The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-05-08

| and without any charges whatever
removed him.
On April 25, 1916, Davis Hill, q
member of and representing the state
board of education, came to Ada and
demanded the resignation of Presi
dent Briles, stating that unless he
resigned, he would be summarily dis
missed Mr.. Hill gave as reason
coming, that presidents of the state
schools should submit their resigna
| tions whenever the state adminlstra
ton changed, thus holding their posi-
tions at the pleasure of the governor
President Briles, unwilling that such
theory should govern the schools OF
the state. declined to submit his res
| ignation, preferring even at the ex'
pense of some humiliation to him
self, to be dismissed rather than sub
scribe to the doctrine announced by
Mr.. Hill. Having declined to tender
his resignation, the board met and
dismissed him, six of the members
of the board voting for dismissal in
the absence of charges of any char
acter and thereby subscribing to and
supporting the doctrine announced by
Mr.. Hill. One member voted against
his dismissal. This member was
State Superintendent r. II. Wilson,
and it is worthy of note, without fur
ther comment from us, that he was
elected by the people, while the 9th
er six members were appointees Of
the governor.
The action of the board clearly
shows the policy to be adopted to-
ward our state schools, namely, as
indicated by Mr.. Hill, that all teach
ers in those schools, no matter how
efficient they may be, no matter how
successful the schools may have been
under their administration, no matter
what harm may be done by their re-
moval,-are to hold their positions
only at the pleasure Of the incoming
administration, and that when new
governor is elected, they should be
ready with their designations to be
accepted or declined by him, accord
ing to whether or not in his Judg
ment they were good party workers,
and perhaps, whether or not they
supported him in the primary election,
Our chief executive has stated in
substance to no less than two reli.
able citizens of Ada that if President
Briles were removed and the friends
of the school were rebellious and
continued to oppose his policy with
reference to the school, he would
veto any appropriation for its support
and maintenance.
We most solemnly protest against
this policy announced and put into
practice by the board of education,
and such an attempt on the part OF
our chief executive to browbeat and
intimidate the citizens of Ada and
the friends of the school. We OF
course may yet be intimidated by
the governors threats, but we are
now firmly resolved to continue to
fight his policy with reference to the
schools as long as We are able TO 10
so; nevertheless we wish to assure
the new president that we will fully
and unreservedly cooperate with him
in every way, and to this end we here
and now tender him the loyal sup
port of our citizenship, and we are
authorized further to offer him the
hearty cooperation of our splendid
ex-president. We are fully determjn-
ed, Notwithstanding the gross inJas-
tice that has been done him and our
school, that it shall not fail by reason
of any act of ours, and we hereby
extend to the county superintendent
and teachers of this district a cor
dial invitation to continue in their
support of the East Central State
Normal, and join with us in making
it continued success, in spite OF
the wrong that has been done us.
For the purpose of putting into
effect the measures which we favor
in regard to the administration OF
our school affairs, we ask the people
of each and every county of this state
TO do as we expect to do,-put into
the field for the legislature candi-
dates pledged to the enactment OF
law abolishing the present school
board and creating a new board or
education to be elected by the legis-
lature. not more than onothird OF
whose terms of office shall expire dur
ing any one administration, thereby
removing as far as possible from this
board political influences of any kind
whatsoever.
AS strong as is our friendship for
President Briles, as much as We de-
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