The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-29
POLITICAL ADVERTISING
c. R. MURRAY MAKING STRONG RACE
FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT

|, sonal responsibilities. In private life
an employees value can be measured
directly In some money or other re.
turn, that is easily seen, while this is
not true Of public officer. There Is
always some doubt as to a public SER
wants true worth, because his ser.
vices must be measured in qualities
and results that are questions Of far.
reaching public policy, the effects Of
which may not be evident for years,
II ever. Furthermore, a private EN-.
ployee may be easily and at will dis.
charged by hts employer. whereas the
public official can, and usually does.
use his years of continued service to
build up a political organization that
may prevent the public from defeat.
ing ais reelection even after they
have come to perceive his inefflcien-
cy or dereliction. Therefore passing
years have deepened the conviction
among thinking people that George
Washington's teaching represents mai
political wisdom for which he has al.
ways been honored. All Of these.
things seem to apply with especial
force to the present incumbent In the
his office of superintendent of the
free schools Of the state Of West vir-
ginia. For now, having held posi-.
ton In this department Of the gov
eminent for practically all Of the
twenty years he has been in the
state, he now. in his messages and re-
ports to the legislature, recommends
that the office be made appointive, so
that he may turn over to the governor
the vast political power that he has
built up, and presumably in return
receive the Office as life gift"
What Is the nature Of this organi-
zation?
Few people realize what nm or~"n.
ization he has built up In his own
two terms as state superintendent.
First of all, willis Mr.. Miller only had
five members on his official force
upon leaving the office. the present
superintendent has eleven. He ap.
poi.ts five members Of the state board
Of education, of which he has always
desired and held the presidency, al
thought by the statute he is only a
member. He appoints from ninety to
100 persons each year to grade the
manuscripts of the uniform examina.
tons, who serve on an average a
month or SO. He appoints about sew.
enty.fve institute instructors each
year. Ho is regarded as the dominat-
Ing force on the state board of re-.
gents, which appoints all Of the teach.
ers and instructors and presidents of
the six normal schools. the two pre-.
paratory schools and state university.
He practically controls the certItica.
ton OF every public and state school
teacher in West Virginia. In add.
ton to these things he has built UP
an organization Of his own that Is
outside OF the law, and may sometime
prove very dangerous to the state"
Who and what constitute the extra
legal organizations?
They are, by name, the following:
~ j. F. Marsh secretary of the
state board of regents; (2)- MI. Alb
bey, supervisor Of agricultural teach
Ing; (3) w. w. Saunders, supervis.
or of colored schools; az L. j. Han.
ifan. supervisor Of rural schools; (5)
L. L. Friend, state supervisor of high
schools When I speak of tyese as
being extra legal I mean that such Of
ficials are not established, authorized
or even mentioned in the constitution,
laws or statutes of West Virginia.
With the exception OF a secretary Of
the state BOARD Of regents. none of
the above are In any way recognized
by tho laws Of the people of West
Virginia: and even to this secretary
OF the state board Of regents powers
and duties have ben given that were
probably never contemplated by the
legislature. As to the other four,
their powers, duties or payment are
not provided for by the state laws or
constitution. In fact, with reference
to the latter two there are some very
DANGEROUS features In the case"
What features In the case do you
so regard?
"The state supervisors Of rural and