St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-18
COSTELLO HAD NERVE
But the Board Of Education
Had Very Little Time
for Him.
He Takes Issue With His Su-
perioP officer On the
Dispatch.
The City Attorney Defines the
Boards Relative Power
With Council.
An Explanation of the Boards S
Course on the Classifiea-
tion Idea.

The Dispatch is at war with the board
of school inspectors, and every action
that the board takes is certain TO call
down upon il the anathemaS OF that
paper. At the meeting OF the board
yesterday, NJ. J. Costello. representing
the animus of the Dispatch. appeared
TO make INQUIRIES and file a protest
against.the COURSE that had oeen pur-
sued, as he expressed it. First he de-
manded TO know the reason why MISS
Madigan had been transferred from her
former pOsitiOn as principal of the hoo-
ert A. Smith school to the position OF
principaIof the SamueIJ. Tilden school.
DR.. Bridgeman, who was presiding.
cOurteouSly explained that the board
was willing to listen to any statements
that Costello wished to make, but as a
board it could scarcely be expected that
full explanation should be given for
any and every act of the board.
Then have nothing further to say"
was the sullan reply. ''lf this board
will not answer my questions. L have no
statement to make. want TO know the
motive OF the board in making this
change"
DR.. Smith was also willing to listen to
any remarks that any citizen desired to
make. and his attitude was really ident-
ical with that of the chairman. 1t was
explained that the records of the board
showed no particular reason for the
change, but it had been with an honest
view to promoting the best interests of
the schools. Dr. Bridgeman explained
that primarily il was done at the recon-
mendatioH Of the superintendent. This
statement proved to be Just the answer
wanted, and Mr.. Costello the0 began
his protest. HIS assertion that lie had
positive information that the motive
that had aotuated the superintendent i'll
recommending the change was the fact
the superintendent had supposed the
carDing communications in the Dispatch
criticising the methods of the superin-
tendent had been written by Miss Mad
igan. The speaker said that all reports
that the lady had ever written COM
munication to the Dispatch was false.
He had been in Il position 10 know that
during the past five years she had writ
ten nothing for the paper. The protest
continued at length in this strain, and
DR.. Brakeman replied in generaI way
that Mr.. Costello had run off on a.tan-
gent. The board had never had any
suspicion that Miss Madigan had writ
ten the structures III question. aid not
care whether she had or not. and, more
over, that that phase had never come
up. The transfer was made by all unan-
imOus vote of the board, and the board
had acted honestly, and supposedly IN
the best interests Of the public schools.
f. D., 0Ts IN fhnf thorn
had been a grievous mistake made In
impugning the motives OF the board.
Then Mr.. Costello reiterated his aflega-
ton that he knew that the superinien
dent had made the recommendation for
the reasons given. .
Supt. Gilbert felt inlpeiied to take
cogniZance of the charge. He asked
the indulgence of the board for a
moment, and then he gave an eXplana-
tiOn of his course. He said unequivO-
ally that this was the very first intima-
ton that he had ever heard that Miss
MadIgan had written the articles, and
furthermore, he had never even suS-
peeted that she had any wish to crIti-
else his administration with the affairs
of the schools, as the articles IN question
had done. He doubted if Miss Madigan,
in other words, had ever been dis
pIe6SGu Will his HHebHUUSs H oHC HUI.
lie had never had suspicion of it.
However, the proprietor of the Dis
patch had informed him that
Miss Madigan had furnished
the paper with matters that reflected
upon the old board of education, but he
had never felt any interest i'll the mat
ter, and that fact made no difference in
the change that had been made from
one school to another. 1t was purely
question of capacity.
Thereupon Mr.. Costello declared that
if the proprietor of the Dispatch had
ever made such a staten ent he had told
that which was unqualifiedly false.
Miss Madigan had given no information
to the paper whatever, nor had she ever
been responsible for anything that had
ever appeared in the paper.
'If he told what was not true l am
not responsible for it" replied the sup
erintendeHt. But do not suppose
this is the proper place for discussing
the affairs of the Dispatch. However. l
challenge Mr.. Costello for the proofs of
his charges" Here the matter was. al
lowed TO drOp.