Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-01-23
EDITOR w. o. FORREST.
The Judge One Time Editor of
the Mexico Messenger-An
Advocate of Public
Schools.

y =
per. This change in management
of the paper was not to be formally
announced, nor was it during my
connection with it. The fact was
over and over charged by others
that I were such editor. but 1
neither admitted or denied it pub
licly. There were many reasons
why such course was wise and
proper.
The first number issued under
my management was revolution
to the entire community. 1t startled
not only its own readers, but every
newspaper reader of all parties into
whose hands it fell. In all the
issue there was neither epithet or
unkind word. Before its columns
had been little less than billings
gate. The first leader was enti-
tied What Mexico Wants." and,
in a general way, suggested a num-
Der of improvements most i'm
periously demanded. Among
others, as I remember, were fra
ternal feeling among all classes of
citizens and good schools and
school houses" and from that time
on, SO long as controlled it, the
Messenger became the common
school organ of the city.
This new relation of editor
brought me into personal acquaint-
ance with the Elder DR.. Brooks,
then the editor ana publisher of
the Mexico LEDGER, the predeces-
ser of the Mexico Intelligeneer.
These two papers seemed to be in
personal conflict, lrrepressible and
hateful. There was nc responsible
head to the Messenger and its treat
ment of the LEDGER was not pro-
fitable to itself nor it's personal
treatment of its venerable editor
other than disgraceful. DR.. Brooks,
l thought, however, paid too much
attention to attacks upon him. l
should not have done it. l never
were provoked into a newspaper
discussion, no matter how vio-
lent an attack upon myself should
be made.
During my management of it, no
unkind word was ever found in the
Messenger toward or of DR.. Brooks,
because, upon personal acquaint-
ance, I found him a very intelli-
gent gentleman, ardent in his pro-
fession, a man of very strong con-
victions and striking vigor of
thought In religion or politics l
had nothing in common with him,
but to me he was a loveable man,
and in latter days of his profession
al life his paper and mine, he and
[, became coadjutors and laborers
in bringing about the results in re-
gard to common schools, now the
ohiefest glory of our city. [ have
said so much of DIR. Brooks and his
paper because of his ardent labors
when much needed in overcoming
popular --prejudIce against such
educational instrumentalities. In
this Office, the present foreman
of the now daily LEDGER was at the
time write learning his trade as
printer.
At the time named In our city there
was neither common school OF
school house. There never had been
a school house. Temporarily, So
called school would be opened 70,
two or three months in the base.
ment of a church, or the sitting
room of a dwelling, or the rear end
of an unoccupied store-room, or ul
stairs in some so-called public hall
as public halls then went. These
| schools were mainly headquarters
| for the sport OF the youth who
| might attend them. To illustrate
| such q school was introduced in the
basement of the Liberty Street
Church one autumn. 1 have seer
in school hours, a whole bevy o.
girls and boys jump out of the
| windows on one side of the house
run around the house and come inte
the windows opposite, as if thai
| was a regular exercise in the pro
gramme of instruction. There wal
no such thing as discipline. In
deed, neither pupil or parent
would submit to restraint.
The fact was against the com
| mon school; in the city there was
settled and popular prejudice. Th'
people paid their school taxes with
great reluctance-not only on &C
count of this prejudice, but because
those who paid taxes of any kline
were defrauded and could not vote
From the hour l took charge of th'
Messenger it became an enfran
chisement paper. Taxation ant
representation should 60 together
was its essential, cardinal, Repub
llican doctrine. Until this was pu
in practice no good thing could b
done. For this and other reason
the Messenger got very close to tn
people. It's edition at public meet
ings, on the streets, everywhere
talked public schools; every issu
of the paper reiterated the line G
|, thought until the people began t
think.
4 Reading the constitution, it wa
found that the school tag had to b