The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-04-03
THESE ARE HIS "'VIEWS."
BUTTE'S SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT TARDY WITH THEM
BUT HE HAS SOME.
the Standard said, Wednesday morn
ing, March TO-

:
for the higher walks of citizenship within
walls that will always echo II grand iurys
charges of dishonesty, For our part. the
Standards wish Is that lightning might
strike Buttes disgrdced structure and
leave II tlame-swent, to the crumbliug OF
the last stone In Its foundation.
That is the fate that ought To over
take building which will stand in
Butte as a monument To official faith
lessness Providence failing to STRIKE
the dishonest thing as with the besom
of destruction the Standards ardent
hope and firm belief is that to-day the
people of Butte will flash through the
ballot boxes the moral lightning that
will rip up root and branch the hoard
that gave the building its indecent
fame.
II in this Mr.. Mcconnell does not
share the Standards opinion. why did
he at Thursday nights meeting of the
trustees refuse Ia let his name be en-
graved on a tablet as a member of the
board which erected the building? why
aid every man Of the trustees refuse to
permit his name To he thus gravcn?-
the tablet was ordered months ago.
Why did the architect. in language
more forcible than petite, declare that
he would not permit his name to ap-
pear on the tablet? II the building is
not disgrace to the community and a
| dishonor To the public school system,
why should Mr.. Mcconnell object to
having his name appear on tablet as
one of the builders?
If the building is So bad. so dishon-
/ est, that Mr.. Mcconnell and the other
trustees and the architect viii not per-
NIT their names to appear on the tab
| let--if it is as dishonest as all that.
would it not he better that the light
ming strike the structure and remove
IL forever from public sight, il not from
public memory?
| Instead of devoting valuable space In
explanation of the tremendous cost of
a building on which he is ashamed Ia
have his name appear, Mr.. Mcconnell
refers To shortcomings Of the school
board Of 1891, when. he says. friends
| of the Standard" were on the board. As
i "A tf aIt 10
the Standard never in the history of
Butte advocated or supported any
school ticket at any school election.
| Never in its history. up Ia two years
ago did this newspaper ever place "A
school ticket AT the head of its cul-
umns; never did II up Ia the year 1895.
take any part whatever in the school
contests.
Various tickets were placed IN the
field from year To year, hut never did il
say a word for or against any Of these
tickets The STANDARD lid not support
| p. A. Largey for school trustee nor did
II support any of the trustees who were
elected at the time Mr.. Largey was
chosen Mr.. Largey was never accused
of being a friend Of the standard"
and no transaction of the school board
was ever denounced as roundly by the
| Standard as was the transaction in
which Mr. LarGey sold 10 the school
board lot for $4,000 The STANDARD
does not believe that the president of
school board, who happens to own real
estate. should take advantage Of his
position in order to dispose Of his real
estate. nor does IL believe that the pres
| ident ~ school board who chances 10
he in the lumber business should sell
that lumber for building or repairing
! schools.
Two years ago. for the first time. the
Standard did take hand in the Butte
school election. These pages faithfully
warned the citizens of Butte that they
would rue the day were they 10 permit
the secret-ordcr element to strengthen
its grip on the free schools. In that
\ fight the Standard lost The people
| didn't seem To- realize what sort of an
outfit they Were running up against
Johnson was IN full Hover thpn-he
hadn't ripencG into a dcraultinE fugl-
tive then. The high-school robbery