Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-02-06
A Friend of Education.

not true. This remark is brought
to mind by recent statements in
some of the newspapers to the
effect that the ideas which Gov.
Hoard has expressed in speeches
at some of the Farmers Institutes
this winter, on the subject Of
education, are new with him and
had never found expression until
he was elected governor.
| have heard him speak at a
Farmers Institute this winter, on
the subject of education, and I
recognized the doctorines advocat-
ed as substantially those he had
held for years, and most Of which
| had heard him express in public
speeches on Decoration Days,
at Farmers Institutes, educational
meetings and other public occas-
ions years before he was ever
mentioned for governor. AS the
ideas Of Mr.. Hoard they did not
receive the public attention that
the same views do when expressed
by Governor Hoard.
AS is well known to thousands
of farmers, their wives and child
rem in Wisconsin, the advantages
of intelligence have been the
central theme of the editor of
Hoard's Dairyman in all his
speeches and writings in his
speciality of advocating dairying.
This has led him logically to the
support of the common schools as
a primal agency in developing
intelligence and to the advocacy
-of the right of every American
boy and girl to a common school
education.
1t was my good fortune to be
principal Of the High School at
Fort Atkinson for sixteen years,
while Mr.. Hoard was editor there
Of the Jefferson County Union,
and later of Hoard's Dairyman.
Those sixteen years of intimate
acquaintance with him gave me
the opportunity to know the views
and record of Gov. Hoard on
educational matters. During all
those years he was a cordial, firm
and outspoken supporter of our
schools. This support was given
by him editorially in his paper,
personally at school meetings and
other educational and public
gatherings, and in private consul
tation and discussion with citizens.
He was always at the front in
advancing a broad, liberal and
vigorous policy, He sometimes
criticised what he deemed defects.
| made public acknowledgment on
several occasions Of the valuable
support Mr.. Hoard gave our
school interests. When, on the
day of his Inauguration as govern
or, our schools at Fort Atkinson
were closed as a token of respect
to him, it was the distinctly
expressed understanding of those
in charge of the schools that this
courtesy was justly his due in
consideration of the active and
valuable support he had for six
teen years accorded to our school
interests.
In educational as in other
affairs, he has never been a mere
float on public opinion, but has
been at the front as leader in
helping to make public opinion
what it should be. A pioneer
thinker, a man of firm convictions,
and having to a remarkable degree
the courage Of his convictions
and full confidence in the potency
of ideas, it is no new experience
for him to be leader in the
advocacy of what he regards a
wise policy, and not a few who at
first have sneered at his ideas have
later come to adopt them.
In letter written by me and
published in the Sentinel before
his nomination, I stated what I
then knew to be true, that he has
ever been a firm friend and sup
porter of the public schools, and
expressed the opinion that the
cause of public education would