The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-11-13
State Supt. Wilson Recommends
to Governor that the Choice
IF Members Be Leftto
the Voters
WOULD MAKE 1T A
BIPARTISAN BODY
Reviews Difficulties Arising Out
Of Existence Of Two Boards
at Same Time and Sug-
gests Remedy

Oklahoma City, Nov. 13.- State Sup
erintendent r. H. Wilson has recon-
mended to the governor that the law
providing for the state board OF edu.
cation be amended so as to provide
for the members to be elected by the
people II the recommendations
should be enacted into law the board
will be bipartisan, composed Of six
members equally divided between the
two dominant parties. The letter Of
recommendation follows
Since making my recommendation
to you for school legislation, develop
ments in the conditions relating to
the state board OF education, through
reflection thereupon. lead me to alter
the recommendations then made re-
specting said board, and I accordingly
recommend as follows:
THAT the statutes should be amend
ed making membership upon said
board elective by the people instead
Of appointive by the governor or any
other authority Such amendment to
be framed that the board shall be BIZ
partisan, six members to be elected
at special election to be called im-
mediately upon the adjournment Of the
legislature. two Of such members, one
from each Of the two dominent politi-
cal parties, to be elected for a term
Of two years; two, one from each dom
inant party to be elected for term
Of four years: and two. one from each
dominant party to be elected for a
term Of six years, and two, one from
each of the dominant parties, to be
elected at each bi-annnal election
thereafter to fill vacancies. The six
members so chosen, together with the
superintendent Of public instruction.
who, by the constitution. is member
Of the board, to constitute the entire
membership OF the board
My reasons for this recommends
tion are to relieve the board from
possibility Of political coercion or con
troll, either by the present appointiye
power, the governor, or by the super
intendent Of public instruction, who is
a constitutional member Of such board
or by combination OF both such Of
ficers and to make members of the
board responsible for their OFFICIAL
conduct directly to the people who
elected them and not to the governor.
who appointed them. The law should
contemplate, and the practical work
ing out OF the plan would result in the
exercise Of the independent Judgment
OF the entire membership Of the board
instead OF having them mere voting
proxies and echoes of one will and
determination. While the law at pres
ent contemp1ates the exercise Of in
dependent judgment OF the seven
members OF the board, acting as a de-
Lucrative body, for the interests IN
the state, fyet the practical working
out of the present legislation has
brought about a con ition where one
Of these two alternatives confronts a
member.
(a) Either the appointive member
shall yield to pressure Of the governor
who appointed him and vote his will.
or
OBJ They shall subject themselves
to arbitrary attempts at removal aud
the ignominy attaching thereto
The plan suggested would render
impossible the. recurrence OF the pres
ent demoralizing condition. wherein
two boards are attempting the incon
ceivable task of filling the office Of
one board, with the result that mails
Of the public Institutions are held up
the various departments and hesds Of
departments Of the state government
are driven here and there laborlns
under the uncertainty Of possible ia
bility on their official bonds resulting
from recognizing either one or the
other Of the two such boards. and th'
presidents and superintendents Of thl
various institutions Of the atate, an
der the direction Of the state boafi
Of education, are distracted fron thi
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