The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-03-06
A q


One of the most gratifying signs of
the times is the unanimity with which
the newspapers of New Mexico are
supporting the proposal of the educa-
tors of the Territory that the Office
of county school superintendent be
taken out of politics, as far as posi-
BILE, in order that practical and eff
cient school men may IN all cases fill
this important county office. The OPP
position to the plan of the educators
comes entirely from newspapers W
ed or completely controlled by those
men who are accuStimed to work po-
litics" for what there is in it and who
are directly responsible for reducing
this Office to its present low level as
a pawn il the political game.
Ii is interesting to note that the
ground upon which these few news
papers base their opposition, with
n solitary exception, is that he
educators VINO proposed this legisla-
ton are seeking to take, something
away from the people. The venerable
and always amusing gang organ in
Santa Fe which rings the bell upon
h other gang organs puts its oppo-
sition on this ground:
Their, (the e~ducators'D desire in
ms lIO SSSA4S ~ NLA1A
they want to be bigger than the plain
people,"
This, of course, is Just a plain, We
~ childish attempt to arouse preju-
dice, through which any child can see
The attempt of this and the other
gang newspapers to discredit the of
forts of the educators of New Mexico
toward raising the standard of the
county school superintendent Office
is a curiously plain indication of the
lengths to which these publications
will go to protect the interests of the
men who own them and how utter is
their disregard for the interests of the
people.
The educators of this territory who
have united as one man in support
of the legislation proposed, are broad
liberal men who are better able to
understand h disadvantages under
which our common schools are labor
ing han any man aot in close touch
with that system M their
msndation was made only after long
and most careful consideration. The
conclusion of these men has been that
if it were possible to take the county
school superintendent Office out of
politics, something definite, f~ar-reach-
ing and entirely beneficial would have
DSSh uOuc IOT Tie pSOpIC, " lhC
youth of New Mexico. They have ar
gued that under the present system
one good superintendent is secured
to ten incompetent ones; one school
man to ten politicians. They have
argued that instead Of incompetent
direction there would be competent
direction, instead of the frequent
neglect and mismanagement found
under the present system, there would
be close attention to duty or the
appointing power would be always
ready to see that such attention was
given.
What possible gain could there be
to the members of the board of edu-
cation if they we're given the power
to appoint the county S~uperinten-
dents? What could the members of
that board, all competent educators,
appointed by statute, hope to gain
personally by having such appoi1tive
power?
On the other hand, would not a
heavy burden of responsibility and
a mass of hard work be imposed upon
these men? Should they not la
commentator for the public spirit
which makes them willing to shout
der this additional work and response
bility, which they are willing to take
solely because by so doing they a
advance the educational system of
this territory n add an hundred per