The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1923-03-29
BOND IN RACE
FOR SUPT. OF
EDUCATION
Present State Superintend-
ent of Education Adj
dresses Open Letter to
People of Mississippi.

JACKSON, MISS, MdINA4 AeNS e
Superintendent of Education W. 4
Bond has officially announced tina
he is a candidate for reelection.
He is a resident of Hattiesburg
and a voter oil Forrest county,
having come here from the state
Normal college. the announce
ment follows:
To she People Of Mississippi;
am a candidate for reelection
as State Superintendent Of Educa-
ton.
| choose this medium of telling
the people OF the state of my can
didacy and soliciting their cooper
alton and support, because be-
tween now and June | shall be too
busy attending to the business OF
the office to make an active cam
paign. In 1919 you elected me to
serve as your State Superintend-
ent | have been ION the job ever'
since | took office in 1916 and do
not propose to neglect my duties
now. Until the 100000 school
children and 10000 teachers OF
the state finish the present school
session ard begin their summer
vacations, my duty is serving them
and | shall continue to do 50 to
the very best of my ability.
l have tried 10 adopt as cen
tral rule of life that high ideal OF
duty which General Lee held out to
his son as the cardinal principle of
his life, when he wrote Duty Is
the subimest word in the English
language"
On the famous Ozark Day in
New England in 1881 when night
seemed suddenly to descend at
midday and people thought the
end of the world at hand, Col.
Abraham Davenport rose in the
Connecticut legislature to protest
against adjournment. Whittier
thus phrases his words:
this we'll may be
Tie day Of judgment which the
world awaits,
But be It so or not, only know
Ny present duty
Let God do His work, we will see
to ours,
Bring in the candles,'
And so | say to my friends
throughout Mississippi: I intend
to do my duty here; do your duty
in your community and get others
to do theirs and we need not fear
the outcome.
My friends have been wiring
and telephoning and writing their
offers of support. For all these l
am profoundly grateful. Until the
schools close, my candidacy is in
the hands of my friends, and l
shall appreciate every effort ex-
pended in my behalf. After that
date l shall go before the people
to report upon my stewardship.
Even then l do not expect to in
dulge in any personalities what
ever. The school system Of the
State of Mississippi is far too i'm
portant in the states life to be
dragged through the llire of fac
tional politics or made the basis
for acrimonious personal issues. |
for one do not expect to commence
it.
My record is an open book.
When | took charge Of this office
[ endeavored to go ahead with the
progressive policies of my prede-
cessor, Hon. w. H. Smith, and to
initiate others as opportunity was
presented. In 1916 there were 290
consolidated schools in the state.
Today there are ITO. Then there
we're six teachers homes, today
over two hundred. During my
seven year tenure of office the
school term has been increased an
entire month in length and there
has been so per cent increase in
the enrolment in the white
schools. An equalizing fund of
more than a million dollars per
year has been provided, it's constr
tutionality upheld through all the
courts, and the money made avail
able for the poor counties so as to
give every white Isild an equal
opportunity for an education.
Hor. John J. Figert, United
States Commissioner of Education,
stated not long ago in a public adj
dress that Mississippi had made
more progress educationally in the
last three years than any other
state in the Union.
1t is upon this record of con-
structive achievement and worth
while effort that l stand for re-
election. Favored by your suf-
rage in 1920, ! have sought al
WAYS to serve the best interests of
all the people, and it is with this
thought in mind, end the further
desire to see plans and programs
already undertaken, carried tn ougl7
to success that 7 offer Tor re-elec-
ton as State Superintendent OF
Education and request the favor
of your influence and support.
Sincerely your friend,