The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-23
KICKS AGAIN.
j
The State Superintendent of Ed
ucation Scores Gov. Ansel.
OBJECTS TO A

Education, and Writes a Causti
Letter to the Governor For No
Consulting Him and Appointing
Lawyer-Says He Will Not Stan,
For Reelection Next Year.
The appointment by Gov. Ansel o
Hayne F. Rice OF Aiken as a membe
of the State board of education t,
fill out the unexpired term Of ] E
Boland, resigned from the second dis
trict, has caused Mr.. o. B.. Martin
the State superintendent of educa
ton, to write Gov. Ansel that TIL
selection is not satisfactory because
EMr. Rice is a lawyer and not al
educator. The letter also makes tn
interesting statement that Mr.. MartiI
will not be a candidate for the Office
he now occupies again.
The situation in what is called thu
cabinet" by the newspaper men Il
rather strained Some time ago Gov
Ansel announced that he had Offered
the vacancy in the second district K
Hon. John C. Sheppard. Superih
tendent Martin wrote the governor
a very strong letter Of protest ant
in the controversy Mr.. Sheppard de
| clined to serve. The vacancy re
manned until after the meeting O.
the State board Of education las
month and, when the appointment
was announced Tuesday it was sup
posed that harmony once more pre-
vailed. The letter notifying Mr.. Mar
tin of the appointment was as fol
flows:
Hon. o B. Martin, State Superin'
tendent of Education, Columbia
s. c.. b, Pc
Dear Sir: I have appointed the
Hon. Hayne F. Rice, Aiken, s. c., al
a member, of the State board Of edu'
cation to finDthe unexpired term Of
Prof. j. E: Boland, resigned. Mr.
Rice has taken great interest II
school matters for years, and I fee
sure that he will make a very use
full member Of the board of educa
ton. j.
Yours Very Truly,
NJ. F. Ansel, Governor.
Mr.. Martin received this letter OF
Wednesday morning and at once re
piled with the letter published be-
low In talking over the matter, he
said that he did not wish to withdraw
from his educational work as he plan
ned it. He believed, however
that when the terms of thu
present board expired-.Gov. An
sci would appoint lawyers or mel
who are not familiar with education
al work and thus interfere with thu
| work of the educational department
The announcement by Mr.. Marti1
that he would not be a candidate fol
reelection will probably cause q mum
| Der of announcements to be ISSUED
| shortly. He was regarded as tn
| strongest man in the coming cam
paign for the Office and therefore hi
removal will change the lineup con
siderably. So far only one man ha'
| announced himself, E. c. Gilmore O
spartanburg, but several others art
spoken of for entrance.
Mr.. Martins letter to Gov. Anse
was as follows:
Hon. NJ F. Ansel, Governor, Colum
bia, s. C.. -.
Dear Sir: Your letter notifying MI
of the appointment Of Mr.. II. +
| Rice of the Aiken bar as a membe'
of the State board Of education wa
promptly received. So you have sue
ceeded in appointing a lawyer ant
| also in not consulting the officer VIII
is responsible to the people for tn
lconduct of the educational affairs o
the State. I wish that it were pos
] sible for me to think of your action
in this whole matter other than a
small-minded, oficious and PERM
cious. I prefer to think of the gov
ernor of my State as liberal minded
potential and statesmanly.'
l note that you say that Mr.. Ric
has taken an interest in school mat
tiers. Likewise many Of our schoo
men have taken an interest in lay
but it does not follow that the
should be put upon the suprem
bench. They are hardly competent t
examine applicants for admission t
the bar and to discharge the numer
Gus complicated but technical duties o
the supreme court.
To take a charitable view of tn
situation ! believe you utterly fai
to grasp the duties of a member o
the State board of education. Som
time ago when you made your secon
appointment of a lawyer on thi
board, I characterized your actio
with such language as seemed at tina
time appropriate, I applied the mus
tard plaster which afterwards SCENE
rather pungent. The conclusion
now bearing down upon me that 20
are furnishing a concrete exemplif
cation of the characterization aboV
referred to. The a%ppointee whom
shall designate as lawyer No. 2 hal
pened to be too broad-gauged a ma
to accept any appointment in a d.
partment whose head had been ignol
ed. Appointee lawyer No. 3. Prof.
Rice of Aiken bar, may be of a sin
liar calibre but If I am to believe tn