Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-08-28
Was 1T "Hasty and InjudicIOus rs


of the board in building a "shanly" on
block 80, IN the lst ward, believing as we
do that the people OF that precinct are en-.
titled to permanent and suitable structure,
still it must be admitted that the course
pursued towards the board was hasty and
injudIclous. We believe that a compromise
could have been effected without resorting
to legal proceedings and that If the LIST
ward citizens had met the board in a friend
~ manner rather than in spirit Ofrevenge,
all Of the present difficulty could have been
avoided.
We do not know as we understand what
the Democrat would consider the reverse of
"has;y and injudicious" action, but we will
state few facts and let our readers Judge
whether the course pursued towards the
school board comes under that head.
The first ntimation that was given 20
the public of the boards intention to build
the "shanty" aforesaid, was in its publish
ed proceedings in the Democrat Of Thurs
day, July 25lh, and stating that proposals
would be received until Saturday, July
9th. Here was sharp practice
on The part of the board to begin with-no
petitions having been presented and no
public sentiment demanding the erection Of
more school buildings; yet the job was all
cut and dried, aud contract let, within 4S
pared, which was numerously signed by
very many Of our best citizens, end pre-
sented to Mr. Specht, the President, who
called "a special meeting of the board to
consider the same. One of the members
for reasons which we will not state, and
which we are sure he would prefer 10 not
have published, WAS unavoidably absent.
Another member loitered at Heyman's
saloon until he knew the meeting was over,
when he rushed down street at a breakneck
rate of speed. hoping TO make people believe
that his absence was not prernedtaled
when every body knew that it was Con-
sequentiy, for want Of IL quorum, no bust
ness was transacted upon that OCCASION
WI tP0IEt gave HOtlCt VI announcer meeting
the following evening, but it resulted as
the first did, in failure-both of the per.
Sors above alluded to absenting themselves
through the some methods adopted The
night before
1t being evident ,ha. the board would
not convene to consider the remons.rance,
a public meeting was then held, and large
~ attended, the sentime Mt being unanimous
ly against the "shanty'' project. This not
having the desired effec,-the bonrd mani
testing disposition to ignore the wishes of
the people, and refusing to meet as body
to consider the matter handicapped
were made 10 members individual lly to re-.
verse their action. The suit Of the sever
al interviews was not at all satisfac;or,
Mr.. SpecEt, while admitting that the board
had made II mistake, stated that be vas op-
posed 10 the building in the first place, and
only voted for it in Difference TO the wishes
of Mr.. Chadwick. Mr.. Gaeber pretended
to have no feeling in the matter and OILY
favored the plan because others advocated
it. Mr.. Sweeney claimed 10 have been
against it, but voted yes at the earnest soil
citation of Specht and Chadwick. Mr..
Chadwick said he didn't want tie school
house any of the time, but that Sweeney
and the rest insisted upon it, so be finally
assented. Mr.. WILDER admit that lie
was for ,"the building first, last and all The
time TO make the I'D lst ward aristo-
Gratis squirm." Mr. Reubhausen did not
deny that he had been favorable to the
scheme all the. while, because Supt. MIN
man said they must have the building.
And this is the manner in which peoplo
were lied to, deceived, humbugged and
trihed with by the board, whose members,
with the exception of WILDER ard Reub-
hansen, denied all responsibility and tried
to shuttle it off upon others, when MS mat
ter of fact zone was as deep in the mud as
the other was in the mire." For the Dem.
ocrat to talk Of "compromise" with men SO
false and cowardly is ridiculous. Their
reason and sense of right were ap-
pealed to in vain. People who went to
them "in friendly manner were met with
lying, deceptive words, and :he most de-
ceitful actions. With men capable OF such
duplicity there is and can be no "compro-
mise There is but one way to deal with
them and that is as the REPUBLICAN has
done, by exposing and denouncing their
trickery. II the Democrat wishes to play
''good lord, good devil" and indulge in
soft solder and sickly sentiment ality, it
may do SO; but this paper is not doing thai
4 II - .--~----------' g.E.- O..
President Hayes coming to Wisc0nsin
Secretary Bryant, OF the State Agric ul-
tural Society has received direct assurance
that President Hayes and party will devote
Wednesday, the 18th of September, TO a