Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-01
Mr.. MASSEY'S REPLY.
WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE SONS
OF VETERANS RESOLUTION. !.
HISTORY LECTURER WAS YIRGMIAS.
DID Not Know He Entertained Opsn-
ions Imputed TO Hins--sonthePp
Books ON the Lfst--CalIs AttentiOH
to Efficiency OF school system. J

Hon. John r. Massey. Superintendent of
Public Instruction OF Virginia, who wss
severely criticised in series OF pream~
bles and resolutions offered by Mr.. +. W..
Mahood in the meeting OF Lee Camp. sons
| OF Veterans on Monday evening. makes
reply to Mr.. Mahood's charges, answering
each point raised In the resolutions pre-
sented by that young gentleman.
The preambles and resolutions In quess
ton state, first, that a letter has been
| published from Professor G. w. Miles,
history at one OF the summer normals
had told one OF his colleagues, q citizen
OF New York. that "Jeff. Davis is coming
to be considered man OF the type 90
Aaron Burr or Benedict Arnold" &C..
and then proceed to anathematze the
above utterances. to censure the normal
authorities for the selection OF this hiss
tory teacher holding that these authors
ties could have informed themselves oc
this mans fitness to teach Virginia teach
ers the truths OF history. Mr.. Massey Is
then strongly censured for sending to
Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts,.
Kansas, Illinois, and New Jersey for
teachers for these normals. IL being as
sured that there exist enough teachers In
Virginia to teach Virginians, and thau
this policy is calculated to and does harm
the public schools OF our State.
CENSURE MIR. MASSEY STRONGLY.
The resolutions critlclse the policy oe
selecting school books. and ask for
change in the existing law in this respect.
and then deal with Mr.. Massey as foi>
lows:
although not political organizations
we hereby censure the Hon. John +. Mas
sey. as head of the public schools OF this
State, rs being totally unfit for his office.
knowing, as we do. his action In placing
Barness History on the lists, allowing ic
TO remain after the publication OF better
histories, and IN selecting teachers for
our schools who place the honored head
of the Confederate states of America In
the same category with that OF the firsH
American to betray his country.
THAT a committee Of five members of
this camp be, and is hereby, appointed,
to be named by the commander, whose
duty II shall be TO correspond with all
organizations In this State which have for
their purpose the perpetuation OF true
history and the memory OF the Confede-
rate to remote posterity, and ask such
organizations to pass similar resolutions
to these. and send them, with appro-
pirate letters TO their representatives IN
the next Legislature for the vacation o;
the present incumbent from the position
OF Superintendent OF Public lnstructiof
and the substitution OF an official who hal
the good OF the schools at heart, and no
as a reward for political services"
THE sUPERINTENDENT'S REPLY.
Under the rules OF the camp the resolu-
tions were laid upon the tablo until the
next regular meeting, which will take
place next Monday night, but copy Of
them was yesterday shown TO Mr.. Mas
sey. who is at his home al Charlottesville,
and IN reply to them he wired the Dis
patch as follows:
TO the Editor OF the Dispatch:
The resolutions offered at n meeting OF
the "Sons OF Veterans have this moment
been shown me. Answering upon the
impulse of the moment. my answer must
necessarily be brief and without much
thought.
l. The teacher of history at Radford
was not northern man. but o Mr.. Bur-
ton, of Culpeper, Va, whose loyalty 20
the South or It's heroes I never heard
questioned. Had / supposed be enter
tanned such opinions OF the heroes ot
the Lost Cause" as he Is reported to
have expressed. he would never have been
employed by me.
=. AT tHt itlAt9l VI bthNini '''ph'n 's
Lee / examined large number Of school
histories, and decided that OF those ,ben
published Hansell's first. and Shnn's
next, were best for southern schools.
These were adopted by tho UNITED Camp
of Confederate Veterans" In the order
named, and were placed on rho Hist OF
textbooks for our public schools These
histories were not In existsnc, when
Barness history was put IN the list of
text. books.
8. My constant aim has been 10 50 i'm
prove our teachers az 20 o1yiate the ne
cessity Of seeking any aid abroad. and
have only employed outside help from
teachers OF distinguished ability. IN spe-
cial lines OF work. Our normal teachers,
with but few exceptions. were Virginians
no man is a more ardent southerner than
/ am. or more firmly believes IN the pr'r-
ciples for which we fought than I co.
L. As to the educational interests OF
Virginia, the work speaks for Itself. and
may be read and knoGn OF all men,"
Very respectfully.
JOHN y. MASSEY.