinion and judgment was ught, as for example,
by the Co uniy School Beard OF Trustees, by the
Board OF SU perviSOrS; by Maj. Jed HotchkiSS, eX-
Supernten dent OF County Schools, who is recognzed
as, and is ennphatcally an educational man of the
highest att ainmentS, and strong supporter of the
free school system; by j. E. Guy, who was for some
lime an eS ceedingly able and efficient County Su
perintende mt; by DR.. r. S. Hamilton ex-ouperinten
dent COuu ty Schools and present Superintendent Of
the public schools of stanton whose recommenda
ton alone ought have been sufficient TO ensure the
office to MIR. Quares and by host OF others, bui
only me D. ion officials and officials Mr. Grattai
was recOr amended by one member of the Board oil
Trustees and on member of the Board of Supervi.
sOrS Mr.. QuarleS is. and has been r0ng supper
ter of the Free school system and connected with il
since its ncipiency. Mr.. Grattan has always been
looked u pom as antagOustic to it.
Mr., u larleS is q teacher OF experience and am
told &c Epd one Mr. Grattan has had very little, il
| any ex perience as a free school teacher MI
Quarles had for the above reasons strong claims up
on the office Had MIR. Ora tan anys l refer you
| for an answer to Gov. Holiday am persuaded
that tn ere is too much intelligence and manness in
| Angus ia county not to see and promptly resent
| such a, gross wrong as has been perpetrated upon
her, md know that she is as ready to rebuke ia
| yoriti SIN in State officers she has been in
Fede raj officials.
| COUNTY