The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-19
BY A DIRECT VOTE
OF THE PEOPLE
Superintendent of Public instruction
to Be So Chosen.
THE ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE
Vote Considered Safe, and Advocates Say
II Viii Not Be chsusedg in Coz
yen,ion : Proceeding in
Full.

The Constitutional Convention in Com
Inittee OF the Whole yesterday, by a vot,
OF IS 10 y. decided that the report of TIT
Education Committee should be 81
amended as to provide that the STAT,
superintendent of Public Instruction bt
elected by direct vote OF The people
1he amendment was offered by MI
MINERS. and was ably champicnec by
him and by Mcssrs. r. Nation Moore
heezell and others. DR.. McIlwaine and
other members of the committee opposed
ii, and all, save DR.. Dunaway, voted
against It. The advocates Of the popa-
lar-election proposition are iubilant over
the result. 1t expresses the belief thai
the narg.n in their favcr is so large that
they will ne able 10 have the action OF
the Committee OF the Whole sustained by
the convention when the report comes up
for final action III that BODY.
The question of how the superintendent
shall be elected claimed nearly. all the
entire two-hour scss on, the body having
convened at noon and adjourned about
2 O'Clock p. NJ.
There We're sxts-cight members III
Iheir seats and d grea. many visitors
were on the floor. prominent among them
being several distingu sheG educators.
There was but little routine business.
and no Interesting new matters were in
troduced.
A petition from the Baptist General
Association of Virginia in favor of the
i5arbour-Quarles Liquor resolution was
read and referred.
The convention then went into Com
uittec Of the Whole. and after accom-
plishing the results named above. aG-
journed until 10 O'Clock this morning.
THE DAY IN DETAIL.
The convention met at u oclock Pray
er by Rsv. Jere Witherspoon, of the
Presbyterian Church. u.
Sixty-eight members responded to the
rol-call and the journal of Saturdays
proceedings was read and approved
Memorials with reference TO the sale
of intoxicating liquors were presented.
A resolution, adopted by the Virginia
State BAPTIST Association in Richmond,
asking for the adoption of the Quarles-
Barbour lquor-license resolution, was
presented read and referred to the Com
mittee on Bill of Rights.
On motion Of DR.. McIlwane. The con-
ventiou went into Committee OF the
Whole, Mr.. Parks pres ding, 10 further
consider the report of the Committee on
Education.
Section three relating to the Supcrln-
tendent of Public Instruction. was read.
Mr.. Quarles offered a, substitute. pro
.vidinG that the superintendent should be
elected by the people of the State, the
leral election for Governor, and from then
10 be for four years.
Chairman McIlwaine accepted the SUD
stitute for the committee.
Mr.. Wise objected to the substitute. ana
MIR Withers offered an amendment to
the original report by inserting the
words. Who shall be elected by the
qualified voters of the State.
WOULD BE DEFEATED.
ATarc.itb cal iT q amendment
adopted the object OF the committee to
prevent having the schools controlled by
political officers would be defeated.
He advocated the election of the super
!nten0ent by The State Board OF Ecuc2-
ttion. 1t was doing, he said. grave injus-
'tice to the people to ask them to elect
an eGucat onal expert. for they h;s~ 40
facilities or means of Knowing how to de-
eide this question, and the practical re-
Sui: WOULD, sbe that this officer wouio be
collected by chance at political conNcn-
lion. He said it would in all propapiilfy
be demagogue who could succeed IN
piclsirc up enough delegates after the
Candidates for Governor. ELieutenant-GoF5
elror -Attorney-Gcneral and secretary CT
5he Commonwealth had got through their
hcininatirc struggles. Then the ques-
rior. would be, Does the candidate cplne
from the right section of the state! not Is
ne The very hest man in all the State Tor
n
nn-s here who were constantly taking
shc,t the people should protect the people
now from this grave probability
Mr.. Moore. of Fairfax: How about
yo,,r argument last Saturday?
Mr.. Meredith: What ] said then
hardly know. That is past his'o'S'
Uaughter.)
MIR. wITHERS SPEAKS
Sir. withers advocated the election OF
the superirtcrdcnt by thu people at the
game time the Governor may be elected.
lie SAID the proposed State Board was 1
an automatic, self peTpetuating and sell
creative Board. Only two of the pro-
,,ased nine members We're to be elected |
NJ the people. being the Governor and
the Acknowledgement. and it was highly
E.,portart that the superintendent should
s4so be elected by the people.
re declared that the people We're thor
,,uchly qualified to select Il superinten-
don't. They certainly had the right to
CIV WIN shall control their system OF
education The very fact of their haV-
In, this power would make them more
Interested and careful in its exercise jie
thought The high character of - State
officers ALREADY elected by the people was
E,seif refutation of AIR. Meredith $ 4
sharges that candidates were selected
by Inanpulations of politicians alone.
Mi, MIS- reAC list OF states WHICH
had surerintenden1s selected by the State
BOARD or appointed by the Governor
tle contended that these States We're
those which We're in the forefront OF edl-
Tationsl development.
He said net a constituent OF his III
Ricl!nosd had ever asked him to support
n proposition TO elect such an officer by
7he populGr vote. He referred TO :, COM
7nunication OF Or. Ruffner in The Sunday
Times and paid a high tribute 10 his eX-
1fHrienoe. ability and devotion to the pub
Tic schools OF Virginia This man, he
ssid. was beat able OF all men to give
The best advice. and he opposed the MAX
sng OF { superintendent q political Of
scar.
OUT OF POLITICS.
The State Board selected by The COM
initiee is the best tribunal 10 select Il
proper educational expert. II will take
the position out OF the domain OF partisan
politics and insure its administration by
a competent head.
Dr. Dunaway said he would favor he