Evening journal., 1896-07-21
THE GOVERNOR INTERYENEO
CHARGES PREFERRED AGAINST
SCHOOL COMMISSIONER WHITE.
ExAminer BIddIe Says There is Not a
Word OF Truth in Them-If Commits
sionsr Ash Can De Removed Republic
cans VAN Control the Cecil Board


sionsr Ash Can De Removed RepubIi-
cans wln Control the Cecil Board.
ELKToN. Nd, July II Governor
Lowndes having appointed Clarence T.
McVay to take evidence In the case OF
school Commissioner John r. White, of
Cecil county, the matter has attracted
much attention. A good deal Of interest
Is taken In the case from the fact that 3
rumor Is fAoat that Governor Lowndes
will remove School Commissioners George
r Ash and appoint In his place Repub-
lican. II Mr. Ash can be removed and
also Mr. White. the Republicans will
control the board and have the appoint
ment OF the school examiner. 1t is
generally understood that Webster
White, who was a member Of the last
Legislature from Cecil ,oIuty, wants to
be examiner to succeed George Blddle
George Blddle, the present examiner, has
been connected with the public schools In
Cecil connty for more than twenty. FIVE
years
The charges against Mr. White are Of
different character from what the
governor said would have to be made to
cause his removal He decided that the
chsrges must chow that the commissioner
is incompetent and has not performed his
duties. Mir. Biddle, the examiner, says
that Mr. White has slway performed his
duties In a satisfactory manner Some of
the charges against Mr.. White are as
follows:
THAT the slgners to the charges
believe the interest of the public school
system demands the removal of John r
White from the Office of school commits
sioner and we do hereby earnestly request
his removal. White, while protesting 70
be Republican, has worked among The
colored voters Of the eighth district by
corrupt means to IL fuence them to vote
for Democratic candidates for office. In
the campaign Of '93 and '05 it Is notorious
that he did this.
THAT he advertised for repairs to an
old schoolhouse in the ninth district, and
after receiving bids from mechanics gave
the contract to q man who WAS not q
carpenter, aud when he went with this
man TO repair the schoolhouse found the
house torn down by parties unknown
becsuse 1t was not worth repairing.
1--WE believe that in appointing trus
tees he selests only men who will best
serve his purposes. without regard TO
their integrity or other qualifications.
His vote was. refused by the last Re
publican primary In the eighth district
and would also have been refused In
1898, but he did not then offer TO vote,
and In our opinion unfit him for the
[ position Of school commissioner.
"rhe other charge against him Is that
In August, 1898, Mr.. White went to
Zion to see the old Grove schoolhouse
aud what repairs would be needed. The
house WAS not tenantable, and the people
had asked for a new schoolhouse for
years. He promised to send the trus
tees blanks to petition for new school
bo use, but never did 1t. On his frst
trip 10 view the old house he tore large
hole In the roof, the only good part
about It. In few days he returned TO
repair the old building, being assisted
by some boys. He tore of the roof
rsfters and also removed the floor. The
old brick walls being so frail they would
not stand alone after all support was re
moved, collapsed, and the whole school
board blamed the people Of the commu
nifty for tearing down the house
An investigation before the grand Jury
established the fact that the Grove
schooi-houss was more likely to have
fallen down than to bave been pushed
I W ho0 Anc oiu EtnOll tVAAnpocu,
instead OF going on with the echool in
another building. they discharged the
teacher The trustees were not recog
nized as such and John R White is now
running the school under his own super
vision without trustees. Ths;iudges oi
the court ordered the school board C
procure a building and give the people 9
scnool at once. but this was not done anc
the children remained at home"
These are the main charges against
Mr.. White. Examiner Blddle was seen
few days ago with regard to them d,
said that theIe g was not a word of truth
In any OF the charges, and thet Mr.
White had been clearly viDdIcated In
regard to changing 6 school bill from 81
cents TO $1.S4. That the board hsc
heard the people who had brought the
charge against him. and that they failed
TO show that MIR. White had changed the
bill
AS heretofore stated, Mr.. White be-
longs TO = faction of the Republican
party opposite to the one now trying ts
oust him from office. He was : csndi
date on the Republican ticket for sheriff
some years ago, and was defeated, it Il
I charged bV mis- own DartV