Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-03
Meeting Of the county School Trustees.

THE MATTER OF COUNTY sUPERINTEN-
DENTs-WHAT THE BOARD THINKS OF
THE STATE BOARDS ACTION-REsoLU-
TIONS ADOPTED.
The County School Board met in the
Court room on Tuesday, at II clock tt
consider the recent action OF the State
Board in appointing MIR. Charles Grattan
of Staunton, Superintendent OF County
Schools, when Mr.. M. w. Quarles, Pfinci
pal of the graded school at Waynesboro,
had been recommended to it for the ap-
pointment at meeting of the County
Board. There were present on Tuesday.
Messrs f. l.. Fultz e. A. Fulcher, W
H. Davis, DR.. [. Dunlap, M. R. Coalter,
VIM. Withrow, I'll. II. Hamilton, L. 5.
Hog head, A S. Turk, W. A. Hanger S.
G. Wilson and T. P. Wilson. DR.. Robt S.
Hamilton acting Superintendent of Coun-
ty Schools, (Mr. Grattan not having yet
qualilied) presided.
DR.. Hamilton in calling the meeting to
order explained the reasons for it. The
official action of the former meeting al
which Mr.. Quarles had been recommended
had been, he said, forwarded to the State
Board and also good deal OF the ullnutlae
of the proceedings which might Indicate
to the State Board the whole t enor of the
PROCEEDINGS with regard to his (Dr. s.
successor as County Superintendent. The
result, as the L GARD knew, had created a
good deal of surprise. There Was, as far
as knew, no sort of rivalry in this matter
between town and county and the result rad
struck every one, especially school men,
with surprise. The matter had been talk
ed over by citizens, had been presented to
the District Trustees, had gotten into the
papers and had created, as his hearers
I were aware, good deal Of excitement.
was asked, said DR.. H., by several MEM
bers of the Board TO call it together but
did not do SO, as | could see nothing that
it could do in the matter. But finally
received legal notice which required me
to call it together and to this call is due
this assembling to-day.
We do not claim now. and never have
claimed the power to make the appoint
| ment. We were asked to recommend a
suitable person and we did SO. No action
of ours now can tend to allay the excite
ment, further than an harmonious express
sion of our intention to submit to the pow
ers that be. 1 do not hesitate to say tina!
the present Superintendent is not re-
sponsible for the surprise and it would
hardly be possible to take any further &C
tion than that indicated, that would not
embarrass. if not mortify him, something
which I understand the feeling Of this
Board is not to do.
After silence of some duration, Nj.
E. A. Fulcher rose and said e desired
simply to state his connection with the
matter. He had voted for Nh Quarles
| from first to last at the former meeting
because he bell we'd hi the best lifted for
the position. He had voted against hear
neghbor who had many qnalificati ions and
against Mr.. Hanger who had all his sym
/! pathies, and did SO purely in the line of
duty believing that Mr.. Quarles, with
whom he had no acquaintance, was best
| qualified. 1t was needless to tell those
who heard him that the position of School
| District Trustee was thankless one with
annoyance and without compensation and
as they had, after being requested by DR..
Ruffner, expressed their pr reference; pre-
| ference grounded on qualification, there
was nothing left after the action of the
Governor.-I say the Governor, because
| understand DR.. Ruffner favored Nj
| Quarles, and Gen. Fields who had little
interest in the matter had finally decided
| with the Governor-but for US to reSigi
our positions. Speaking for himself. Mr.
| F. said, that was the course he had deter
mined on. He had heard that Mr.. Graf
| tan was an enemy of the public school sys-
| TEN. Nothing, it was true, had been said
OF town and country. but the fact stood
that if country people wished to send then
children to the city schools they had to
pay for it. It was separate jurisdiction
and he denied Ghe right of the State Beard
to appoint an officer fro 4 aseparate school
| jurisdiction.
| MI. Withrow, of Waynesboro, thought
it would be better toappoint committee
|
something tangible. He suggested COM
mitt. Of three.
DR.. Ha elton Wouldn't it be better to
have one from each district.
MIR. Withrow-I have no objec ton.
Perhaps that would be better.
Mr.. +. S. Hogshead said he had voted
for Mr.. Quarles at the former II Getting,
but thought at the time that the County
Board had nothing to do with the appoint
ment. He would Ike to know now, if the
County Board had been requested by the
State Board to recommend gentleman.
Before We took that Board to task he
thought it woul be Letter to know this.
| Dr.. Hamilton-Yes; request was re-
ceived by me and circular was also re-
ceived.
| Mr.. Hogshead-We all received the cir
cular, but whether that gave us the right
| to recommend is what want to know.
DR.. Hamilton-The request was made
on several accounts. The small express
sion Of preference made just previous to
the first meeting-some recommendations
by Individual trustees-had been sent to
the State Board, and that Board sent a
requt st to him that he get as foil an ex-
preston as possible from the County
Board, and he, the speaker, had expressed
the hope that there would be no indiffer-
ence in the matter, and that there would
have been full express on. at the time,
however that he expressed that hope, he
also stated that the State Board had the
appointing power and did not feel itself
bound by the action of County Board,