The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-30
POINTED REMARKS coNcERN,Nc
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
HIS new HOBBY DIsSEcTEO
Not Willing to Apply Non-Political
Theory to Office He Now
Occupies.
From Tuesdays Daily Gazette.

cTOm tuesdays daily Gazette.
Anent the strenuous efforts being
made by State School Superintendent
WEIGH to take the Office Of county
school superintendent out of the
realm OF politics, a well-known edu-
Gator of the city measured the educa-
tiOnal height Of the gentleman who
is. at present SO free with his opin-
ions.
Who is this man and what is his
past record in an educational line?"
queried n gentleman who had just
finished an article in a state paper
wherein the superintendent aired at
length his political and educational
knowledge.
In the matter Of politics / do not
pretend to be as Wen informed as the
gentleman occupying the position of
state school superintendent" he CON
tinued, "but l venture to say that
there are cor of teachers through
out the state who know more about
the practical side of teaching and
the secret of success in the school
room in a minute that MI. Welch
ever knew in his life or ever will
know. While he prates about TAX
AA6 CAC OlACC VI GULLY SCuOOI super
intendent out of politics Mr.. Walch
says nothing about the office of state
superintendent, which has been made
one of the shrewdest political bar
gains ever placed before the elector-
taken up, as a man of education in
this state was even unknown in this
county, where he then resided. He
fo11ohf q fory,o 0f school ~ or1 ~ tho
country districts and I am told was
it was the first and last school he at
tempted to teach in this section.
He is "a political accident and I am
sorry to say that his elevation to the
state school SUPPLEMENTARY was due
to the machine operations of the same
political party with which I affiliate.
Had the democratic organization of
the state sought to serve the best in
terests Of education and cared less
for politics I am sure that Mr.. WEIGH
would not be in the position he occu-
pies today. And still the state school
superintendent would make it appear
that the electors of the state are
making a serious blunder if they fail
to take his advice upon the matter of
eliminating politics when it comes to
the election of county school super
i~ntendents. If we are to inaugurate
political reformation in the matter of
school superintends for the several
counties of the state why not begin in
the state superintendent Office? 1
am certain that a little reformation
in that Office would do the schools no
harm.
There is another matter that
wish to speak about to Ihe Gazette"
continued the gentleman. s'The large
cities of the state bend every effort
to bring their public school system up
to the highest standard of excellence.
Districts are in most instances bond !
ed to the limit of the law, and to my
knowledge no bonding proposition
has ever been rejected by the tax
payers when it concerned the uues-
ton of education. The east is scour-
to secure the very best professors
and teachers, and the highest salaries
are paid to those engaged to conduct
their schools. Under our state laws
the county superintendent has much
to say in the matter of the govern
ment OF those schools. The questions
for examination submitted to teachers
employed, who come with the highest
recommendations, are often handed
to them by their interiors, edu-
cationally. The law in this regard
should be changed and so framed that
the state nor county superin-
tendent should have a voice in the
matter of the school government of
cities having a population of 5000 or
upwards"