St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-22
GlS4',MNEAPOLIS.
AN OPEN LETTER..
Remarks for HI. b. Mcconnell.
SUPERINTENDENT of Schools,

Everything is fair in political cam
paign." 1t is the general impression
that such is the principle that governs
very large per cent of those who seek
POSITIONS of public trust. l know thai
you will agree with me when say tnat
such should not be the governing prIn-
cipIe of those who seek the position for
which you and l have become contest
RntS-that of county Superlntendent OF
schools. Personal animositieS and
mutual recriminatiOns should lind no
place in such contest. The work In
which you and are engaged as teachers
forbid the exercise of political trickery
and duplicity. In this land of almost
unbounded personal and political free
dom, the employee may become the EN-
ployer, the pupil the teacher, and the
teacher the county superintendent.
This personal and political freedom
am modeStly trying to exercise III strlV-
ing to rise from the teacher to the
county superintendent. The employer
may make it exceedingly unpleasant for
the emplOye in the exercise OF his legltl-
mate rights; the teacher may do like
wise for the pupil, and the county sup
erintendent for the teacher. This
seems to me to be the attitude which
you, as county superintendent, have as
borne as patiently as one can well bear
this offensive attitude which you have
. assumed. And now, since you have
been so industriouSly engaged for sew
eral weeks past, especially in those
parts of the county where favorable po-
litical effect may be made, in giving
publicity to matters, which, in their ma
ture, are purely official and pertain to
the school of Long Lake, the school
board and to myself. you will not ques-
ton the privilege L take, notwithstand-
ing you are county superintendent and
i am teacher, in assuming the defen-
sive. You have the advantage of me in
having an extensive acquaintance
throughout the county. l am compare
lively unacQuainted. l therefore take
advantage of the public print. since
thereby l may, in some measure, dis
prove the false, malicious and pnr-
posely misleading statements you have
made, ana are continuing to make con-
corning me and my relations to you. l
regret exceedingly the necessity that
obliges me to speak thus plainly, but
you have placed me squarely on the de-
fensive. Several days prior to
opening of the school i'll Long
Lake l called upon you for
the purpose of knowing what would be
required of me, as my certificate ex-
pired on the 1st of September. In re-
of certificate | held. | replied first
grade. You then asked whether there
were grades" or "marklngs" on the
certificate. | said no. You then said
that you would be obliged to examine
me. | asked you why. You replied
that in the absence of grades" or
markings" you could not know my
scholarship. l suggested that my work
in the county for the past three years,
and with which you were familiar, was
sufficient evidence of my competency,
and competency in teacher is what the
law cOntemplates by an examination.
You replied that it was not a question
of competency but question of schol-
arShip. then offered to present to you
the same evidence of my competency
that Ex-Supt. Warren required of me.
/ handed you the trIennial catalogue of
the University of Wooster, in which
was enrolled the names of all the grad
yates of that institution. My name
was there. You saw it. | further
offered to present you my diploma of
graduation from that institution and to
show you letters atteSting my success in
schools of higher standing. You re-
piled by saying: THAT is all very good,
but do not know anything about your
scholarship"
then left you, bidding you good
morning, saying that we would not then
discuss the matter further. / presented
to the school board of Long Lake the
result of my conference with you. They
were all of the opinion that you were
making mistake, and concluded to
write you courteous letter, believing
that you would reconsider your action
with regard to me. In that letter the
board expressed their entire satisfac-
ton and the satisfaction of the patrons
of the school with my services as teach
er. They were not only satisfied with
the practical evidence that / had given
them of my competency, but satisfied
with the evidence [ adduced with refer.
ence TO my work elsewhere. The board
also suggested that, since hold diplo
ma of graduation from the University
Of Wooster. an institution of approved
standing, in the opinion of the state
high school board. and that | possessed
the necessary testimonials as to the
number of years of successful work,
would be competent to take charge Of
any state high school without eXamina
ton, and since this was the case, it wa:
quite remarkable that you should re
Qulre of me an examination for dOins
work of much lower grade. And they
. further expressed the opinion that tn,
''grades," or ''markings." which you re
gard as essential to an examination, ar,
not contemplated by the law. The boart
requested me to call on you again, t.
hand you the above letter, and to learl
your decision. | did as requested.
asked you to what conclusion you ha,
come in any case. You replied that
wOnld have tn ha pyamippd 4 aclyo,
you why ! should have to be examined
and why you would not renew my eel
tificate. You replied that you renewe
your own certificates and the certificate
of your predecessors that we're regular
Mine you declared to be irregular sine
there were no grades or mark
ings" upon it and therefore no record
] courteOusly asked you for some infol
nation III the school law upon tina
point. You refused to give me the il
formation | sought and arbitrarily an
passionately declared that | would hav
to be examined. / then handed you tn
letter given me by the board. 70
read it. l asked you if you had any
thing further to say? You said no.
left you without further controversy
returned to Long Lake and gave til
board the result of my second confer
ence with you. They assuming all re
Bponsibility requested me to commenc
my school. did as requested, an
have been engaged since th
second Monday of September.
the meanwhile you have bee
Ostensbly. visiting the schools. |
reality, however, you have been di.
GUESSING in adjoining districts and
other parts of the county. your officis
relations with me and with the schot
board of Long Lake. L learn frol
very reliable sources that you have d,
clared that do not hold certificate
that have refused to be examined. an
would not be examined, showing Their,
by an arrogant and stubborn dispos
ton; that l am law-breaker an
.'amenable to the law" inasmuch as
do not bold certificate from you an
have refused to be examined; and, sine
am ''law-breaker," am an unf
subject for county superintendent {
schools. And you also declared it to
your purpose to see that the scho,
board of Long Lake did not obtain til
regular apportionment of school fund
Upon the strength of these declaration
oartaiD nRrcnnc IN, fb;c oon,,,,,,;,