The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-07-08
Give the People a Chance.

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cussion ABOUT the way the meeting to
elect Trustees of the Graded School
on last Friday night was manipulated
by interested parties to get a certain
trustee of the board, who, it eeems,
stood in the way of the plans these
interested parties wanted carried out.
This is not the first time that this
has happened, but it should be the
last. We have not word to say
against the two new trustees elected
Friday night. They are both good
mer, and will no doubt give good
and faithful service.
What we object to is the power
the present mode of electing these
trustees give to few unscrupulous
men who may wish to punish some
man on the board that refuses to- do
their bidding, and we think it ought
% be changed SO as every citizen who
wants to can vote for trustees with
out having to spend hours waiting IN
a warm, disagreeable room to do SO,
the present plan OF electing these
important officials requires him to
do. That is why these meetings are
so poorly attended and elections al
lowed to go by default.
The law should be changed so as
the trustees can be- elected every four
wears when the municipal election
takes place. A ballot box could be
arranged near where the city election
is conducted and every voter who IS
qualified could then express his
choice for trustees. The Commls-
sioners of Public Works are elected
this way. Why not the Trustees or
our Graded School? 1t will be no
hardship on the people, because most
Of them vote in the municipal eiec-
ton, and it would only take few
seconds for them to go to the 0ox ana
vote for School Trustees.
Besides this is the Democratic way
to elect Trustees, and being, with
BRYAN and Tillman, very strong
believer in the people, we think they
should be given a chance to say VINO
they want for School Trustees with
out having to go up in hall ana
sweat it out for an hour or Two and
then have a cut and dried ticket
rammed down their throats. Char
lesion Columbia, Sparsanourg'
Greenyille and other progressive
cities elect their School Trustees
when they elect city officials. why
should not Orangeburg do the same!
The present system of electlng
School Trustees may be all right for a
small town, but Orangeburg has out
grown it, and no time should be lost
in changing it. The only reason why
thirty-seven citizens are allowed "
select School Trustees for seVeral
hundred citizens is the 1nconVen-
ience that citizens are put to to vote
for these OFFICIALS Make it con-
yenient for the people to do So anu
they will be glad to express an opln-
ion as TO who they want %or Irus-
taes the same as they do for Mayor
Aldermen. and Commissioners or
public Works. If any one mas any
reason why the people should not DC
given this opportunity let them SPEAK
out.
Because of the Inconvenience OF
the present plan a few men can
manipulate the election SO as 10 get
any men on the Board OF Trustees
thew want. In this way aEv scheme
that designing men may want to work
TO advance their interests can De
easily put through. Two or tnree
men have been selecting all the
School Trustees for a great many
wears In fact, they have heen DONG
it so long that they have about come
tn the conclusion that any man that
differs from them has no blHness on
the board. Should such man accl-
entally get on they get him OH by Sc
cretly working up opposition to h1m
and getting enough PERSONA ioiio"-
ers out to carry out their wishes
If the people have sense enough TO
elect their Senators, CoAgressmen,
Members of the Legislature, County
Officers. Mayor and Aldermen, aed
all other public officials. they surely
have sense enough to cleo the Trus-
tes to manage their schools. This ar
ticle is written at the request OF sew
eral gentlemen, whose eyes nave
been opened to the necessity OF
change in the mode Of choosing our
Trustees. They propose 20 give the
people a chance to name the men
they want in these positions, ana
take their selection out OF the nanas
of those who have axes TO grind IN
the way of increased salaries for
few favorites.