The St. Cloud journal., 1870-03-03

Bhe $t. Gtana Sp,,xnat |
v. B MITCHELL. EDITOR. |
Thursday, March 8. 1870.
WHERE THE CORRUPTION Is.
An houonble opposition in any
matter Of general public Interest will
always command respect, even from op-
ponents. But tho indecent manner in
which the St. Paul Di:patch has
conducted is warfare upon the Nor
NAL Schools rsndsn it moro deserving
Of contempt than argument. But its
latest attempt demands some notice.
A correspondent, whose letter glales
out in bold head lines, charges that tho
Prudential Committee of the Normal
School At St. Cloud gave the contract
for The g.anits for the foundation of
ths new building at an sxo,bitant
price, 50; that it Vas done privately;
sad that the gfanite is only "grout,"
thrown aside - refuse. Th;a CORES
poudeat concludes as follows:
"This whole Normal School system Is
rotten from tho top to tho bottom.
"BEHIND TIN ScR1lN."
We think We can get this individual
fram behind his sc1eeL, and eau show
whore seme Of tho srottenness" is. We
have before us . letter written by 4
certain 1T. N. N.," Of St. Paul.
~he h,s had . good deal to say lately
abost Hsaan,te," "frauds," and such
tAinss-and addressed to the Chairman
of tho Prudential Committee. This
IT. II. N" has . machine for dressing
granite, and he wants sjob. He says
"D~ There 10 no reason Why you should
Aet have the handsomest and best school
lease In The State. It should be Of d,esssd
granite, wAioh ~ can execute two-thirda
ehsspsf than BY hand. In . word, having
tAs exclusive right to use the machine in
this State, 10 defy competition. If 70.
1al isssrsst yosrsslfvs v;H give you fvs cent.
." every foot Of granite dressed for 'aia
: We havs italioissd tho closing SEN
tesee, which contains direct bribe 70,
ths ssouiog Of what va thought would
- . he job. Had this offer been &C.
ssptsd Coe the letter even answered.
"Behiad the Screen" would probably
1svss havs presented himself to the
public case, Normal Schools would
have been oil right, and the Sc. Cloud
school, gloryins in ito "dreased' gran
its, would, in due time, have been the
haadsonest in tho State.
Nov to the facts. The price pait
Tor the granite was $3.50 per cord
delivered On the ground. The SAM
kind Of granite was used in the Unio,
School house, just built here, and va
paid for At the rate Of $3.50 per cord
Does this look as though the Prudcu
tssl Committee was dishonest 7 Th
fact that this granite would probabl.
be used was not only talked Of, but v.
Published in TIE JOURNAL severa
weeks before tEe contract was entere,
into BY the Committee, and this con
tract was not final until ratified by tn
State Normal Board. 1t is quite prot
able that the members Of this Boarl-
embracing such men as Rev. McMa!
tom, Rev. Parker, Rev. Brooks, Flor
Thos. Simpson, Hon. D. Buck, Ho.
J. f. Blodgs't, Hon. NJ. H. Dunnel
and Hon. N. +. Barues-would receiv
from the people Of Minnesota quite q
full . degree Of confidence ~ woul
1T. II. NJ" tho editor of the Dispatch
Mr. Mcdonald or any other Of tho vic
lently virtuous members of the Lesi.
latuEe who see 20 much corruptio
and sxtrsvaganos in Normal Schools
The granite is not "gcout," but massiv
blocks Of as 6ue granite as can be foun
in tho foundation Of any building i
the country. 1.-THE proper committee
Of the Legislature had come to s
Cloud and examined This whole matte
that body might have acted wi.
some degree Of Intelligence instead q
braying forth falminations begotten
ignorance.
Were the facts folly known, We b.
lisvs that the sprincipalopposition to No,
nal Shools would be found to have i,
origin in causes similar to that Of "B,
hind the Screen''-failures in obtainin
jobs. People who 40 always see;o
corruption, are very apt to be then
sslvss pretty full Of il.
We were somewhat surprised to fu
the Minneapolis Tribune taking u
With this correspondent, and workin
his letter into 4 stunning ed,ioria
The Tribune has generally displayed
reasonable amount of common sens'
and it should know by this time ths
the Di.patch is crazy on the subject 6
Normal Schools.
TaE Fa.ibault Republican is ala
trosb'sd about the expense Of Norm.
Schools: It wisely observes that il s
Cloud wants Normal School il mip}
follow the Example Of Frcdoni., N. Y
which place erected $780, 900 buildin
aud donated It to tue State, receivin