The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-24
THE ALBloN NORMAL.

Out Of Political and Personal PREF.
udices President Rogers Put Upon
the Rack-LeaVes Idaho With Reluc.
lance, the Normal With Pleasure.
EDITOR MISUNDERSTANDING that
the columns of your valuable
paper are always open to the exposition
OF the truth, l write you briefly re-
garding "the late unpleasantness" at
this Normal. The responsibility of
the press in the matter of bringing the
truth in the difficulty, abruptly closing
this school, before the people OF the
state of Idaho goes without question;
yet there are few journals in the state
that seem satisfied with what was sent
out by the Board and their partisans
and have not yet publised any part Of
the statement made by the faculty.
The faculty court any proceedings that
will bring the truth to plain view, for
they are conscious of their own integ-
rity In every particular. 1t has been
suggested by the BlackfOot News that
an investigation be made in order to
find the truth; we say amen, only it
would DO in order to suggest q nom
partisan commission for that purpose.
Some commissions would ORIy give a
whitewash to the Boards proceedings.
Also such q commission could not now
see the school at work, which alone
could exhibit the work done by the
faculty in their teaching capacity,-a
work that the faculty was especially
proud OF. Such q commission as
spoken of above could not do their
work satisfactorily and with effective
ness without an investigation of the
leading up to the present disaster.
Such commission, however, could give
the books q thorough OYerhauling and
satisfy the people of Idaho that there
has been no jObbery whatever in
connection with the financial manage
menC of this school, either on the part
Of the Board or Of the faculty. We
stand on this proposition with ali con-
tidence and assert that all asseveratiOns
to the contrary have their origin in an
effort on the part of parties to the
scheme lately terminating in the closing
of the school, to withdraw the minds
OF the people from the dlsgraceful
action Of the Board. Let us explode
the two assertions made by MIR.
McElroy of Boise; that a bill of 800
was paid to hire a secretary outside of
the Board. This is unqualifedly false,
MIR. Motter, having acted as deputy
secretaryto the board as an accommoda-
ton to Supt Forseman without a cent
Of remuneration. " hen the school
started in 1894 on motion of ]. G..
Rogers, now president of the reform
Board, then a member of the old Board
Mr.. Motter, was given 5000 extra salary
to act as secretary to the school, not to
the Board. Mr.. Motter has not since
received any remuneration for acting
as secretary.
Also a statement was printed in the
Statesman, presumably on the author
ity of Mr.. McEIrOy, that bill for Sl25
was paid for travelling expenses; this
that gentleman knows is an absolute
fabrication, made to cover up the
smallness of that gentleman's actions
throughout the session of the Board.
There is this much foundation to that
statement: In 1894 while ]. c. Rogers
was a member of the old Board, the
Board asked me to attend the session
of Eastern idaho Teachers Association
at Montpelier, Idaho, and my expenses
amounting to S17 were paid out of the
local fund due to a small tuition. In
1895 made an official tour along the
Short Line to articulate the high schools
Of Idaho Falls, POCatello, Boise, Cald
well and Mountainous with this
school; my expenses on this entire
trip amounted to about S46. This is
the bill.
Then the extravaganza of salaries is
sweet mOrsel under the tongues of
these latter day reformerS. make a
single statement regarding this: J,C.
Rogers was member of the Board that
Hxed this scale and he was one of the
fxeFs. He said to me more than once
that I should get $500; he was the
adviser when Miss Woodbury.
was chosen in October of 1894 at $1,000 |
for eight months service; he was pres |
ent and supported the election of Prof. |
KOOntz in January of 1895 at q salary
Of $62S for term Of FIVE months.
Now the question of cutting our sal.
aries has served this same ]. G. Rogers
both as a club and q subterfuga for de-
,aptltating US according to the ante
election threats ana the post. election
assertion made by himself. This fur.
'her may be said; all propositions com.
ng to as regarding cut Of wages be.
'Ore the meeting of the Board on March
9th entertained the one Of one.fifth