The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-05-26
OPPOSITION TO AsWELL.

OPPOSITION TO ASWELL.
1t has been announced from Bator
Rouge that from present indication:
,.here will be two candidates for the of
fee of State Superintendent of Public
Education. This information will be
received with rejoicing by thousands OF
the citizens of Louisiana, especially
when Mr., Aswell's opponent promises
to be Col J. w Nicholson of the Louis
lana State University.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Aswell there
has been aroused against him an all
powerful, if as yet silent, opposition, &C
celebrated by his recent attitude in con-
nection with his promise of the accept
ance o. the CHARACTERISTIC of the Uni
versity of Mississippi and his intended
resignation as State Superintendent of
Public Education. which was to have
become EFFECTIVE at an early date.
1t is only recently that Mr.. Aswel
reconsidered his acceptance of the chan
cellorshp and requested that his declna-
ton be considered favorably as he had
yielded to the persuasion of his friends
and his admirers who insisted that he
must remain in Louisiana, i'll the dis
charge of his obligation to the people.
Although embarrassed by this unexpect-
ed action, the Mississippi authorities
have relieved Mr. Aswell, who is an an
nounced candidate to succeed himself,
on the assurance of his friends that his
| salary of $1,000 is to be increased to
| $1,000 by an amendment to the Consti
tuition. 1t is manifest that i'll their zeal
the friends and the admirers of Mr. AS
well failed to consider the probability of
defeat Of the projected amendment,
even if the geatlen1an they champion
should be elected without opposition.
1t will not b. q,ss;ioned that Mr.. As
we'll is an cdtca,9- { merit, but he has
been awarded undue credit to the detri-
ment of local interests whose liberal
appropriation of money by legal levy or
self-impOsed taxation have made pos
sble the erection of hundreds if not
thousands of school buildings through
out the State.
While much praise is due Mr.. Aswell
he can not escape the criticism that in
lbs Department of Education which
has no authority in law and is unauthor-
lied by the Constitution of the State,
that un-Democratic power has been con-
fined i'll the hands of the few and that
through the Department of Education
may be created an all-powerful machine
which may be detrimental to the best
educational interests of louisiana
1t would be reflection on the people
and discredit to this State if it were
conceded that Mr.. Aswell is at this
time the only educator in Louisiana pos
sessing the essentials to FIJI the Office of
State Superintendent of Education.
Fortunately Mr. Aswell is not the only
pebble on the educational beach III
Louisia1ia-tlere are others. and one OF
these is Col. ]. w. Nicholson, who is
the peer of the best, gentleman whose
record as an educator aud citizen will
stand the test of the closest and most
impartial scrutiny. In Colonel Nicho1
son Louisiana would have man, tried
and true, who would develop education
on the broadcast lines commensurate
with the spirit of progress and practical
development. There are thousands of
citizens in every parish in this State
who will be lighted if given the OPP
portunity CT vo,ing for Col J. w. Mich
olson for s Office of State Superin-
tendent of iuliic Education