Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-09-12
NO. 6.

for state superintendent. made contract
with the Manitowoc school board to be-
come principal of one of the public schools
of that city. He went 10 Manitowoc last
Saturday to rent house. He was invited
into back room of Charles Luiing's bank,
and had no sooner taken seat than he
was informed that he must withdraw from
the democratic ticket or give up the school,
Mr.. Wells was told that he must MAKE
up his mind, then and there. As Mr..
Wells is Il man of family and without
means, being dependent upon his profeS-
ion for livelihood. Ii was evidently cal
culated that he could be bull-dozed in. o
withdrawing from the ticket He asked
for time to consult with his friends. but
an answer was demanded ut once. 1t was
Il trying position. MIR. Wells must work
to support his family, and yet he could not
see how he could honorably withdraw from
the contest for state superintendent, as he
had been miSrepreSented by the republican
papers, which seemed disposed to make their
principal campaign fight upon him. He
wished for time, and finally vas given
couple of hours TO consider what course
he would follow, That would do him little
good, as he could not in so short a time
hold any satisfactory communication with
his friends Finally he was Il ,ked to leave
the room, and when he returned he was
informed that he would be given until
5 o'clock Monday morning, upon condi-
ton that he sign the following document,
"MANITowOC, Wis, Aug. 3O.-W here
as, 0. f. Wells, Of Appleton. Wis. has
heretofore contracted with the board of
School district No. of the city and town
of Manitowoc, to teach the public school
of said district as principal thereon
for the term of one wear from ang
after Sept. s, 1890, and beginning on
that date; and whereas. after maxim
said contract with said board and dis
trict, said Wells has been nominated as
a candidate for the office of state super
intendent of schools and has accepted
ths nomination thereto. and Is now Ie-
quired by said board and has consented
to decide forthwith whether he will with
draw from said contract and be released
therefrom 10y consent of said board. or
refuse and decline to be candidate tor
said office, and perform said contract. 1t
is therefore hereby agreed aud >tipu-
lated by said Wells and this board that
said Wells, if he is to ahidH by his con-
tract, shall ON or before s clock 3. m nf
Monday, Sept. l, 1889, ctlse to lee dchy-
cred to said board or a member hereof 1T
said city of Manitowoc, Il telegram in the
following words, to wit:
81 have withdrawn from the state
ticket and will perform my contract to
teach your school for the coming school
year.
And it is further agreed that if said
telegram shall not be received 10y and de
livered to said board at the time above
stipulated therefor. then and in that case
it is to be taken and considered that said
Wells refuses to keep and perform said
contract, and the said board Is at liberty
to Immediately send for and employ some
other person as principal ot said school
for said year, the failure of slli Wells to
so cause said telegram to be so delivered to
said board being equivalent to notice of
his refusal to perform said contract"
As Mr.. Wells ccould not afford to for
felt every chance of the position, he signed
the foregoing paper, and took the next
train to Milwaukee. Here he met rela-
tives and friends, who strengthened him
in his determination to give up the Mani
towoc position rather than stultify him
self by retiring from the ticket He ac-
cordingly sent telegram that while he
would not withdraw from the ticket he
still held himself ready to teach the school.
Promptly came back word that his services
were not wanted.
In view of the prominence of education
al questions, had Mr.. Wells name been
taken off the ticket, the state would be
ringing to-day with organ yells that he
had been forced off the ticket, or that he
was opposed to the platform and had re-
tired. or some other story would have been
invented to make the democratic party ap-
pear in an unenviable light The job was
prettily planned but Mr.. Wells is not made
of tie stuff that politicians play with. 1t
would have been a great text for the
organs.
Under ordinary circumstances, no such
terms would have been enforced as those
the ManitOwOc board put upon Mr.. Wells.
Not one worthy man In ten Is nominated
fer public office who DOES not hold some
other position, and were rhe Manitowoc
rule to be established, unfit men alone
could accept nominations.
Chas. Luling, one of the members of the
Manitowoc board, is by the grace Of Gov
Hoard a member of the state board Of
supervision.
of course, it will be explained that the
board did not wish to take the chance of
having Mr.. Wells leave school in the
middle of school year, but Mr.. Luling
says there is no possibility Of Mr.. Wells
election, so that it it would appear that
the b board was actuated by other motives.
Indeed, everybody who is familiar with
the facts of the case, knows that the mem
bers of the board were enraged because Of
Wells political position, which he had
stated publicly in Milwaukee two days be-
fore
The action of the Manitowoc school
board is peculiar one and has no prece-
dent and his predecessors held positions
in state normal schools yet they were al
lowed to be candidates for the office. The
republican convention nominated nor
NAL school professor, and yet the board Of
regents does not order him to resign or
Withdraw from the ticket Hundreds of
instances may be mentioned where school
teachers under contract bave been nom
mated for county superintendents. and no
where have they been notified that they
must leave the ticket or the school