The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-07-02
The SeCretary's Interview.

Good morning, Mr.. Secretary" why, Mr..
Reporter, good morning. was not expecting
you, though 1 am very glad indeed to see you.
Have a seat" And then followed that sponta-
neous interview between COMET representa-
tive and Mr.. j. f, Brading, secretary of the
Board of Education as reported in THE COMET
of last week.
In answer to the first question propounded
by the reporter the learned secretary, with an
air of self importance, and with look indicat-
ing great depth of thought seeks further noto-
riety, and this time as a critic
He fairly pounCes down upon me, but some
what as bluebird upon an eagle. He seems,
strange to say, to have an Unborn adherence
for originality, and objects to my use of the
word principalship," and said in that con-
nection After looking through Webster's
Unabridged Dictionary without finding def
milton of the word principalship he conclud-
ed" etc.
Pertaining to the criticism. the thing that
surprises the people most u.s. to learn from the
secretary himself that he is ever under the ne
cessity Of consulting even an unabridged die
tiOnary for the meaning Of word but since
he has thus reflected upon himself, and admits
that he has done so at least once lately he will
pardon me, hope, for further rejecting upon
his profound learning to the extent of asking
him to please look at the word ship as a sutfix
AS result Of his Investigation / feel sure that
he will be forcibly impressed with the fact that
he should have studied more carefully the i'm
port Of suffixes. l might have used the word
principally and yet the word is not in all the
big dictionaries. The secretary should have
known that coined that word for his especial
benefit. supposing that he had long since dad
died. all the old ones.
One would naturally think that that famous
interview would have closed with the Secreta-
rvs criticism But he goes along, feeling that
he is making great defence for the school
| board, and finally tells us what we already
know, as to the adjustment of the office of SUI
| perntendent, borrowing money for the May
salaries, etc 1t would be hard indeed for the
secretary to convince the people that he told
the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
| truth"
| With big smile on his face the secretary
closes this, the monumental interview of the
age, He winds up by saying, in substance, that
| the ailment prompting the criticism was
Spasm Superinduced by an overdose OF ''SouT
| grapes" Well, he may call his medicine sOur
grapes if he desires, but from the way it worked
| up the patrons OF our public schools, would
| call 1t a compound OF something or other whose
principal ingredient is perfdy and that under
the circumstances after having abolished the
principals, of unknown and in one or two cases
questionable men regarding their fitness fol
the positions the dose was administered. too
in such quantities as to effect not only disap
pointed applicants, but also about nineteenth,
of the patrons of our schools.
| School teachers are not the only people whit
err in life. Physicians, through mistake, Otter
kill their patients lawyers sometimes convic
the Innocent; undertakers dig their own graves
and judges, with foul intent, carry deadly wea
pons; but it seldom happens that man. and
small one at that and a member OF a Schoo
board, too, though he may have charge of al
electric plant, ever gets so highly charged will
electricity as to shock, by his official acts, thu
whole people of Il town.
Yes, Mr. Secretary, will admit that Their
was some opposition to me, but have the sat
sfaction of knowing that the opposition wa
largely confined to the school board Had /
been left to the superintendent and teachers
with whom had been so pleasantly associated
or to the 300 and odd pupils whom love- or Il
the patrons of my school, the opposition woul
scarcely have been greater than that of tn
three who opposed me in,the Board Of Educa
ton. But am told, Mr.. Secretary that som
northern people used to object to our johnson
City ice on the grounds that it wasn't col
enough, and advocated the Importation of ic
from another state-0hio. believe This ma
or may not be true, but it illustrates princi
pie which seems to have governed your actio
in making out the states recently submitted t
the chairman of the board-not for discussion
but for ratification. W. X. MARTIN,