New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-07-12
Judge Webbers Address.

Mr.. President and Fellow Citizens: ::
Nearly one year ago to-day was in the
state of New Hamphire.r I received a
newspaper from New Ulm which of
course was very glad to receive. I
read the headlines of that paper from
which | saw that there was an unusual
excitement here in regard to the public
schools. l read it and re-read it. have
heard great deal of conversation in re-
gard to it since I have returned home,
and honestly, ladies and gentlemen,
can't state to you now what that excite
ment was about, If remember the
statement in that paper, it was
stated that the Turners--it was
charged at least that the Turner's were
running the public schools of New Ulm.
And since l have returned home with
but one exception to which I will refer
later-that is the only charge. 1 have
mt heard one solitary word said, With
that one exception, in regard to the con-
Quoting of our public schools or in regard
to the policy adopted by the School
Board. And with that one exception, the
only charge has been that the schools were
being run by the Turner's. Well now,
ladies and gentlemen, supposing it is
time, l don't say it is, but supposing
| that it is true. If the schools are being
run so that our children are receiving
the best education that they can receive,
and if they can receive just such instruc-
ton that they should receive in the pub
lie schools.do you think it is any reason,
for us to don the war paint, and bring
out the tomahawk and. scalping knife
and wage war against the school simply
because it is charged that the Turner's are
running it? But IS it true? Let's see.
Is it true that the Turner's are running
the public schools? Ladies and gentle
men, am not Turner, I never was one
and don't want to be Turner, and if 7
wanted to be member of that society 7
am sure that they would not accent me.
I have lived in New Ulm a little more
twenty years. have not always attend
ed the school meetings, but generally,
and generally there have been very few
persons there. Idon't think that any at of
the public school elections that attend. !.
ed there have been to exceed fifty persons
at the meeting. [ have never heard in
any of those school elections, one single
solitary word said as to what religious
creed or what society creed member of
the school board should be, or what re-
ligious views he should entertain or adopt.
And Mr.. President, I wont say positively,
but do say that don't remember one
single election that have attended where
any of these new advocates those who
wish to change 2the policy adopted by
the school board, those who found fault
because the Turner's were running our
public schools say don't remember
that I have ever seen one solitary one of
them there. OF course they had per-
feet right to stay away, but of those men
who were elected to the office of school
director in the early days that I was here
I never saw one Of them wEo was anxious,
for the place; but when elected they ac-
cepted as matter Of public duty to the
school.
They may have been Turner's and they
may not. .EI am very confident that you,
Mr.. Chairman, was a: member Of the
school board, .and | have never heard it
said that you were 9 Turner. know
Henry Behnke was on the School Board