Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-08-16
Norm cEiSnl.
St Johns Herald

Public Schools leading editorial in a recent issue of the Arizona Republican, published at PheniX, reflects upon the management of public schools ln com munities where the Mormon element predominates, and does great injustice to the people of Apache county. Statements are made which are at variance with truth and Hagrantiy false. The article IS dIsfn- genuous and unkind- prompted by malevolence and vinGictiveness, and evinces the animus of the writer agalHst large class of our citizens. In view of the fact that the Republican has recently been ushered into existence, and that its editorial staff are comparative strangers in the Territory and unknown to the peo- pie of this county, it would be surprising how knowingly 1t deals with the educa- tional interests of Apache, and how sollci- tous 1t is that our schools should be free from the taint of sectarianism, if 1t were not apparent that the article in question was conceived, if not brought forth, in St. Johns. Some of the statements made therein, we have heard before uttered by the same lips and written by the same pen-and are rehashed for the delectatlon of the Republicans readers and for the purpose of maligning the fair name of our people and gratifying the spite of a sordid nature. The real authorship of the article is as well known to many of our readers as if he had signed his name in capital letters. Apache county until the present year has been successful in preventing the Mormons from handling the public schools" says the informant of the Re publican. Pray what has happened in this year of grace 1890 to bring about a new order Of things and transfer the
 
 Mormons?
 At the last general election John T. Lesueur was elected Probate Judge and ex-officio Superintendent of Schools by large majority, in the face of most de- termined opposition. He neither sought nor desired the position he holds or any office, and indeed reluctantly consented to become a candidate at the earnest solicitation of a large gentle element, who knew his ability and appreciated his worth, for he had held official positions before, and discharged his official duties in every instance, with honesty, earnest ness and fidelity and where ever tried had been found trustworthy. He is man of excellent business capacity and good judgment, and as free from bigotry and prejudice -sectalian or political-as 1t is possible for human nature to be- In the opinion of a large majority of the good people of this county, Judge Lesueur has filled the requirements of his office with conscientious impal oiality and if there are those who are skephcal, a record of his every official act has been kept, and is open for public inspection. In no instance has he attempted to interfere in the cleo tion of school trustees or dictated as to the employment of teachers, and when, in
 
 tees, he invariably appointed those sug- gested by residents of the district He has shown no preference for teachers and left the matter of their employment to the trustees where, of right, 1t belongs, Every dollar of the school fund has been expend- ed by him as the law directs, and whether "the church gets one-half of the money in cash and the teacher takes grain in ex- change, besides one-tenth iu cash for tithes," as the Republican fcharges, Is no concern of his. The law does not con stitute the Super utendent of Schools, guardian of teachers or custodian of their salaries.
 As chairman Of the Board of Examiners the Superintendent has complied with the law without fear, favor or affection, and the number of successful applicants for teachers certificates has been small ip comparison with former examinations. At l the last examination, we are informed that l there were six applicants Mormons- all of whom failed to pass. Says the Re publican, dozens of Mormon men and women have presented themselves for eX- animation for teachers certificates in Apache county and have failed totally" That is undoubtedly true, aud it is equally true that hundreds of thousands of students, in the colleges and universities of our land, have presented themselves for examination and failed to secure diplomas. The statement that until the last eXami- nation only Mormons were given certiti- cates," is an unmitigated fatsehood, and l the writer thereof was misinfo1med or will 1 fully lied. As to the examination for eer- 1 tificates to teach, the law provides what | shall be done, and all the papers are kept i in the office of the Superintendent of i Schools open to the inspection Of the curi- ous. Those interested can easily learn the names of all applicants for teachers | certificates in the county, during the pres ent administration, and the standing of | those who passed or failed. It is further charged that Mormon trustees are instruct ed to employ only Mornons as teachers. So far as this county is concerned that is | false, or the trustees do not follow their instructions We can call to mind at least l three districts where Mormon trustees em- ploy anti Mormon teachers in preference to those of their own faith.
 Contiguous to Snowflake, which place the Republican designates as the hot bed of Latter Day Saintism in Apache county, there is the town of Taylor populated by Mormons, with school trustees of that faith, where an avowed anti-Mormon has been employed as teacher for several years, and is acceptable to the patrons of the school and the friends of education, and yet the Republican asks 'why are you not Americans enough to act as Americans do throughout the United States?" We are constrained to believe that the editorial in the Arizona Republican of July 2Sth, was written under a misapprehensiOn of the public school system in this county, or was intended to be misleading, for many of the statements are diametTically op- posed to truth and calculated to do us in jury where our educational system IS not understood. That there are those in every land and country who prefer that children should be educated ill the faith of their fathers, and who have struggled and still contend to divert our public school system into sectarian schools, Is a matter of history. Such has been the case from the beginning of time, and doubtless will so continue until the dawn of glorious millennium. The charge that sectarianism is maintained in the public schools of Apache county cannot be sub stantiated, and 1t is equally untruthful that the Mormon church dictates in poll tics-that polygamy isencouraged and the public schools taught by Saints. We re- gret this cruel, unprovoked and hbelous attack upon our county from journal published in the Territory, but our readers can rest assured that such shafts of malig- nity can never reach the marks for which they were intended. Weak indeed is any party or policy and powerless for harm
 which must seek to sustain itself by the publication of so unjust and virulent an
 article as the Republican editorial prompt ed in St Johns and written in Phenix, Mrs. K. Mckenzie has taken the Fryer Hotel at Casa Grande and has placed everything in first-class shape for guests i Rates very reasonable } Andy Rodriguez, employed by Charles Holbon, was quite seriously bitten by
 Jas B. McNeiFs watch dog a few days
 ago, his leg and hand having been some
 what torn. It transpired in the store oi ? Wildman < Co.,, and was the result oi 41,