The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-24
WILL MAKE NO POLITICAL
SPEECHES.


State Superintendent of Public In
struction Mebane will not make any pO
litical speeches during this campaign
He does not think it would be proper
for him to do so. The office he holds
he considersfa non-partisan one, and he
will take no active part, therefore. in
partisan politics.
do you expect to go into the cam
paign and make political speeches?" ]
asked him yesterday
Il do not. / never attcmnted to make
n political speech in my life. and shall
not begin while in the office of Super
intendent of Public Instruction.
DO YOU think it wrong for the State
Superintendent of Public instruction or
candidate for that office to make poll
ticale SpeecheS?'
Il do not think it the proper thing 10
do. I did not go into the campaign of
1896 because | always thought that the
office should he as far from party poll
tics rs the office of judge of the SUI
preme court. and in fact the most re-
moved from politics Of any office in the
State. ] am aware that some of my
predecessors went into active cam
paignS ! do not mean to cast any re-
ly have different idea of the office in
this particular from what they seemed to
have had"
Speaking of the spectacle in South
Carolina Il few days ago whore the can
didate for the office of Superintendent Of
Pubic instruction fought before an an
dience. Mr. Mebane said:
Il think it was enough to make the
good people of that State hang their
heads in shame. God forbid that we
ShonId have such Il disgrace in our State
by the candidate for this important Of
flee. The South Carolina ease makes
it all the more important to remove the
office from partisan politics. We want
the office and its duties to have as much
dignity as any office in the State. We
want it to be more and more respected
by al our people. We want our peo-
pie never to expect any service from the
superintendent Of Public instruction in
Il political campaign any more than they
would expect from the Chief Justice of
our Supreme court to render service in
such campaigns"
DO YOU mean that a man who fills
the office must not belong TO any poll
teal party?'
Certainly he may belong to party.
hnt he should never even feel that he
owes any party any consideration more
than the Judge of the Supreme court,
when meeting out justice. feels an OBJ
legation to party"
You place high standard for the
dignity Of Your office Do You have any
hope of reaching this standard"'
Il have hope because | am keeping
out of partisan politics and am practic-
ing what ! am preaching on this sub
ject. My ideal may not be reached in
the minds of our people. but | can nj
least hope that they will look Mt this
matter with due consideration. and
sooner or later, it may not be in my day.
will see the force of my views upon this
public school work"
"Will this view be pleasing to your
friends generality"
" lido not know rs to that. but every
friend of public education who has heard
me on this subject and who has OK
pressed himself to mo has most heartily
agreed with me- This question MS to
whether this will be popular position to
take. is not the one of chief concern. but
the chief concern is whether it is right
or wrong, whether the canse of public
education can he served better or not
| believe this is the right view of the
office and its duties. believe the
cause of public education can be adj
vanced more rapidly in this way