Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-10-09
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
False TO the Record.

senator Wilson, Of Washington State.
last week, sprang new accusation on
can iidate Bryan. Senator Wilson served
i'll the filty-second and Fiity-thirl con-
grc>>c> with Mr. BRYAN. The other dav
Senator Wilson addressed the krpubli-
can state Convention at Tacoma. which
hr attended a a delegate. In the course
III his speech he said: "Whcu the bill
for the admission of New Mexico was
pending in the committee during the
flity-thlrd Congress it came out i'll dis
cussion that English was not taught in
the public schools there. A member
moved to insert Il provision in the portion
OF the act granting lands for schools that
English should be taught in the schools.
Bryan, Il member Of the committee,
voted against it, as he did against an
other proposed making English one OF
the studies. "-Wdshingtcs city Tribune.
Senator Wilson says that there were
two votes taken in the matter and the
Congressional Record, page G,9l9, part
I, Vol. 26, shows that Wilson of Wash
ington did not vote either way upon
the last proposition, although he
was present and voted on the first
proposition. He must have doubted
the correctness of his first vote and
concluded to remain silent.
The debate on this question occu-
pies many pages in the Congressional
Record and our Mr.. Wilson took no
part therein.
When Senator Wilson states that
1t came out in the discussion that
English was not taught in the schools
there" he made an inexcnsable error,
because the record shows tina. he was
present at the time, and to prove that
he was wrong | quote the following
from statements made by Mr.. Joseph,
a delegate from New Mexico: al say
now that in New Mexico we have as
good public school system as there is
in any State or Territory in the Union,
and that the English language is
taught in every public school in the
Territory"
Afterwards on the same page in re-
ply to Mr.. Smith vi Illinois, Mr.. Jo-
seph said: by the report of the SUI
perintendent of Public Instruction in
New Mexico, which l have copied into
the report on this bill it will be seen
that in the GIG public schools in the
Territory of New Mexico, the only
language that is taught is the English
language, and that by authority OF ex-
listing law. The only Spanish hook
that is permitted to be used in our
schools is Spanish and English
primer"
None OF these statements of the
Delegate from New Mexico were con-
troverted or disputed by anyone.
All OF this occurred in committee
of the whole and not in private COM
mittee as might be inferred from Sen
ator Wilson's speech, and it is mat
ter of record. The part which l have
quoted is on page 6,9lO, part Z, Vol.
rs Congressional Record.
1t will thus be seen that Senator
Wilson was mistaken in his statement,
and the reason that the amendment
was not adopted and n provision in
serted requiring that English should
be taught in the schools" was because
it was already taught in all of the pub
lie schools.
During former session of Congress
several years prior to this debate Mr..
Joseph who was also the Delegate at
that time from New Mexico, consented
to the insertion of a provision provid-
ing that English must be taught in
the public schools and himself stated
that it was not taught at that time in
all the schools.
AS this matter was fully discussed
in Senator Wilson's presence when he
was a member of the lower House it
seems singular that he should have
made this mistake.
DANIEL GABY.