The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-13
Mates CAME
OUT IN THE LEAD
State Board of Education Act
On His Appeal.
He WAS REINSTATED
He WAS REINSTATED
HAD BEEN REMOVED By VANCE
COUNTY BOARD.
ONLY ONE VOTE IN BOARD AGAINST HIM
Was that Of the Super niendent Of 'ublic
Instruction He Was Given Ms Certificate
of Reinstatement Y,s,erday and
Was Exceedingly haDpY
Was Exceedingly Happy

Mr. \. NJ Mates. OF Henderson. was
happy man yesterday. The State Board
of Education having reinsta'td him rs
county school supervisor of Vance
county.
November 24th last tho county board
of education removed hiIc as county
supervisor ard from Their decision lie
had appealed to the State Board Of Edu
cation.
Yesterday the board met III l. O'Clock
and concluded the IN .esti9atlol which
was partially gone intog at Il meeting
last Tuesday night. All thn evidence tax
en- Ivy the Vance county board was laid
before the State hoard The defendant
was represented by :. =. Hicks. nf Hen
derson, and the prosecution by +. NJ.
Pittman. of Henderson. they preacrtcd
their argument by brief.
Letters were received from two mem
berS Of the Vance county board who
had removed Mates, asking that "a"
State board rcinstate him. One o!
these was from the chairman, ID. VI.
Holden.
There was much discussion but the
decision OF the board was unanimous
with the exception of the superintendent
of Public Instruction. The following
ir the decision Of the board. signed sy
Governor -. l.. Russell, president; L.
III. Mebanc. secretary:
This matter having been heard, it
appears that there were before the
County Board of Education against the
defendant seventeen charges, preferred
by Samuel Braem. the prosecutor, who
had been removed by the County Board.
of Education as Il member of the
Township School Committee. nj the re-
quest of the defendant Mates.
THE county hoard acquitted Mates
of all charges except one. This one
seems 10 have been the midcst count
in the whole Indictment Of seventeen
counts.
',rhc charge sustained was. in sub
stance, that Mates favored his friends
by granting higher grade certificates than
they were entitled TO. There was no
evidence in the record to support this
charge. except as 10 u certificate 10 one
James r. Satterwhite, Il colored man
who received a first grade certificate.
There is evidence tending to show that
first grade certificate. Mates explains
this BY saying that Satterwhite stood
the examination: that he answered the
questions propoundcd and was graded
accordingly.
"Satterwhite does not seem. from the
evidence. TO have been friend or even
an acquaintance of Mates.
1.-THE charge of favoritism. therefore,
:. Nlt -
TO have been guilty OF an error in grant
ing this certificate.
1--WE do not think he should he remov-
ed for this error. which, after scrutiniz-
ing into his official conduct by the coun-
ty board, seems TO be the only mistake
that he is shown to have committed
in his examination Of teachers and which
does not appear 10 have been prompted
by any improper motives.
..rhe Judgment of the county hoard
is hereby reversed and Mates is restored
70 the office of County Supervisor Of
Vance county
This decision was approved by all
the members Of the State Board of Edu-
cation. except the Superintendent of
Public Instruction.
The Superintendent of Public lnstruc.
ton did not c0ncllrs1 Inc aDoVe uccis"
ion of the State Board of Education. be-
cause after careful review OF all the
evidence in the case he is fully salts
fed that the best interest of the public
schools of Vance county cannot be
served by Mr.. Matioe.
Mates is Republican and was re-
moved by the Vance County Board Of
Education on the charge that he favored
his friends in examinations issuing first
grade certificates to parties not entitled
to receiving them.
The records in the Superintendent Of
Public Instructions office do not show
ND very well for Mates. They show
that he wanted to be sent to summer
school at the expense of the county
board. He also wrote Superintendent
Mebane asking him to advise the school
|, board of Henderson to employ him
(Matics) regularly rs public school
teacher in that town. Superintendent
Mebane advised him that he could not
think of debating to the school hoard
Of that township the teachers they
should select.