New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-01-18
A Narrow Criticism.

The editor of the Sleepy Eye Herald
is an essentially narrow man. He has
no charity, entertains no respect for the
beliefs of others and cannot conceive how
any man can be just and fair, who, does
not accept of religion in the same light
that he does for himself, He gives evi-
: A.; Of this when he speaks in the fol-
lowing language Of Prof. Nix of this city
in connection with the state superintend-
ency. reported to have been offered him
few days ago:
,t!4es|si e Co =: }: Nelson was Joking or
Nix Was offered Tie position by someone
unqualified to give it. What reproacn
to cast upon the greatest Of American
institutions! Nix, the agnostic, who
kept the New Ulm schools outside the
control of the state high-school board.
Scholarly enough, but his work proves
him antagonistic to our American insti-
tutions. The idea is preposterous, ri
dieufous and no doubt is without foun-
dalton. Better hundred Kiehles with
reverence for our American institutions
and respect for our supreme being than
one Nix witlronly his education for
recommendatiionl:'a
How little Of: broad gauged reason in
the .abovet 70 assert boldly that man
must s1laclle his brain in, order to hold
position that the constitution expressly
sets off from at church influence, or to
say that lie must forsake what his reason
has taught him to believe and that an
empty head that accepts Of certain reli-
gious doctrine is Of a hundred fold more
value in the state superintendent office
than a student and scholar who is broad
enough to know that respect is due to
the rights Of othcrs-tl1is indeed is pur-
suing freedom of thought with the same
spleen tllut the church does it's so-called
heretics
In other words to say that knowledge
Is no longer {; legal tender in education
and that 4 man cannot serve his state
faithfully and without communicating the
schools OF the whole commonwealth with
his liberal ideas, whether he be an agnes
tic or not, is to put the price OF political
prcfermcnt and public confidence in u
religious qualification and to exclude all
from the rights Of the constitution who
avail themselves OF its provisions for
freedom Of speech and thought. THERE
view does not ask that an ''agnostic' be
appointed as Kiehle's successor. 1t does
contend, however, that arrogance un-
der the cloak of religion, should not take
the place of intelligence, that insolence
should not go above logic and that "be-
lief should not constitute qualification
for any Office whatsoever.
But the Herald does not know Mr..
Nix. Possessing the right to think, he
has naturally come to conclusions, and if
these be different than those of the Her.
aid man, he is entitled to hold them
without being reproached. One thing Is
certain and it ought to bring shame to
one who could express such dogmatic
views as are contained in the Herald, and
that is that Mr.. Nix was broad enough
and tolerant enough to overlook the diff
ference between his own views on relig-
ion and those Of Mr.Kiehle and advocate
his reappointment, notwithstanding the
many cold turns that he had experienced
at the hands of the superintendent. But
Nix was tolerant we say, infinitely more
SO than the Herald man, and it was only
when he saw the unprincipled methods
by which Kiehle sought endorsement.
that he became an opponent. At that
moment the contrast became even more
convincing and Nix energies from the
fight, cleaner, broader and more desev-
ing man than any of his antagonists, for
it was then that he was urged to accept
the position that was in the dispute. He
knew that the very howl that is now be-
my started by the Herald would be raised
and unjustly so, he knew that Normal
school ring existed that would oppose
his every action, and he knew also that
a figurehead rather than worker was
wanted in the department. of instruction.
For these reasons he refused, and it is Of
such man that the Herald speaks in
fidicule. Kiehle, who would suit the
Herald,a political fogy, the tool of ring
and an antique ornament to the office he
holds.Nix is a disbeliever it is true. but he
knows nevertheless that his religious
views have no place in his school work
that he has a better duty to perform than
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