Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-08
The jackson County Affair.

A report current here emanating
from high educational source in our
midst, to the effect that Norwegian
parochial school had been closed in
Jackson county by the school board, is
fully and satisfactorily explained in a
letter to US, written by George F..
| Cooper, editor of The Banner, at Black
River Falls, Jackson county ,as follows:
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis, Oct. 6, $780,
Vim. L. Norris, WatertoaOo, Wis.-DEAR
SIR: In reply to yours Of the 4th will
say that there are several Norwegian
Lutheran parochial schools in Jackson
county, in the Norwegian language. AS
general thing they only run during
vacations Of the public schools, and
they only teach the church catechism,
and other religious matters. Contrary
to the usual custom, one of these
schools was running in the town of Irv-
ing last winter at the same time that
the public schools were running.
Some of the children who were attend
ing this school and had previously been
kept from the public schools on account
of the grippe, seemed in danger of not
getting the schooling in English re-
quired by the Bennett law, SO the par
ents Of those children were notified by
the school board that it would be nee
essary, under the law, to have them
sent to the public or some other En-
glish-teaching schools. Under the cir
cumstances, the managers of the par
ochial school thought best to close their
school, and did close it three weeks
earlier than they had originally intend
I'D Ia fo 1,r,D
publican party or against the Bennett
law, and in fact no feeling at all. Those
interested recognize the Justice of the
situation One of the directors of the
Lutheran society for whom this school
was taught, and on whose land the
school house stands, is member of the
present Republican county committee,
and is doing some effective work for
the Republican ticket The Norwe
glan Lntherans are mostly Republicans,
and in favor of the Bennett law
Yours very truly,
GEO. F. COOPER.
1t will be seen that the school board
had nothing at all to do with closing
the parochial schoolin Jackson county,
which places the matter in very diff
ferent light from the way the Bennett
law defamers would have it under
stood. They would like to have the
people believe that the parochial school
was ordered closed by the school board
in compliance with the requirements
of the outrageous" Bennett law, when
nothing could be farther from the
truth. The parochial schools of the
state, including those in Jackson coun-
ty,lwhether Norwegian or German, can
keep right along, unmolested by the
Bennett law, teaching in whatever for
eign language they desire, and those
who assert that the Bennett law con-
fers any right to interfere with such
schools are either very ignorant, or else
determined to circulate falsehoods and
make gross Misrepresentation.
What the Bennett law provides is
that each child in the state shall re-
ceive instruction in the English lam
guage during at least II weeks in the
year This instruction may be given
in parochial school, in public school
or in the child's own home, and surely
no one willing to give the child fair
chance in the world can find fault with
this part of the law.