Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-10-14


The following is a letter written to
the Evening Wisconsin by Supt. Karl
Mathie:
EDITOR OF THE EVENING WISCONSIN,
Milwaukee, Wis.
DEAR SIR =
In your editorial entitled 1.-The Edu-
eational Amendment-A Pitfall," pub
lished last Tuesday, you state very
clearly your objection to the proposed
amendment. The objection is this, that
the last clause makes it possible for the
legislature to take away from the coun-
ties the selection Of their county super
intendents, because of the words cor
appointing The clause reads;
The term of office, time and manner
of electing or appointing all other officers
of supervision of public instruction
shall be fixed by law.
Now, ! am opposed to any movement
that proposes to give the state superin-
tendent the power to appoint the county
superintendent | was opposed to the
district supervisors bill, rejected by the
legislature of 1899, because l do not be-
lieve in taking the schools out of the
control of the people who support them.
Nevertheless belieue that this amend
me,at should be pcssed. In answer to the
only objection you raise this may be
said
The clause above quoted does not give
the legislature any aew power. At
torner General Z. r. Hicks, in a deci-
sion just received, says that the legis-
lature now has the power to abolish the
office of county superintendent and
provide that the supervision of schools
be invested in state superintendent
and such other officers as the legislature
shall direct. Such other officers might
be appointed on elected as the legislature
directs. No change In proposed amend
ment IN his regard
If you will turn to Section 8 of Article
XIII, from which you quoted, and read
the last sentence, you will see where
Mr.. Hicks gets his authority.
Having created the county superin-
tender ~ the legislature can also
abolish it and provide school inspection
districts with inspectors, appoiated by
the state superintendent, to take the
place of the county superintendent.
Then why does the last clause read as
it does2 What is the significance of the
words "or appointing ?" Simply this,
that the present method of selecting
city uperintendents need not be
changed. Strike out those words, or
appointing and the city superintendent
would have to be elected by vote of
the people. instead of being appointed
as they are now, by the Board of Edu-
cation.
The last clause makes it possible to
put the election of the county superin-
tsndent at some other time than in the
fall, thus removing it in some degree
from politics.
The other good provisions of the
amendment need not here be repeated
since you have already presented them
There is no great probability that any
legislature will ever attempt to abolish
the county superiutendeney but in or
der To settle the matter definitely and
once for all | should like TO see the COM
ing legislature take steps to secure
constitutional amendment providing Cor
the election of county superintendent
by the people of the county.
The further objection, made in your
Sunday issue, that this clause may also
contemplate making Boards of Educa-
ton appointive under the state super
intendency, wonld never have been
raised had The clause itself been given
you instead of a. garbled misquotation
of it. The expression. school officers
of public ins; ruction, does not appear
in the amendment at all. What does
appear reads Officers Of supervision of
public instruction. The Boards of
Education are school officers of public
instruction, but not officers Il supervision
of public instruction.
Nashville every friend of the schools
who wishes TO see them separated from
politics should work for the passage of
the amendment, because every sexual
change that it secures is a good one.
Supt KARL MATHlE.
WauSau, Wis, og,t. IL, 1872