The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-10-16

Mr.. w. III. HODGES, jr.
OF WARD ONE.
II was not Mr.. Aswell's fault If men
like Boyd and Nicholson and Easton and
Chambers permitted the school system to
become run down at the heel-but it was
Aswell who put new life into the whole ed
cational body and brought Louisiana we'll
up in the ranks of progressive States go
far as the schools are concerned. He ought
not to be criticised for doing such work.
even though few here and there may OBJ
iect to the methods he employed to obtain
the good results.-1SArevepor journal.
So the Banner, nor no one else, must
'stouch not mine anointed, . no matter how
much they may be- opposed to his objection
able methods" We believe the "good
results" in educational work in louisiana
are due to the increase of the school fund
from the prosperity of the State, and not to
Mr.. Aswell. 1t is the taxpayer who has
made our school system 3 success. Ever
since the passing Of Reconstruction the
people have been earnestly working for
good schools, and the school system has
slowly, it is true, but steadily improved,
from the administration of R. M. Lusher
up to the present time. And they will
continue to improve; for the intelligent and
progressive citizenship Of Louisiana have
long determined to have the best educa-
tional advantages to be secured for their
children.
When Mr.. Lusher was elected State Su-
perintendent of Education the school fund
was small, indeed. An examination of
the receipts of his day compared with the
receipts of Aswell's administration will
show plainly the disadvantage which con-
fronted our Superintendents from Lusher
to Calhoun. The men discounted that As
we'll may be praised and elected to Office,
could not command the money for school
proposes that Aswell had, but they worked
zealously and unheralded with what money
they had for the. upbuilding of the school
system of the State-tiding it over the
breakers and laying the foundation for flu
ture betterment when times should be more
prosperous. We never heard, until the
man with gubernatorial bee in his bonnet
came upon the scene of action. that the
Democratic party had been guilty Of elect
ing only incomptents as State Superin-
tendents of Education. Lusher, Fay, La
fargue, Jack and Calhoun, all failures!
A gratuitous and unjust SANDER. A rob-
berry of Peter to Paul, when Paul had al
ready been overpaid. Magnsnimity, not
to say justice, to the men whose lips are
sealed in death, would suggest to any fair
minded man, that there is glory enough
for ALL The Democratic voters of Loui-
siana made no mistake, and makes no
apology now, for electing these estimable
gentlemen (the equals, If not the superiors
of the Great Pretender) Superintendent of
Education.
Some years ago an able Northern edu-
Gator visiting Louisiana deliver an address
on educational lines. Il is inconvenient to
quote his exact words here, but his praise
of the officials and the people of the State
for the good work they had done for the
advancement of education-followingt the
impoverishment of the people by Radical
legislation was all that could be desired.
There were no Aswellian cobwebs in his
remarks.
Everyone has right to his opinion, aud
We claim the right to criticise any public
man who we think only respects the rights
of the people when 10 is vote hunting.
And we refuse to believe that Mr.. Aswell
is ssthe greatest ever" or that this State
has ever been in the pitiable condition
that he was the only man competent, or
the most competent, to GIL the Office of Su-
perintendent of Education. Our objection
to him is not personal, but political. We
object to his methods" His proposition
at teachers normal school meeting in
Baton Rouge several years ago to ssmuzzle
few parents" is one Of bis classical sug-
gestions we objectto and one he never had
the candor to announce when he was So
letting the votes of the common people for
whom he seemed to have no respect, when
not seeking their votes for office.