French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-01-25
THE SCHOOL BOARD.

OF selecting members of county boards
of education and county super1nten-
dents was adopted for the protection
of eastern counties dominated by ne
groes and it served the purpose ad-
mirably in that respect, besides giving
the State a uniform system of educa-
ton that has made remarkable prog
ress. But after the elimination OF the
negro from politics by the adoption OF
the suffrage amendment in. 1900, few
counties grew FESTIVE and appealed to
the General Assembly for the oppor-
tunity to elect these school officials by
a direct vote of the people. For
time the lawmakers refused to open
the door to this proposed innovation
for the reason that they considered it
unwise to interfere with statewide
uniform system which gave to each
county the same careful supervision
and accorded no special privilege to
any one not enjoyed by the others.
The idea was to maintain harmony be-
tween the state and local school au-
thorities which had so long prevailed
during the period when the East was
overridden by negroes and irresponst-
BILE white men, who insisted upon hold
ing the positions of school trustees,
justices of the peace and other posi-
tons of similar import. =,
But in an unguarded moment, some
ten years ago, the General Assembly |
permitted the enactment of bill per- |
hitting half dozen counties to in
terfere with the fine system in vogue
Turing the administration of Aycock
and Glenn and open veritable Pan
dora box of trouble and annoyance.
Three counties Edge
cornbe and Mecklenburg-were given
authority to elect their county school
boards, while Cleveland, 1redell and
Rutherford, are allowed to elect both
their superintendents and members of
their boards of education by direct
vote of the people. These bills were
''railroaded" through at the end Of the
session we dare say, and the members
doubtless experienced as much sur
prise to find them on the statute books
after the Assembly adjourned as did
the public itself. But it was too late
then to make amends and all of the
mischievous little measures have been
doing double service ever since for
advocates of a general change for the
entire State. The minority party has
not permitted single session of the
General Assembly to pass without
offering bills providing for the cleo
ton of all county school officials by al
direct vote of the people. And during
the last two or three sessions there
has been a clamor amongst members
of the majority party from a number of
eastern countfes However, the at
tempt has failed in every instance and
ought to fail this time.
In his inaugural address. Governor
Beckett suggested the creation of a
state commission. composed of mem
bers of both parties, to name the
boards of education for all the coun-
ties. Also. that the minority party be
given representation on the county
boards. While there is no apparent
need for any change in the present
system at all. the plan proposed by
the Governor would be less harmful
to the educational interests of the
state than any method that has been
discussed SO far by the General AS
sembly at this session. If there is any
slone thing more than another for which