Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-11-16
TEACHERS IN POLITICS
lBy q CoIumbus Teacherl


An amusing editorial appeared In
last weeks issue os "The official Or
gan OF I.una County" In which the Ell
itor opines that teachers and school
boards should keep out Of politics"
The terin politics" IL most com
prehensivc one, yet some very narrow
constructions are often placed upon II.
The department OF education Is as
much a part OF our government as
the department Of state or the depart
ment of justice. "1'he public school
system is the foundation upon which
the government rests" Is a much quot
ell statement and Is unquestioned. II
teachers and school boards are not in
terested In politics then they betray the
trust which Is placed In them The fact
IN. teachers and school boards are "in
politics. whether they will
or not, and the fact admits of no AR
gumeDt
The state Of New Mexico takes
very low rank among the states In edu-
cation, and the leading educators of the
state are making every effort possible
10 improve our standing In order TO
do this efforts are being made TO raise
The educational standing for teachers
aud county superintendents.
AT the close Of the summer session of
the state normal school at Silver City
this year, the teachers present, number
ing about four hundred, passed and
adopted the following resolutions /:
Resolved that county sueprintend-
onts Of schools should be elected by
the county board Of education instead
Of by popular vote; that to be eligible
for the office. the applicant must be II
graduate OF n commissioned high
school or its equivalent, ana have had
no less thnn two years training at an
accredited normal school, and hold n
professional certificate. The applicant
must also have had no less than five
years experience as teacher. IL was
stated at this meeting that the Other
nDrmals then i'm SESSION In the statc
had passed these or similar resolutions,
and that copies Of these resolutions
would be forwarded TO the officers of
the New Mexico. State Teachers Asso-
citation, asking that they he further
considered M the meeting OF the Asso-
ciation 10 be held In Albuquerque this
month, and that the State Teachers AS
sociation petition the stae legislature
to incorporate them into the statutes Of
the state.
The majority Of the teachers Of Luna
county were In attendance at the sum
mer normals and helped to pass and
adopt these resolutions, therefore they
could not consistently nor conscien-
tlously support the candidate on the
democratic ticket at the election last
Tuesday.
There are ten teachers in the Column
bus schools = oi'iy foLr OF them were
voters In this precinct; two voted the
democratic ticket ON state and national
issues and two voted the republican,
hut all of them voted for Ruth Merrill
for superintendent of schools, and Miss
Merrill was the unanimous choice OF
the teachers here as well ny at Deming.
IL goes without saying that this choice
was purely non-partisan and imperson-
al, and that both candidates have the
utmost respect of all the teachers from
n personal standpoint.
No true member of the teaching pro-
fession would seriously consider any
suggestion from n newspaper OF the
type OF the Columbus Courier, however
the teachers of Luna county might sug-
gest that people shoull be kept out Of
politics who have not the best interests
Of the county at heart, and whose only
thought during a political campaign Is
To perpetuatee the domination
Of Il political party or party ring
composed of INSCRIPTIONS and un-
prmcipled oliticians.