Richmond daily register., 1921-05-05
IsJJPERTNTENDENTS'
MEETING HERE
Continued from 1st Page)

(Continued from lst Page) Il
vim John Howard Payne sup
erntendent OF the Richmond CITY
| Schools. +. W. Selph, county su-
nerintendent Of Oldham county /
and Supt. 'Colvin presented argu,
,nents in favor Of the proposed
/ Constitutional Amendments. Su
Inerintendent Payne is a splendid
orator and impressive speaker.
| S,ipt .Selph delivered an excellent
speech. Supt. 'Colvin spoke as
| follows: .ooo !,
The legislature OF 1920 sub |
! mitted a constitutional amend
ment to be voted on by the people
lat the November election, making
the office of State Superintendent
statutory rather than const1tu-
tional. The legislature was
prompted by intelligent reasons
to propose the change. In the
last state campaign, both politl-
cal parties had pledged them
selves to take the office OF coun-
tv Superintendent and state su-
Derintendent out of politics. In,
keeping with that pledge the leg
islature enacted a law that does
effectively remove the office oil
county superintendent from par
tisan politics and places it upon
professional basis. Any super
intendent appointed under the
law enacted in 1920 who actively
participates in partisan politics
ought to be. and probably will be.
automatically removed from the
position that he holds. SO long
as the county superintendent was
. elected. he had a right and was
under obligation to take an active
! part in political campaigns. Now
4 that he has come to- represent
4 both parties, he should keep him
/ self in such position os to entltIc
1 him to receive the support and
j respect of both parties. and, tor
1 that reason. he should be barred
i from active participation in polit-
4 ical campaigns. The legislature
4 could not. however. legislate the
4 office of State Superintendent out
! of politics. because the office ar(
4 the method OF filling it are fixed
4 in and by the constitution. The
q only possible way to remove this
y office from politics is to amenC
the constitution. Under the
rs present method of filling this OF
Sc fee, two political campaigns arc
re necessary. one for the nomination
al and another for the election
~ Most school men are unable o.
unwilling for an uncertainty. Ut. t.
oy tmeet the cost IN time and none,
in making these two campaigns
Thus, the men who are best quail
: fled to discharge the duties o
p 4 this high office are prevented AM
9 prohibited from seeking it. Thi
. leaves the selection OF State Su
: perintendent 10 the party bosse
z to those who make up part
G States. The party boss will yer
Q naturally select man who ha
S1political strength, or because {
z his geographical location, or be
g cause he has the support of tn
z corrupt interests that prey upo
our public schools. They do nc
) seek a man of demonstrated abb
z ity : they make but little inquir
z about his qualification or his fl
3 ness; they do not seek to kno
3 whether his heart beats in syn
3 pathy with the rights of Kentu
slky's childhood or whether he h;
8 the courage, the conscience al
90 the capacity to give to the chill
- rem of Kentucky a system
schools that guarantees to all ;
even chance. The current OPT
ion is, that this is one of Il
minor offices. The candidate
name is placed near the end
long ballot. The voters,
casting their votes, give but lit
thought to any of the minor {
fees. 1t is a safe assumpti
that not fifty per cent of the W