The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-11-10

x
perintendent Mebane Orders an In.
vestigataon.
If the public school matters of any
county were ever run in a more
shameless and outrageous manner
than those OF Vance have been for
the past year or so there is no record
OF it. If all reports be true the law
has been utterly disregarded and the
public welfare basely ignored by the
man who is at the head of the public
school system in the county when it
served his own selfish ends to do so.
That the conduct Of this man has
been tolerated as long as it has does
not speak well for his associates in
official position or those who have
the public school interests of the
county at heart. He should have
been removed from office long before
now. And the surprise to all w ho
know anything of the way in which
he has manipulated things is that
charges have not been preferred
against him sooner.
But the reign Of Mr.. Matics will
speedily terminate if the Board of
Education does its duty. And it is
said the Boss has GOT to be too
bitter a pill for that delectable body
| which he has manipulated to suit hi S
own sweet Will. In the Nens und
Ojscrccr, Of the 2nd, the following
was published:
| Another Fusioni-t has gotten him
| self into troublous waters. Some
| time ago the record of the Fusion
| superintc cndent of schools in Watauga
| county, was exposed, and now A. Nj.
| Matics. holding Il like place in Vance
| county, must stand trial before the
County Board OF Education on seven
teen different charges, one of which
is permitting his daughter to learn
the nature OF an examination before
hand, that she might thereby get a
first grade certificate.
| The charges were preferred against
Matics before superintendent Me
bane, by Thomas Nj. Pittman as at
tornev for Samuel Bramc. (colored.
The charges are as follows:
| l. Mates urged the appointment
of his daughter as teacher; when the
committee elected another he tried
to induce l.. +. Howard, secretary OF
| 60 IL b, ,oo,rI l.
so a. to show the election of his
daughter. Howard refused to do this
and resigned his Office to escape such
corrupt and dishonorable solicita-
tions Witness: l.. L. Howard.
:. Matics sought excuse to have
Samuel Brame removed as a member
of the school committee of llender-
son township, because OF his refusal
to vote for Miss Matics as teacher.
Witness: Thos. :. Easton, Register
Of Deeds.
3. Matics tried to have himself
elected principal and his daughter
first assistant, anticipating the
claims of other teachers who had
been notified to present their appllca-
tionS at later date. In aid of his
candidacy he issued first grade
certificate to himself. Witnesses:
\. W. Chandler, Il. j. Marston, d
b. Satterwhite; L. W. Currin and
Samuel Brame, who composed the
Henderson school committee at thai
time.
t. Il. W. Currin was asked by
Matics to vote for him and his daugh-
ter, and when he declined, was told
bv Matics: You were appointed tC
do as YOU are told" Currin therefore
resigned. Witness: T. W. Currin
D. Matics offered Currin as con
sideration for his support of the
candidacy OF himself and daughter
that Currin's daughter should re
+ ccivc a first grade certificate, even
she didn't answer a single question
n correctly on her examination. O1el
was rejected. Witness: L. W. Currln
s. Matics then tried to have hi
daughter appointed teacher of ;
public school at Henderson cotton
mills He persuaded two OF tn
school committee to go with hlm a
10 o'clock at night TO the Tobacco
barn of ID. b. Satterwhite. and th'
three present consented to having
| Miss Matics teach the school. Ihl
without a meeting of the committee
being called, and without notice +
the chairman and one other membe
of the committee. Witnesses: \.
Chandler. r. j. Marston, ID. Is. Sat
trrwhite and Samuel Brame.
!. The school committee then me
II, Lot ffl =
whereupon Matics procured meet
inc of the County Board of Educa
tors and induced that Board: /. L
undertake to fix the salaries OF teach
ers in Vance county, though tn
school committee had already en-
rared teachers and fixed thel
Salaries: ,. To declare that Mis-
: Matics should teach the pubIl
y school. near the Henderson cottol
n mills. Witnesses: b. NJ. Holden, Chair
t man County Board of Educotlon
:, Mrs. Mamie B. Garden, principa
: public school for white children; }
k i. Eaton. principal public school 10
Il colored children; y. W. Chandler
u chairman school committees; K. j
u MarSton. late secretary of schoo
h committee.
, $. The next day the Henderso
s school committee in duly calle
meeting removed Miss Matics 4
teacher. whereupon Mates procure'
Il another meeting Of the Count.
Board of Education. who accepted tn
resignation of K. j. Mar>ton as
member of the committee. he de
clining to hold longer and submit
the Interference and intermeddlin
TO which the committee were Dem
: subjected by the supervisor and tn