The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-19

ment of practical men like Mr.. Keezell.
| who was patron of public schools high
| er than the opinion of men who were bet
/ Ter versed in theories of high learning.
/ and he did not at all sympathiZc. with the
attacks that had been made upon him.
| The speaker strongly criticised the COM
| position OF the Board recommended oy.
| the committee and said 1t would become
| football Of politics. Legislatures IN fu-
ture. to get rio of the Board, might in fu-
| ture refuse appropriations to institutions
| just to get rid of q representative on the
| State Board or to change the personnel
of the majority He urged that the super
intendent be elected by the people.
Chairman McflWaine here said he had
made a mistake in announcing that "a ma
jority of the committee was willing to &C
cept the substitute by Mr.. Quares.
| MAKE THEM INELIGIBLE.
Mr.. Brown. of the committee, stated
that since discussion began he had
seen every member of the conf
clittee and they had gone back to the
or gil1al report. providing for the cleo
ton OF the superintendent by the State
Board of Education.
Mr.. James w. Gordon offered an
amendment. making a member of the
State Board. or of any board of visitors
of the public institutions ineligible for the
Office OF super HtenGent.
Mr.. Meredith offered substitute, that
the superintendent should not, during has
term OF office, be a member of the board
of visitors Of he State institutions.
Mr. Gordon accepted the substitute. It
was adopted.
Major Anderson offered an amendment
providing for the election Of superIn-
tendent by the General Assembly.
He said he was first IN favor OF the
,lo f,jc car foI-
neoDle but he considered the argument
made by Messrs. Meredith, Wise and
Dunnaway as unanswerable. In view of
the hiel, qualifications required of a suit
able sunerintendent If WGts,6 be best to
cntr,;st the power OF his election with the
General Assembly.
Such an emmnent superintendent as
DR.. Ruffner would never have been Sc
Iected by the popular vote. 1t was
through the General Assembly that such
?. splendid officer was obtained. The
same might be said of his predecessor.
Mr.. Anderson then showed that if 4 mis-
take was made in the selection by the
Legislature. the evil could be corrected.
II made by the State Board, it would
be almost impossible to correct the. mis-
take. for the Board would rarely wish
to reverse its own action. He contended
that his amendment was safe and wise
middle course between the other two
propositions
MAN BEST QUALIFIED.
a State political convention, he said.
WAS often moved Ivy the consideration of
the locality of a candidate. rather than
by the peculiar fitness of the candidate
for the position. He did not think this
would be the case with the General AS
Semhly. He thought that body would
select the very best man qualified for
Inc place. even were he to come from the
county of the Governor, Lieutenant-Gov-
error or any other State officer.
Mr. Class said the committee especially
considered the amendment offered by Ma
Jor Anderson, and as a member of the
General Assembly in the past, he and
Major Anderson both knew that the cues
ton CT merit of candidates did not enter
into the question at all He said both
well knew that a majority of members
We're not competent to select men on any
such a high basis. Uaughter) The
committee loft to the Senate the con-
firmation of the selection made by the
State Board and that was going far
enough
Mr.. r. Walton Moore claimed that there
was great Inconsistency in the committee
requiring that trustees be elected byEthe 4
peopl and now allowing them to select
the head of the school system. He said
tn people had never failed to elect an ex-
pert as encouragement and ley could
be trusted TO elect an expert as superin-
tendent of public instruction.
In the MIDST Of his speech the hour of
, arrived and the committee rose, under
the rule.
Report was made to the convention. It
went into Committee of the Whole again.
Major Anderson's amendment was de-
featcd.
Mr.. Withers' amendment was adopted
yeas, So; nays. y.
tn" convention adjourned at 2:05 o'clock
until 10 o'clock to-day