The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-09-21
DEFEAT OF SCHOOL AMEND.
MEATS IN lNOIANAf[lT HERE
Party Ranks in TangIe Over the
Two Amendments to Be Voted
Upon at November Election

Kentuckians who are battling for
the adoption of constitutional
amendments to change certain fea-
lures of the states educational sys-
tenn received something of an eye
opener in the results of an election
/, in IIitiana several weeks ago.
The sister state north of the Ohio
voted upon a question that is to be
submitted to the voters of Kentucky
in November. The proposition was
whether or not the Office of superin-
tendent of schools, now elective,
shall be made appointive. In Indi-
ana it was defeated.
1t was a shock to those public
officials and educational leaders, who
claim to have panacea for educa-
tional ills in the two amendments
which go before the voters this year,
when the result from Indiana be-
| came known. To those who have
been watching the press of the coun-
tryside and converse with the in
habitants of the rural neighbor-
hoods, the vote was what was ex-
pected.
Until the battle for and against
the amendments came out into the
open, it was amusing to watch the
efforts to place political blame for
the opposition. The leading Repub-
lican daily in the state accused the
Democratic press of standing in the
way of all progress because the ma
which are Democratic in this state,
opposed the amendments.
Whatever guilt there may lie in
| lighting the proposed changes, how
ever, soon was shared by a promin-
ent Republican, Lilburn G. Phelps,
secretary of the Republican state
Genital committee, announced that
| he had accepted the leadership of
the "antis."
Chesley H. Searcy, chairman Of
the committee, said he was willing
to leave the matter to those experts
in it, and is taking no part. 1t ap-
pears, however. that certain G. o. p.
leaders are piqued that member
of the committee should have be-
come involved in the squabble.
Open fire from within his own
party was directed at Mr.. Phelps by
George Colvin, superintendent of
public instruction. lie contended
that all of the Republican oficehold-
ers were pledged by their 1919 plat
form to the changes proposed, but
Mr.. Phelps showed that Mr.. Colvin
quoted only portion of the plat
form plank in his attack, and that
FAR from being pledged to making
the Office appointive. the plank COM
mits the party to election or re-
election under non-partisan EN-
blems.
Governor Edwin p. Morrow pro-
jected himself into the debate in ad-
dressing school meeting in Louis
vile. He supports the two amend
ments. To demonstrate his lack of
partisanship in the matter Governor
Morrow advanced the names of five
Democrats and four Republicans he
would place upon the board to select
the superintendent of instruction
and direct the welfare of the schools.
The five Democrats he has select |
ed are Lewis c. Humphrey, editor OF
a Louisville newspaper; Morgan
iughes, of Bowling Green; Charles
II Ellis, of Sturgis; Mrs. Samuel NJ.
Wilson. of Lexington, Democratic
vice chairman of the 1920 campaign,
and Henry Berry, Owensboro. The
four Republicans selected are r. C.
Ballard Thurston, Louisville. his
torian; Lem Putnam, Ashland; Miss
Belle Bennett, OF Richmond, and ,
Luke Dudley, of Flemingsburg.
The dispute RACES over the merits
of whether or not the amendments
win take the schools out of politics. |
Those who favor them say they will;
their opponents say not. Gov. Nor
row insists that their passage is
vital to the welfare of the schools.
The rural opposition centers about
the fact that 1t is another move to
take from the public the control of
its own AFFAIRS and to centralize
power in an executive. 1t is clear
that sides in the matter are not
being taken according to political