The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-16

shown to be up to the highest stand
ard.
! OF course in such matters 1t is i'm
possible to please all. but my hope
and belief is that the true friends of
the public schools will not destroy the
spirit of cooperation in their county
by unfounded reflection upon the mo-
tives and acts of their public officials
but Will give their loyal support to
the new superintendent in his efforts
to Increase the usefulness Of the
schools of your county
Yours truly,
JOHN GARLAND POLLARD.
Mr.. Pages Rejoinder.
Richmond Va, March Is, 1917.
Hon. John Garland Pollard, Library
building, Richmond, Va;
Dear Sir,-Your letter of six pages
of March Is is at nand. / beg leave
to say:
My interest and reason for open
ing a correspondence with you Is due
to my interest in the schools of Ham
over county, and in my neighbor, Mr.
John II. Wickham, the faithful and
efficient school superintendent whom
/ think your action has injured, nc
less than il has the cause of educa
ton in that county. 1t is to tell you
that your action aas set the county
ahre. from the Matadaquin creek to
the CiooChland border
You might have taken the opinion
OF any one of the school trustees OF
the county, except one known to be
I hostile 10 Mr.. Wickham; but you
preferred the advice of that one
school trustee. and of two members
cf the board OF supervisors who. after ,
writing over their own signature In
the Richmond papers that they had Z
iNNpiCIpi
&t Hanover Courthouse. saying that
they would have one w. D Bremner
tor sChoo! superintendent or they
would cut off the appropriation, again
'ndorsed him in your ofi1ce--a fact
emitted in the transcript reported in
morning paper
The people OF Hanover are resent
tul because. while Mr.. Wickham and
Mir. Bell were appearing before the
loard of educators and Mr.. Gwalt-
ney's application was before it, a pa
per was read 10 that board as the ac-
ton OF the board of supervisors of
Hanover. which was only the action
Of a secret caucus called by you and
held n little before at your office And
ell present, including this writer. sup
posed It the action OF the board OF
supervisors except you, and those who
had been in such caucus.
The schools Of Hanover are in bet
ter condition than they have ever
been before Good teachers. good
attendance, good buildings, prompt
payment of dues to the literary fund
and proper inspection OF the schools
all exist in Hanover
Mr.. Wickham. however, commits
| the atroCious crime Of living on a
farm. and al times when not visiting
the schools, he works the garden,
drives the mower and follows the
plow. as does every other country
man of what profe ssion soever, who
is fortunate enough TO DO able TO do
50. This association with the land
ana the farmers gives him a decided
! influence with the country people and
their children.
To accept the position Of division
superintendent of schools he aban-
| doned tho practice of law after his
examination papers had been com
mended for their excellence by the
! Hon. James Keith, late president of
( the supreme court of appeals Of Vir-
! ginta. Whether he can afford to do
! this is a question for him to decide.
| When the need of the schools for
more revenue was urged upon the
board OF supervisors by Wickham.
| taxpayers of the county urged the
! board to raise the school levy which
was done and the county got the
! benefit Of the state funds, which were
| dependent upon such raising of the
| levy. This was done not because of
| the visit of the supervisors at that
| time to ANT office but because OF
| Wickham's activity and of letters of
| taxpayers to the board published in
| the county papers urging It.
| But what the people OF Hanover
witt Won holt Mr.
| Pollard Is that YOU sat on the board
to hear the matter at which there
were taxpayers ana people interested
in the schools Of Hanover present,
and you knew. but they did not. of
what had taken place in the meeting
IN your office and a candidates name !
was withdrawn on the grounds that
re was minister Of the gospel and
could not devote the time to the duties
Of division superintendent when. as
matter OF fact he could no more
have been superintendent of schools
Of Hanover after what he had done !
and had been detected in doing. than
he could he elected after that action
as the minister Of your church In
Richmond. And So Mr. Pollard. the
people OF Hanover are al%azc with
Indignation at youi action. You arc
mistaken in thinking Mr.. Wickham
my candidate He is no more to me
than hundreds of citizens OF Hanover.
But he is my neighbor. And I Will
not sit by without protest and see
him slaughtered when his conduct
throughout this whole matter has
been that of high minded. honor
able virginia scholar and gentleman,
Going his duty we'll and effectively
Respectfully yours.
ROOSEVELT PAGE.
may say that I have not seen
or heard from Mr.. Wickham since +
heard him before the board Of educa