New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-08-24
MISUNDERSTANDING I.FACTS.
Such is the Case with the Oorrespo ndent Of
the Minneapolis Tribune.
BE Makes Public an Acute Ignorance Of
the New Ulm School Fight.
And this Ignorance Leads him into Errors
which Justify Severe Criticism.

Some individual, who evidently knO VS.
very little of the issues at stake in the
present New Ulm school scramble, or
else someone who holds the correctness
of his statements as of very little value,
has seen fit to make contributions to
the daily papers regarding affairs as they
exist here which are by no means con-
fined to the truth or in any way in keep
ing with fairness to all parties interested.
To Judge from the tone of the article in
the Minneapolis Tribune, the correspon-
dent is stranger, but be that as it may
same as if they had been penned by one
directly interested and thoroughly ac-
quainted with all the facts.
One of the first breaks, then, made by
this writer for the Tribune is found in
the statement that when a vacancy oc-
Cured in the teaching force, it was pro-.
posed to fill it by appointing a turning
teacher. This, the correspondent goes
on to state, virtually meant hiring the
| gymnastic professor in the employ of the
s.Turners, thus relieving them of a burden
at the expense of the schools. Now if
] the writer of the above had taken the
/ trouble to investigate matters, he could
have found that his informant either will
fully lied Or otherwise was grossly mis-
taken. The resolution providing for
gymnastic instruction in the schools
was introduced over year and a half ago
and fortunately copies of it are still ex-
tant with which to remind the forgetful
oiaa possible error on their part. That
resolution distinctly provided that the
teacher of gymnastics should also teach
physiology, hygiene and geography, and
possess a certificate, the same as that
possessed by the other teachers then in
the employ of the schools. Further
more, it provided that the teacher should
be hired to fill vacancy in the corps
and should devote his entire time.to the
schools, so that it would be impossible
for him to accept of any other employ
ment or position. 1t is plain from this,
therefor, that there could have been no
intention on the part of the board or the
principal to employ the teacher then
hired by the Turnverein and the charge
that the Turnverein wanted to saddle the
expense of their turning school onto the
public is too fimsy for publication in
print. =
Besides when you come to consider
that one of the gentlemen, Mr. Strickler,
who is now on the Board and daily ac-
cusing the Turnverein of attempting to
run things was also on the board at the
time of the introduction of the resolution
relating to gymnastics and at that time
only raised the objection that it was not
necessary in the schools. Whatever ac-
cusations he may have made in private
he never dared to air them in the
meetings and was very careful to avoid
expressing his viewssplainly. Now that
he seems to have power in his grasp, he
has grown as bold as Cassius' Caesar and
can lay charges at the door of the Turn
verein that-lack the very semblance Of
reason.
AS matter of fact gymnastics In
the schools would be good thing at
any time and it would make no differ
ence who was employed as teacher SO
long as he did his duty But the claim
that it was started for the sake of the
Turnverein is so small and SO little in
keeping with facts that the man who
started it, and everybody knows who he
is, must be so given over to the prompt
ings of spite and petty hatred that he
would do anything to give his cause the
color of public service. when in reality
it is personal grievance seeking a selfish
justification.
Another very senseless accusation ap.
peared in the following: ssThe princi
pal of the school is a leading Turner, ,and
it is said, undue influence has been usee
to increase the power of that society
and to suppress everything antagonistis
to its interests. Some studies were
dropped, and consequently the schoo
failed to maintain its standing and los
the High School apportionment.' This
like the other shows that the ideas wer
Furnished by one who wanted to misrep
resent while the language and die
ton sprung from one VIII
{didn't know "a hat hes was wrifin.