Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-02
LETTER FROM DIR. RUNAWAY,

EDITOR VIRGINIA CITIZEN:
My dear sir:-Please permit me to
call attention to some inaccuracies
in an editorial of the VIRGINIA
CITIZEN in its last issue. The first
sentence is as follows:
"Tbe Contention, in striving to reor.
ganize the public school system. has an
idea of forming the Board of Education
out Of the Governor, Attorney General.
superintendent of Public Instruction Ito
he chosen by the other members of the
Board aud not by the LegislSture). and
tue heads of the following institutions.
William and Mary. Farmville Normal.
v. Nj. V. Z. /. and the University of
Virginia"
Up to this time there has been no
discussion in the Convention con-
corning the public schools, aud.
therefore, any declaration concerning
the constitutional composition of the
Board of Education is premature.
Such suggestion has, however, been
tentatively adopted by the committee
that has this matter in charge. A
conference of expert school men de.
sires that the Board shall be still
farther enlarged by the addition of
few county and city superinten
dents. lt is not settled what the
committee will recommend, and of
course every report must run the
gauntlet of the Convention in com
mittee of the whole.
Again, the editorial goes on to say.
"lf Mr.. Dunaway can get good
whack at them, there will be no in
situations receiving aid from the
State, and consequently that part of
the Board will be lacking" Upon
what authority that statement is
made am not informed. Certainly
l do not desire to get any sort Of
whaek at them, good or bad. The
resolution which | offered in the
convention was in these words:
"Neither the General Assembly. nor
the authorities of any city, town.
county, district, or other public cor
poration, shall appropriate any
money or other personal property. or
grant any real estate TO any church,
OF sectarian society, or help to main
tain or support any society, associa-
ton or institution whatever, which
is entirely or partly, directly or in.
directly, controlled by any church
or sectarian society; or appoint any
person to perform religious services:
or make any appropriation for the
payment thereof" In seeking to
have this provision included in the
new constitution l was making n
"whack" at the malappropriation of
public funds, and not at the educa.
tionai Institutions of the Common
wealth. If, however, such a lust
provision should strike at the anon
aious bargain existing between the
State and William and Mary College
should not have much regret.
Very respectfully yours,
w. K. DUNAwAY.
Richmond, Va, July 81. 1901.
I'VE give space to the foregoing
letter from our Delegate with the
greatest pleasure. We take il that
i'r. Dunaway is anxious that no
misconstruction shall be put upon
his acts, and this we are equally de-
sirous of. In the first inoccnyacU
pointed out we are at loss TO see
the point the doctor makes. The
question is before the committee lust
as We stated it, if we are to believe
the reports from the Richmond
papers-and, in fact as the doctor
himself says. Our use of the words
"the Convention" is in general sense |
covering the committees as we'll as the
hoor' and is so used throughout Vir-
gina and with the press. We are
aware that nothing had come from
the committees before the Conyen
ton when he wrote, as the first COM
mittee report was made only last
Monday. So, try the best we NAV
we can see no inaccuracy in this. |
As to the second matter the doctors
point OF personal privilege NAV be /
well taken, though We think his
good record in battling against APP
for sectarian institn-
lions warrant as in using lust the
terms we did. The CITIZEN is fullv
IN accord with him on this point
and would extend the suppression
IF appropriations still further
As see a recent editorial ia these 1
columns. 1t is. our Judgment
hat bis provisions will "strike at
'he anomalous bargain existing be-
,ween the State" and more than the
Institution he names. We do not
axe DIR. Dunaway's letter as a com
'iaInt, only as means of explain
ng his position better than we are
nabled to learn at this distance ,
rom the capitol. AS to our whack- +,
ng metaphor it may crate little ON
n'r able and dignitied delegate. but
he CITIZEN still feels that it covers
he case-and the case is good one
nd to be CONGRATULATIONS
Movements of the Oyster Fleet ;