The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-01
thinks PEOPLE
SHOULD ELECT
Delegate Love Will Press Con
stitutional Amendment in
Regard to Schools.
SAYS LOBBY BEAT IT BEFORE
Charges Division School Super
intendents With Being
Afraid of. People.

S. II. Love. for several terms a mem
Der OF the House of Delegates from
hnnenburg County, who Is now In
S'camond. is preparing to renew his
hSht Tor the popular election OF dis
trict school superintendents. In gath
ering ammunition for this contest.
which Will require an amendment TO
the State Constitution. Mr. Love was
an Interested spectator at the hearings
before the State Board of Education
last week
Mr.. Love introduced bill providing
for such change in the constitution
last session and it passed the House.
out reached the Senate so late In the
session that 1t did not receive CON
rideration. The patron believes he
can show that the school superlnten-
dents themselves. afraid to go before
the people for reelection. were active
~ lobbying against the bill.
AS evidence Of the unsa tisfactory
way IN which the present system oper-
ates. Mr.. Love told yesterday Of n re-
cent occurrence in his own county OF
Lunenburg The division school sup
erintendent, with the county clerk and
commemorative Attorney. appoint the
trustees. The trustees of Lunenburp
met some weeks ago to consider an In
crease OF 5000 In the salary OF the
division superintendent. For eight
ballots there was tie vote after
which the division superintendent, who
was presiding, cast the deciding bal
lot In favor OF the Increase Of his own
pay. In defense OF the division sun
erintendent 1t was stated that his term
was just ending, and that the increase
applied to the new term. to which Mr..
Love replied that he was without op-
position, and was practically certain
Of reappointment. and has since been
reappointed.
While giving due credit to the franz
ers of the State Constitution for their
desire to keep the public schools out
of politics. Mr.. Love believes that they
have succeeded In accomplishing just
mat thing The people of Virginia
elect the Superintendent of Public In
struction. hut In no county or city
have the people any voice In the Sc
lection of the school superintendent
who is of much more local importance
than the Superintendent of Public In
struction. and who. under present laws
does not even have to be citizen Of
the county or city when appointed.
Only SIX Can Vote.
Appointments. as was shown last
week. are at the hands OF six of the
eight members of the State Board OF
Education, the two actively engaged
in public school work being barred
from voting. The voting members are
the Governor the Attorney General,
the Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton, all three of whom. Mr.. Love points
out have to go before the people at
intervals. and who may or may not
have political debts to pay the other
three being from the faculties of the
various State colleges.
Mr. Love is gathering information to
show that when his hill was under
consideration last year petitions were
circulated by school superintendents.
and that members OF the Senate were
actively urged by them not to allow
IT 10 come to vote. Once passed by
the two houses of the General AS
sen bly,, the patron has no fear what
ever Of such an amendment to the Con
slitution failing OF popular approval
at the polls. The Only serious obiec-
ton that has been Ia:sed to the popu-
lar election of division superintcndents.
Mr. Love said, is that In some coun-
ties the people might not SEQ the adj
vantage of voting for trained super
vis"rs but might give the place on
a basis of friendship or popularity,
without sufficient regard to special
training and fitness. This was valid
objection. Mr.. Love said, when here
was large voting population of ne
groes, and when there was danger of
the negroes dominating the schools of
some counteS. Now that that condi-
ton has been obviated, he believes that
the people are best fitted to Judge their
local needs, and that they can selact
the man best fitted to fill the place
as we'll or better than n board COM
posed partly OF politicians and partly
OF college professors sitting in Rich
mond. the members of which may new
Ell have been to the county in 0ues-
ton. and who may have no special
knowledge of the condition IF ha
schools or the educational needs OF the
people.
H,N.n.A