New-York tribune., 1899-12-19
Pensions
SCHOOL IMPLICATION REPORT
sLAsHING CRITICISMS AND PIQUANT PER
sONAL oBsERVATIONs-"MG MIGHTY INTER
ESTING READING" ANYHOW.

sIAsHING CRITICISMS AND PIoUANT PER
soNAL LoBsERvATIONs-"MEGH INTER
EsTING READING" ANYHOW.
| The Hon. St Clair McKelway, a member Of
| the Board Of Regents, sends to his paper, The
| Brooklyn Eagle" a criticism on the recent re-
port by the Governors Commission for plan 10
| unity the school systems OF the State. which IS
certainly the least conventional and the liveliest
| bit Of criticism that document or any other
| published report has recently encountered 1t
| would not be fair to say that Its writer re-
sembles the traditional Irishman at Donnybrook
Fair who hit a head whenever he saw 1t, be-
! cause Mr. McKelway shows discrimination in
the choice of heads to hit. and gives choice rea-
| sons for hitting every one Of them. He does 1t
| with dexterlty neatness and uncommon vigor,
| and the hero of Donnybrook Fair had no more
| courage and-if Mr.. McKelway is perfectly
sure of his facts-not half so much generalship
Following are some OF the salient passages in
| the letter:
Albany. Dec ls-The substance Of the report Of
| the Educational Unifcation Commission Is one
out are another The latter are likely be much
changed. They certainly should be. The former
seems to need but little change.
A sAIARGED CHANCELLOR
BY tho report a saared Chancellor is suggested
as the executive officer OF the unified system. There
! is an agreement on that among those Interested In
man whom the greatest Of the States could secure
for It's most honorable and important trust Nor Is
If g. 90 year more were added to # for travelling
his pay would eqgaa pa his ,nn Gf g should not
be regarded inferior In dignity or IN Importance
| "A variance OF opinion exists on how this Chan
| ceor should be appointed. for how long ana , Win
voted Tor tho hrst Chancellor TO be nominated by
the Governor and confirmed by the Stale SS,rno,iy
and ,or ali subsequent Chancelors 70 be dlrecuy
! elected by the Board Of Regents. minority 90, ol
the Commission voted for the noihso'b mn o his 81 con-
| nrmation by tho Board OF Regents me maggo,,bS
seq seo,"nt Ch2nceliors by the Board OF Regents.
The majority were intent on letting me- tne ~ bsyc
nothing 10 do with the Chancellor makins
! complimented Governor Rooseveit VINO pPo arst
| Gba,r,celior Uis fitness to name nim t6lowed IN
their minds from his wisdom m n" R the majority
,yer. inst as doubtful OF the competency OF luIure
,,te tbst the present executive is ideally htted
10 name the rst Chancellor as sh9wn ey 'ng irfhte
ins,ined by superior (or obisation, woun nn
be difficult to pay: On DC ,suro senators. to be
denied this mark OF esteem ana respons.HI,' md
severc But the susceptbllities OF executive, au1 i
Of Ss@s'0s speaESs nGt ys' Steipa prob
| ably a bad lot. anyway
LACK OF FAITH IN THE REGENTS
While no men would let even Governor noose ser
velts appontees exceed them IN "v,s Want Of rath
! in or consideration for the preSsnt ~ there The
members OF that Board not only put p1o% bt bmf
present Goyernor-which might pe th renort
| cyen a confirming power, granted by ti,e I'P,ho
70 the present State Senate. is denied 10 ''o
present ,Ie be present Regents saved from the
mortincatlon Of realizing that trust OF hS ~iTn nn
they adjudged to be unwotsny o..n cbancellors
after the frstof whom ths teth Nv Tho Regents
years-are to be directly elected oy '"o
! Of the sweet by and by
GOVERNOR Ex-oFFICIo. TO BE A REGENT
Tho position of sgPeT0rRy RSo.e 20
vel, by his appontees in making MN "Sie%u iv
Of them the fountain OF in Keeping
trrIy hy an cx.offcio Regent himself The Lieutenant
G GovfIno,d S dishonor But the Governor is embamed
| in Il by the report OF his own COMMISSION. 20
| rhonceior As an ex-otiicio Regent he Is forbid
den to have PSrt Sa s2oco or S m Capacity he is forbid
| den vote even confirm or to REJECT MS ms OWL d
%eHecn'Te % made two and separable by this luminous
| ronort His versatility known, but ms dVls-
6in,y was and The secretary Of State happily
| saved from a contamination to which the Governor
gents any more-by this report There mas mas bn been
no heard call for this retirement dhey Roer6 es
twice active In the present repro9Sate n
the Governor But they are retired fGr a0eS
! FOR reasons that under the an can aug
| their retirement any one born or woman S'i sue &
& &sese Nh a. PTos as perennial candidate for Regent
and Secretary OF state McDonough. as an irish
| to whom Mr.. Ainsworth seems TO be inVeter"'eN
There may be another cause; The Governor and
the state Senate are political officers BON are are
elected by political parties Both are elected Tor or
! noiItcal purposes Both are honorably bound To
prefer political friends to political opponents aha 10
mover Of nomination and confirmation is A poiti,
cal one The Governor himself took so tTge Inn
| This f-nincation Commission he named four Repub,
Leans. two Democrats and one maepemSnS
voted with the Republican party ever since 10
This is not their discredit at all II only Illus
trates the operation OF politics IN me poi.ioa, p m
! or not the effect OF the Chancellor making clause
in the proposed measure would be TO- Insure She
he required and probably would M & be- but but Political
or %0uG and oe The partisan po
liical choice and protection OF the Office would
: be guaranteed
ONLY REPUBLICANS ELIGIBLE FOR sELEC-
TIoN AS THE FIRST CHANCELLOR.
That could not be certainly depended on. were the
eection devolved on the present Board OF Regents.
II s now non-potcal body OF NE officers IL
cares nothing for politics or for politicians In It's
! work or appointments No mention Of politics has
been heard an s S Is is IS from
| tarianism. 1t would be able and likely to choose a
| IL would feel in honor bound to do so. None OF
the safeguards for political selection which mark
| the proposed methods could be expected from Sc
lection by the present Regents, The first Chan
| cellor is made as assuredly Republican as the
| Superintendent OF Insurance. The number OF ed
| ucators practically eligible TO the first Chancellor
| ship is thus reduced to the educators OF single
! political party. The more the new method IL eX-
| amned the more the reasons disclosed or suS-
| gested why II voted.
The Chancellor thus chosen is to hold office for
| eight years, At the end OF that time he will sue
| ceed himself be dismissed, according as he may
| or may not have commended himself to those who
| can re-elect him defeat him But should no
| abuse his office prove inefficient in II way Is
| provided by the plan for his suspension
| moval-during the eight years. Whether univer
/ sty presidents elected for set terms, whether
| competition for such places would be great among
J III men, for set terms, whether any other univer-
| sty method college method of electing pres-
/ dornta L. knou Of "a in,an