St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-10-07

l4GhC0 WI II III ~
supreme judgship, is to say that
he has proved himself most forgetful,
and that If Judge Hall, during the
course Of a campaign involving his
LIES ambition, sought and received
support which he believed would, and
which every reasonable man knows
actually did, advance his interests,
and that a few short months effaced
all this from mind, / believe that a
man with such a poor memory is not
capable of administering the affairs
Of state.
He might forget his platform, his
pledges and his friends, and If per-
chance this should be followed by the
time,worn excuse, Il forgot" it would
Offer small comfort to his state or to.
his trusting friends.
Aside from this and other things
which l think tend to rob Judge Hall
OF the confidence of the people. he
does not seem, by experience, in any
way fitted for the position to which
he aspires. Beyond a short term in
our State Legislature in his earlier
years, his life has been spent upon the
bench and narrowed by his district.
l have never heard of anything that
he aver did in the public servic to at
tract the attention of anyone beyond
his district, and l submit that, under
the circumstances, his promises can't
be judged by any record of his past
achievements.
We read a great deal in the news
papers from day to day about Prof.
AsWell, of his ambition for the gov
ernorship and of the troublesome seas
through which he has drifted. Much is
being said from day to day about a
spelling book now used in the public
schools Of Louisiana, commonly called
the "AsweIl Speller," and entitled the
New Century Speller."
It was urged by friends of Prof, AS
well that the law (since repealedl
made it mandatory on the part of the
board to give preference to Louisiana
authors in the selection of school
books.
The AsweII Speller.
But is the school book a Louisiana
product? 1t was written by Prof. J.. b.
Aswell, of louisiana; Joe Cook, of
Mississippi, and l.. G. Gilbreath, of
Tennessee. Two-thirds are greater
than one-third. The book must there
fore be regarded not as a Louisiana,
but as an alien, product. Hence the
argument that It's adoption was neces-
sary under the law falls to the
ground.
1t is a significant fact that the law
requiring that preference be given to
Louisiana authors in the selection Of
school books was drafted by Prof. AS
well. Senator Stafford, of Orleans,
was its introdueer.
The purpose of the original Stafford
bill was to produce the publication in
the state Of textbooks whose authors
were L~ouisianians. It's aim was to
promote the interest of local labor.
The original bill was not passed.
Prof. Aswell drafted and submitted to
Senator Stafford the measure which
became a law.
Prof. AsweA's speller was adopted
March II, 1909, after Prof. Aswell had
left the office of superintendent, but
while he was at the head of the
Normal school, and was a part and
parcel of the state administration
which selected the textbook.
Now, fellow-citizens, I find upon the
statute-books act 28T OF 1908. which
reads as follows:
Section /. Be 1t enacted by the
General Assembly of the State Of Lou
isiana, That it shall not be lawful for
any school official or teacher, while
employed in the public school, to act
as agent for or to receive gifts, re-
bates, commissions or fees, directly
or indirectly, from individuals OF com
panies that manufacture, handle or
sell in the state OF Louisiana any kind
of school books, school supplies, school
furniture or school building materials.
Sec. q. Be 1t further enacted, etc,
That any school official or teacher en-
ployed in the public schools who shall
violate the provisions of this act shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
a1o upon conviction shall ipso facto
forfeit his position, and the proper au-
thorities, upon notice of such conVic-
ton, shall at once proceed to FILL said
position so vacated, and said official or
teacher shall be sentenced by the
court to pay a fine of not less than SIS
nor more than $3.50, or be imprisoned
for not exceeding ninety days, or both
such fine and imprisonment, at the
discretion of the court"
1t seems plain to me, from the read
ing of this act, that in accepting COM
missions and fees from the sale of
THE Aswe1l Speller" that Prof. AS
well committed an act not only re-
pugnant to the laws of this state, with
which he should be familiar because
OF his long incumbency as the exc
cutive officer of the public school sys-
TEN of the state, but likewise re-
pugnant to the public school system
itself, and to the best interests OF u
people.
| turn with sorrow from a conter-
plation Of the question of the AsweH
Speller," for this alone would seem to
remove as an object of your serious
consideration a man who. while he
has been foremost in the educational
upbuilding Of Louisiana, has proven
himself one of her poorest business
men.
Mr.. Michel has never at any period