The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-22
SCORED BY Mr.. MEBANE
TURNED OUT TEACHER AND
LOCKED SCHOOL HOUSE.
''BREi" LlNEBERRY IS SUPERINTENDENT
And Gets Hauled Over the Coa's For Allowing
Such Things to be Done Down in Chatham.
Public Schools More or Less
Upset Elsewhere.

Despite the construction put upon the
board cases by State Superintendent Ne
bane no end of Il rumpls is being kick
ed up in some counties. Some of the
wild and woody fusion committeeman
and superintendent do not seem to Un-
derstand that the courts opinion did not
nullify contracts and so are proceeding
TO Dust teachers, lock school house doors
and do other like sensible and orderly
things. All this has BEEN giving Mr..
Mebane a good deal of trouble and it is
a feature of the situation that eXtrem-
lists ON both sides censure him for fail
ure to take their part. AS a matter of
fact but for the conservatism and good
sense Mr.. Mebane has shown in dealing
with am extremely trying situation great
harm would have been done the schools
and hundreds of teachers would have
been bounded and annoyed.
As stated by the PittSboro correspon-
dent of this paper yesterday in one
township of Chatham county the
property of the teachers, wo-
man, was thrown out and the
school house locked by the old
committee. 'Brer" r. b. ineberry. a
rantankerous fusionist, is the old super
intendent of schools for Chatham and TO
him Mr.. Mebane yesterday sent the fol
lowing letter which applies to all like
cases elsewhere:
Raleigh, \. c.. Dec. u, 1899.
Mr.. II. b. Lineberry, Pittsboro, n c.:
Dear Sir: | wish to say to you that the
reason | asked you for special information
as to the status of school affairs was that
your county was one of thoss not passed
upon by the Attorney General. You viii
remember the following from his letter:
"SIuperintendents elected by the new
board, IN those counties where the oil!
board retired under your advice, are tn
legal ones. This as you know doec
not apply to your case as county super.
intendent as you We're elected IT the same
time the county superintendent WAS elect
ed by the new board. You vii alse
remember this from the letter of the At
tormey General: II do not express any
opinion as to which was tie dc facte
board, in those counties where there Were
contests.
Since You state that Mr.. Griffin has
turned over to You the office you ara
regarded the county superintendent OF
DuDEE SCHOOLS TOT 1ndIndin cOUIiy 10y
this Department as matter Of admins
tration, and it may be in accordance
with law also. j am sure / do not know
who is the legal county superintendent
in these counties where two men have
been elected, and where both have at
tempted to serve, therefore in these
eases j shall have to try to do what i
least calculated TO cause confusion il
the operation and leave the dissatisfied
officials to test their rights and my rul
ings in the courts. / cannot get th'
Attorney General to give definite opin
ion on these points, because he says j
is impossible for him to do so as the cir
cumstances i'm no two counties are tb'
same. and that this is matter 70
judicial determination.
As matter of administration | shal
also hold that all the acts of Mr.. Griffin
i'll accordance with the general schoo
law up to the decision OF the SupreTn'
court are in fun force and effect ana
should be carried out in good faith b!
you.
All contracts made with teachers b,