The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-16
Ann lMPoaIAllT oEFIcE


AN iMHoRTiAiS M oEFlc E
IN his weekly letter q the Pittsburg
Dlspatch NJ John wallace IF Wheel
ing makes reference 70 the unwel-
come TACT that the once q State 81;
perlnlendent 81 Free Schools e given
acaut confederation often noinin v
tiog conventions There IS undo ubted-
ly a tendency u tbat direction and
educators oi the State ought to2rise
ih lheir might and cheel II. make
the confaent ASSERTION nat next. u
the goyernorship itselt MOI tlsr Office,
is more important o. needs Is more
competent and able man han that lof
State Superintendent Of Free Schools.
Then why shoaid it he thrown as a
consolation Prize 70 some county that
has been dIsappotnted getting some
thing elses III Il theresis an Of;
fee in the state IN which the man.
and not eeogIaphy should eoant it
ought 10 Sc Tie State SUPPLEMENTARY.
Let us note q feaso q tie State Super.
intendenfg important duties. He is
ex-oillcio member q the Board OF
Regents Of the state Normal Schools,
also OF the two preparatory branches
Of the state University at Keyser and
MONTGOMERY and Of the two colored
Institutes III The State Asa member
OF these boards he has q very proml-
nent part III the expenditure Of thous-
amos OF dollars IN buildings and equip
ment annually BE has charge Of the
teachers Institutes for the whole State,
selects INSTRUCTORS and visits as many
Of them possible ana prepares the
programme d exercises. he conducts
the uniform examinations whereby
thousands d teachers are licensed to
20 from county to county to instruct
the Youth He IS called upon to rep
resent the STATE al Important educa-
tonal gatherings is other states. He
gathers statistics from all the schools
Of the STATE and publishes them in a
report to Governor nlisends them
abroad for tie mic tmat ton Of the peo-
pie The slate Superintendent is also
very iiaboftant factor in. shaping
school legislation when 1t Is remem-
bered that me state expends annually
about ss5QoI00o for The support of
It's Schools and that the total
value q school property In the State
IS more than 6500,0OO, the import
anee Of me once IS emphasized. And
withai Il isassuring to note that not
withstanding the seeming Indifference
rs 10 the Choice Of candidates for the
once West Virginia has been very
fortppate in5hay1ng good1men as State
sape fintendeIts The list Is an hon.
orabie one and care should be taken
that The standard be not lowered. Note
the names those who have filed the
place:
lses'ls6 William r, White.
fSe91S Henry A. ziegler.
is5Qls7f a. b. Williams.
lS71ls72 Charles s. Lewis.
1888 mos W. 4, Pendleton.
w Byrne.
Z. AZ PendIeton,
1Sst-lss5 j.. Butcher,
l5-IS9s 81 Morgan
lsas;1ss7 Virgil A Lewis.
iss5l9Ql r. gtotter.
1901 Tfos g. Miller.
It beiioeves the educators of the
state g taEe q hand IN the choice of
the nun All this important place.
4 Few names have been mentioned in
connection with NE position. we
Should me 10 ask why not consider
such men tefIthe office as Prof. Frank
Trotter Waitman Barbe, Prof. L.
] cofbs ana DIT q! j. c. Mennett?
The cfice q an honorable one and a
manoi bfoadcdltnre, high attainment
ind elesant address ought to be called
10 an + VIM the educators take a
hand n irving to secure tho very best
man pp sI1lss would 1T not be well
to keep question before the people
and let the man and not Geography
or some CHER minor considerations
determine Who shah be at the head
OF The essree School system from
lso9 d 1859
a cc@MENpAelE MOVE.
II IS very gratifying TO the public
TO learn thaE majority Of the doc
Ia-. ~ ff5rijg. ,ss,.st, 49, slI..S.s IIh