The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-28
The Second Annual Meeting
COnveneS.
The SESSION LAST NIGHT
OPENING ADDRESS BY SUPERIN.
TENDENT MEBANF.
THE QUALIFICATIONS or SUPERVISOR
Discussed by Prof. N. c. S. Noble and Others.
Two Sessions will be Held Today
and the Closing one Tonight.

and the Closing one Tonight.
The first meeting of the second annual
session of County Supervisors of Public
Schools of North Carolina was held last
night in the House of Representatives. Su-
perntendent of Public Instruction Meb-
ane presided. The meeting was opened
by the reading of a scriptural selection
and prayer by the Rev. DR.. j. w. Carter,
of this city,
The organization was perfected by the
appointment of Mr. Paul Long, of Jack
son, as secretary.
The following is the address in part de-
livered by Superintendent Mebane, which
was warmly received
'.One year has passed since We were
assembled here as Il body of co-workers
in the cause of public education, year
of toll and labor, of care and anxiety,
mingled. of course, here and there, with
10y and pleasure. If you will pardon
ME for referring to myself. | will say
that | have never labored harder and
more persistently in my life. never have
/ felt the weight of responsibility rest
SO heavily upon me as during the pres
ent year, never in all my life have |
tried more earnestly to do my whole
duty especially to those whom | serve,
which means the whole people, for not
only the last year. but for two years.
Il find in looking over the list that
there have been nineteen changes since
the supervisors We're elected in 1897.
That is, we now have 10 supervisors
who are filling out the terms of those
first elected. So far as / know one
of the nineteen has died III. A. Grey,
of Mecklenburg.) Some resigned be-
cause of change Of business relations,
some moved from one county TO another,
and one. am sorry to say, was so un-
faithful to duty as to have to be removed
from office One of our number will be
in the next State Senate Several 9th
ers were candidates for different offices.
II have. ever since / came into pub
lie office, been laboring for a separation
of the public schools from politics. DIR.
Wiley in 1885 said: when party spirit
gets into the management of our schools
it is time to sut Them up
II have tried to beg and persuade
our people to rise above political pref
erence and prejudices and give the chill
dren of the State in every county the
benefit Of the services of the very best
regardless of political affiliations. l
have also called for a separation of our
public schools from the church schools.
In this separation the children for n
term or so may be the losers as TO the
qualification of their instructors, but
the public schools and the cause Of public
education will in the end make progress
by this division or separation.
Just so long as public school officers
are targets for the successful politicians
TO shoot at. and to kill and make alive
unless said officers do the bidding of
the successful party, just so long will
our public schools be a humbug and a
fraud. This is strong language, but
! mean every word of it.
Listen, my friends. while | make a
remarkable statement to you, but the
truth and the whole truth. | have been
doing official business with ninety-six
county supervisors for nearly two years,
and yet out of the ninety-sX men / do
not know the political affilation of more
than eight or ten of these men. / have
not asked single one what his politics
is. Those that | know. | knew by hay
ing known the men before they were
supervisors. Then let no man say that /
am saying these things tonight because
we have recently had Il political reyouz
tion in this State
Il stand here tonight ready to assist
in removing any county supervisor who
is not doing his duty. i also stand here
to defend the honest, conscientious,
faithful supervisor and will defend him
with all the power that | have, without
enquiring into his political affiliations,
or his religious belief
Il most heartily sympathze with a
supervisor whose committeeman have
not aided and supported him in many Of
his best efforts. | have no word Of COM
plant for those committeeman who have
done the very best they could. Some Of
these men have made sacrifices of time
and money in order to improve their
schools. have employed the very best
teachers that could be secured for the
means they had These faithful men in
some places have been abused and had
all manner of evil said Of them yet they
have gone straight forward, and have
done their duty as faithful representa-
tyes of public education.
We must educate, not only the chill
dren, but must instruct, persuade and
reason with the fathers and mothers OF
many communities
The man who will use his office as the
representative of the children for person
al or political gain is unworthy of the
position and should be forever condemn
ed by the people and those in authority
''In conclusion ! wish TO express my
appreciation of the sacrlhcc you have
made for the cau~ Of education III youl
respective ro1nties and especially your
sacrifices to attend this meeting. Let
this be your meeting. Let no supervisor
hesitate to speak out in our general dis
cussions We want this meeting to be
beth pleasant and profitable. Let each
have the courage to speak out candidly
and plainly for what he thinks is best fol-
the promotion and progress of our work
81 take this occasion to express my APP
a.. Nnrth lu