The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-03
CoIored Trustees for White schools
LETTER FROM EX-GONEENOK kEMPEK.
MADISON, VA, September Is, 1883.

LETTER PROM EX-GOVERNOR kEMPER.
MADISON, VA, September Is, 1888.
NV Dear Judge,-Answering the inquiry
OF your letter, | wish to assure you that j
have personally no knowledge and no re-
collection on the subject OF any negro be-
inc appointed Il school trustee during my
Executive term. All the information
have i'm the premises Is derived from the
late newspapers. | only know there never
was day when the appointment OF negro
school trustees with authority OF law to
choose white teachers and TO visit and TO
look after the conduct OF white schools
could have been more repulsiye to any
other man than myself.
The allegation, as | gather 1t from the
newspapers, seems to be that several ne
groes were appointed school trustees by
the Board of Education OF which Cover
nor Walker was member, and that one or
possibly two of these appointees were con-
tinued in their places or reappolntcd by
the Board OF which | was q member.
Whether or to what extent such allegation
NAV be true or false, or whether, in case a
negro was thus appointed or reappointed,
his color was ever made known to any
member of the Board OF Education at Rich
t..l
far as / am concerned, this accusation, In
every detail of it, is nothing but news.
With every effort to recall the past, | cam
not recollect that | ever heard OF negro
school trustee i'm Virginia until within the
last few months. Everybody understands
that members OF the State Board could not
know the men recommended
for such appointments throughout the
State.
NV idea is, that when names were sent
up with the usual recommendation from To-
cal school authority, and proved acceptable
to the Superintendent OF Public lnstruc-
ton, then they were accepted as satisfacto-
nv by the State Board as matter of course.
/ take 1t as rule that the real work OF Sc
Letting school trustees is done in the dis
tricts; and that having been done TO the
satisfaction OF the State Superintendent,
the State Board had no cause to make fur
Their inquiry unless, possibly, when more
than one name may have been proposed
for the same vacancy, or where objections
to q particular nominee may have come up
from his vicinage.
You are well aware that so far as my eX-
ecutive action related to the negro always
tried to accord him his exact constitutional
and legal rlghts-nothing less and nothing
more. You are we'll aware that when
vetoed the bill which practically disiran-
chised the negroes of Petersburg | was
burnt in effigy under the auspices OF
those, or some OF those. who now profess
to be foremost as friends and defenders OF
the negro. They have been extremists on
all sides. have been no extremist on any
side.
j have been and am for justice to the
negro, but | never saw the day when /
would knowingly clothe him with au-
thority over the schools Of the white race.
Ibid you God-speed in what you are do
ing for the redemption OF Virginia. No.
thing but the want OF health and strength
prevents me from joining you in your
labors.
With great regard, yours,
JAMES l.. KEMPER.
Hon. Waller X. Staples.