The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-04-07

The Birnyillc Democrat:
! have been rcadm. with deep III
tcrpst the proceedings of the consul
tutioual Convention now i'll session
especially those pertaining to the
school system,
II is significant that all the olicIaIS
under the present system, to-Wlt; ] he
State Superintendent and all the par
i,h superintendent, who appeared De
fore Il p Committee Oh Education are
loud in their praise Of the progress
made under their supervision ana
recommend its retention with rev
changes. 1t will be observed that all
these are high salaricd officials "h'
have financial interest at stake ana
At the same time it is but natural tllat
they ShonId boast Of the good WORKS
they have done. IN" question
lcuitimatrly arises as to whether any
one is a competent adviser VII" has
personal interest in questions or so
much importance. The state Superlll.
tpndcnt suggests aS means II fcmo'
inc ,bp schools from the domain OF
noIjticS that his office he made APP
pointiyc by Il n0vcrlappinG state board.
thus taking out Of the hands OF the
directorate the last executive Once OF
the whole system, and placing It with
IFS millions Of dollars Of revenue an
souteIy in the hands Of the State
Superintendent and his lIeutenah'>
the parish superintendent III MS
able and seductive argument before
the committee in support Of his pan
he boasts that LOuiSana's system i
such a model of perfection that mos.
Of the states are adopting it, Doubt
! less in the COLDER axe of the mlIIen-
mum humau nature will be so purified
that politicians will cease to take adj
vantage Of their opportunities ana
crafterS changed to honest citizens
but we have ample evidences that the
time has not yet come even III the
administration Of 50 sacred trust as
the education q the future citizens OF
our state,
Ii is patent to al Observers thab
politics plays al important part III
school affairs, This was forclbly eX-
hibited in BienviIle parish during the
gubernatOrial campaign and III the last
election of members of the school
board.
Given school board with overlap
ping terms, an executive holding Of
flee at their pleasure who at the same
time has almost absolute power over
the distribution of all the school mon
les allotted to the parishes and ap,
pointing all the teachers, and YOU have
an ideal condition for the politician tC
wave the sword of DamocleS over the
head Of opposition and curry the favor
Of his partizans by official patronage
Is Bienville immune in this respect
Under the present constitution the
state apportionment is distributed tc
the parishes on the basis of the mum
Der of children of school age, but
it is silent as to how the funds shall
be appOrtiOned TO the schools. 1t was
not thus under previous laws which
required that the money should be al
lOtted to the wards on the same basis
as to the parish. The parish super
intendcnt under the present arrange
ment becomes the custodian OF all
school funds and being ex-otficio execu
tive officer of the schools in his dual
capacity, he holds not only the purse
but the. sword, and this not by vote
of the people! Is this safe fol
Democracy?
Mr.. Editor. in order not to make
this communication too long | will cal
your attention to an editorial in the
Times-Picayune Of March 81, which
states that at the time the superin
tendents were making their urgent and
eloquent appeals before the convention
for continuance Of the present auto
cratic system, the sovereign people OF
Pennsylvania had made it an issue il
a pending election to free themselves
from system in many respects like
that of this state
Mfil 4th, 1921.
E. NJ. CORY,
Ringgold, La.