The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-05-11
Some More Free Advice.

about the school conditions here
than any one else, butts in again
with more free advice on the sub
ject. Like all free advice it is not
worth much, but We will give 1t for
what it is worth. First he says:
The Editor Of the Orangeburg
Times and Democrat lis a member
of the board of trustees of his
city's school. He advocates IN his
paper the abolition Of the Office OF
Superintendent of these schools.
The other trustees are OF the op' !
posite view: at least We presume
so from the fact that the office has
not been abolished, and there Is
no probability that it will be.
One would infer from this state
ment that the board Of trustees had
passed on the question Of abolishing
the Office Of superintendent. and, be-
cause all the trustees except himself
opposed the change. the Editor of
The Times and Democrat in his pa
per advocated the adjustment Of the
SUPERINTENDENT Office in opposition
to the wishes Of all the other trus-
tees. There Is not oae scintilla OF
truth in the charge. The matter
has never been considered by the
board Of trustees at all. and If the
Editor Of the Observer knows how
the different members of the board
stand on it.. he know more than we
do. and we have attended every meet
ing of the board for the past several
years. The Editor Of the Observer
goes on to say:
OF course the editor has a. right
to his opinion on this subject and
a right to advocate it; but it must
be apparent that the advocacy OF
a step like this by member OF
the board in his OWE newspaper
must tend to embarrass and Grip
pie the work of the board, by stir
ring up dissatisfaction and opposi-
ton to the work In which the
board is engaged.
That is certainly g. bright idea.
We fail to see why discussion OF a
matter that the board has not even
considered should emharrass or Grip
pie it in its work. The board is the
servant Of the people, and we are
satisfied that Its members have no
desire to keep their acts hid from
the public. Should the suggestion
In reference to the superintendent
come before the board, it will re-
ceive careful consideration and be
decided for the best interests Of the
school as interpreted by the public
spirited, patriotic gentlemen COM
posing 1t. 1t has been the custom
of this board that when a majority
adopted measure all opposition
ceased, and the whole board pulled
together to carry out the will of the
board as expressed BY majority OF
Its members. The same rule will
apply to the matter under discussion.
The Editor of the Observer goes on
to say further:
We do not think that anybody
will dissent when we say that the
member Of a schoci board should
either subordinate his individual
opinions, at least so far as the
public is concerned. and work in
harmony with majority OF his
confreres, or else ger off the board.
He certainly ought not to use his
newspaper to oppose the work Of
the board so long as he Is mem
Der Of 1t. The better way is for
newspaper editors to stay out OF
all official positions.
If what the Editor of The Obsery-
er says In the two first paragraphs
quoted above were true, we would
say amen to the last paragraph quot
ed. AS member Of the board Of
trustees The Editor Of The Times
and Democrat always loyalty sup
ported any measure adopted by the
board and always will. If he has
ever used his newspaper or any other
means to oppose the work of the
board" he is not aware of it. The
board has not yet met and mapped
out its plans for the coming year,
and we cannot see where it is oppos-
ing the work of the board for any
member of it to make public sugges-
ton as To the best means of meet
ing deficiency in the school
finances It Is matter that the
public Is as much interested in as
the board Of trustees.
The Editor of the Observer ends
by saying "this is not intended to be
personal---very. to illustrate the wis
dom Of a policy for which The OBJ
server has long contended." If this
was the first time that the Editor of
The Observer went out Of his way
to criticise the Editor of The Times
and Democrat, the above statement
might be accepted. The article is as
personal as it can be. 1t is not only
personal, but it is not true, as every
one here knows. The Editor Of The
Times and Democrat has had the
honor of being & member OF the
board of school trustees for several
years, and during al that time if he
his ever done anything to "oppose
the board in its work" we challenge