The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-12-30
POLITICS IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

Inc scheme of certain politicians 10
obtain control of the public schools OF
the state CT New York is surely work
ing itself out. We are sorry to see that
| Governor Roosevelt has become party
to the scheme. Under the present law
IN the Empire state, the board OF re-
gents is an inseperable barrier De
tween designing politicians and the
pubic school sys.em. The high char-
acter of the board of regents is sufn-
cient warrant that it can be trusted 10
safeguard the schools against evil de-
signs of politicians in all parties
In order to overcome the obstacle
which the board of regents presented 10
! the plans of certain politicians VINO
wish to make the system of education
part Of the great Republican machine
radical change in the present law was
imperative. Hence the politicians sSI
to work to bring this change about III
manner that would arouse the least
suspicion. 1t was proposed to SO cur
tail the power of the board of regents
as regards the educational system OF
the state, while at the same time 1T
would retain the dignity of the name
merely. To accomplish this Governor
Roosevelt's aid was essential, and re-
suits show that it was readily obtained.
The governor appointed a commits
sion with power to report scheme OF
education supposedly for the best in
terests of the people. This commission,
which was strictly partisan in its conn
position, had among it's members, a
minority which under no circumstances
could be induced to turn the public
schools over to politicians. The major
ity proposed and adopted u plan giving
the governor power to appoint an active
board of regents, the members of which |
of course, would be Republican politi- I
clans, but which at the same time made |
honorary members of the present high
ly respectable board. The plan also t
provided for a superintendent of edu-
cation who would office for eight years
at a SALARY Of $4,000 per annum. The I
scheme further provides that said sup
erintendent shall be appointed by the
board of regents eight years mark we'll
the point after the enactment of the
partisan scheme into law. The first
with an incumbency of
office of eight years is to be appointed
by Governor Roosevelt. This is a piece
Of fine political trickery. We have no
iou BIT Governor Roosevelt and his par
.isans figure that about eight years
from date a Democratic governor may
De in office who could hardly be ex-
oected to re-appoint Governor Roose-
yelt's creature, in which case the power
% appoint a superintendent would de-
1olve on the board of regents, all good
of course selected by Gov
,rnor Roosevelt himself. How very,
reu'y fine indeed.
It is worthy of note that the one
of Governor Roosevelt's COM
who refused to be a party of
he nefarious political scheme of it's
reator which e commission adopted
S a Roman Catholic, Judge Joseph
DAILY of New York. The efforts to in
-eigle Judge Daily into sympathy with
he plans of the commission would
make interesting reading. The writer
f this article has personal knowledge
f suggestions made by interested
arties to get Judge Daily in line be-
ausa, as was affirmed, if he could be
Induced to vote for the plan "all danger
f sectarian bias would tJe removed"
To be very plain the scheme to make
he New York public school system an
djunct of a great political machine is
ne worthy of an avoved enemy of
american institutions. How little al
cart some men have the welfare of {
his government is evident from the ,
hammer in which they would jeopardize !
I'd all for the sake of political ad-
antage.
The man who would turn tine educa- +
onal system of any state in the Union ,
ITO political football is unworthy the =,
lffrage of his fellow citizens. 7