The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-07-18
Heat i |! | { \ DEVELOPS 4
:. IN L |. FIGHT FOR :.
SCHOOL OFFICES
Contest for Election of School
Directors Is a Warm
Affair.
Votes of Women Will Be Decid-
ing Factor in Winning
Contest.

Tomorrow's school election, at which
will be chosen three directors to serve
on the board of education of the in
school district of Virginia,
bids fair to be one Of the most hotly
contested ever held in this city. That
the vote will be large is generally
conceded and that the deciding factor
will be the votes of the women of the
city is also apparent. This vote is ex-
pected to be the largest ever polled in
Virginia.
While both factions to the election
contest are declaring for harmony,
both are putting up a vigorous fight.
The campaign has reached the point
of intensity, and the real issue is the
future administration of the city's
schools and along what line it shall
be conducted. Both sides have made
personalities, but they are develop.
an effort to keep the contest free from
ing, and the fight is by no means with
out bitterness.
The policy of DR.. P. P. Colgrove, re-
Gently chosen superintendent over
Lafayette Bliss, who held the posi-
tion for eight years, is entering into
the fight, despite the fact that DR..
Colgrove was not an applicant for the
place
During the week the grounds on
which the campaign was to have been
made have apparently been switched
The removal of school affairs from
the possibility of corporate domination
was stated as the chief issue during
last week. In the house-to-house cam.
paign for votes now in full sway the
argument is being advanced that Dr.
Colgrove's program for the schools is
going to- be unnecessarily costly y to
the taxpayers, while insinuations as
to his efficiency and the wisdom Of
his methods are not lacking. DR.,
Colgrove is out of the city. He is
taking no interest or part in the cam
paign and will not return to Virginia
until the election of the directors is
settled.
For this condition ex-Superintend-
ent of Schools Lafayette Bliss is open
ly blamed by the opposing side in the
school election fight. They are con-
tending that Mr.. Bliss policy with re-
gard to the conduct of the schools has
not always resulted in an efficient
teaching staff, that there are many
children over age in the grades and
that survey of the schools, which
they are openly advocating, if made
will develop that while the city has the
finest school buildings in the state,
it is not paying enough money in
salaries to secure teachers who will
insure the highest standards of ef-
ficiency.
Stripped of the various false fronts
which it has assumed the battle is
the old one that has been waged in
this city for several years. It is
claimed that Mr.. Bliss is endeavoring
to control the board that he may be
elected to his old position again in
another year. It is also being openly
declared that some of the candidates
on the progressive league ticket have
acknowledged this to be the truth.
Accusations of an equally interest,"
ing nature come from the other side
of the controversy. Mr.. Bliss is
claiming that members of the board
have personally maligned him in trips
about the state, and that reports OF
statements derrogatory to his ability
as an educator have been made. He
maintains his interest in the fight is
to secure the defeat of certain candi-
dates that it may be proven to his
friends over the state that the people
of the town are really with him and
did not want to see him discharged as
superintendent of schools.
All of the candidates are working
and each ticket has an effective organ
ization in the field soliciting votes,
while each is also claiming a big
victory when the ballots are counted
tomorrow.
The candidates on the progressive
league ticket are R. J. McGhee, Carl
R. Johnson and w. T. Irwin. Mr.,
McGhee is the present chairman of the
board. He voted consistently for the
retaining of Mr.. Bliss as superinten-
dent. Carl r. johnson is a well known
local business man and has a large
personal following. w. T. Irwin is
manager of the Elmwood Farm Dairy,
and takes much interest in civic af-
fairs.
The candidates on the ticket which
declares for the removal of school af-
fairs from political intrigue and am
bition are the Messrs. Edward G. A,
Johnson. James nahoasy and A. 3