The Red Cloud chief., 1902-10-31
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.

lie "
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
The present state superintendent OF
public instruction. william X. Fowler
OF Washington county, was not an at
tendant at the Washington county re-
publican convention in 1900. nor at the
republican state convention that year.
either as n delegate or as an interested
spectator. He was experimenting the
schools in his home city OF Blair,
which he had been doing for seven
consecutive years, and knew nothing
OF the talk of his nomination until he
was t%elephoned an inquiry asking II
ne would accept 1t. The school board
there reluctantly gave their consent
to his accepting the nomination and
only on the condition that he retain
his position in Blair during the cam
paign, which he did. lie was drafted
for the nomination. and. so. In fact,
was the present deputy superintendent,
J.. l.. McBrien. for the position he now
holds. Mr.. McBrien was at that tim
superintendent of the city schools at
Geneva. and was not an applicant Tor
the position OF deputy superintendent.
but accepted at Mr.. Fowler's request.
II is not strange that at the republican
| state convention this year the re-
| nomination Of Mr.. Fowler was nan
| mously conceded. In fact, no other
| name was mentioned and no other per-
son was for a moment thought or.
| One good term deserves another.
During the twenty-one months That
| Mr.. Fowler has been In office he mas
| devoted all OF his time to his work
and duties. lie has Travelled extensive
~. has been in all but two or three OF
| the ninety counties OF the state. mas
| attended twenty or more commence
| ment exercises each spring. a spent
| the three summer months each year
| visiting teachers Institutes and aside
from the ninety county seats, ne mas
| visited one hundred or more other
/ cities in the state and the rural schools
of many counties. Aud not only has
he accomplished more field work than
has ever before been attempted. but
the Office work has increased CORE
s~pondingly. Thirteen letter press
COPY books Of five hundred pages each
have been filled in less than twenty
one months with official correspond
ence. During the entire preceding term
OF two years, 1899 and 1900. less than
nine books were filled with correspond
ence. This indicates great confidence
on the part Of the public in the pres
ent state superintendent opinions and
decisions. The state superintendent
and his office force have also always
been very prompt in the dispatch OF
official business, answering letters ana
Inquiries as far as possible the day
they are received.
All the former publications OF the de-
partment have been improved and en-
iarged. and In addition to these Mr..
Fowler has edited and published l0,OO0
comics of School Laws for Teachers. a
pamphlet OF twenty-eight pages; H.
600 COPIES Of Special Day Programs
consisting OF 1l6 pages. larger n bet
ter thar former editions; $4,000 copies
of Caldwell's American History TOT
19~OO-190l, for high schools and eighth
grades; 5000 copies OF School Build
ING and Grounds In Nebraska. 2SO
nages: 1000 copies of Official Decisions
of the State superintendent. " pages,
and official circulars Mt more or less
regular intervals greater In
than ever before, including 25,OOO
COPIES of a large circular to school
board officers and members relative
to the annual meeting.
In addition to all this extra field
work. enlarged correspondence. and
new publications. superintendent FOw-
ler's record on economy will stand the
s~earch-light Of public opinion when
compared with the record In this line
made by his predecessors.
1t Is generally conceded that educa-
tional positions should be out OF poll
tics, and for this reason many uperin-
tendents, principals and teachers OF
democratic and populistic tendencies
are this year openly supporting Mr.
Fowler for a second term. and at the
Grand Island fusion convention a mar
had to be drafted. though only
straw" man. A comic question In this
campaign Is. "Who is Fowler's oppo'
nent? Whence does he Gomez" This
too, among school superintendent ant
principals! On the other hand, Super
intendent Fowler has been a LEADING
man in educational circles In Nebraska
for the last twelve years. Today he !.
the peer OF any state superintendent II
the United States. He has been ar
active member OF the National associa
ton since 1892. and at their conve
tons his opinions are given careful
consideration by the leading educators
of the country.
- Like all successful men, Mr.. Fowler
genius lies in his hard work. In mat
tiers of education he believes In thu
, merit system. The people or Nebraska
will never trade a successful educator
like Superintendent Fowler for an un'
known quantity.