Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-10-19
Cove11's Record.

New London, Mimi, Oct. 18th, 1898.
To the Farmers OF kandiyohi Co:
The farmer pays the bulk Of our taxes and IS
therefore fully entitled to all benefits accr :
ing from our public institutions, but does he
| ceive them?
There is an ever growing tendency OF CT =
! ing monopoies in all dep .-tn ent> O: TO- -
nopolies whose only motive is the usurpatIo
| OF public rights. These corporate bodies
| based upon capital and sustained by our law
| form the most formidable obstruction to pro-
gress and ecu ality and woe to the individual
who dares to give voice to his opinions if such
De contrary to the political machinery.
| Such maa is our Supt. of Schools 3. S.
CoVen. who after years OF uaseltish labor in
t1e interests OF our scloo!s is now cast aside
! as useless because he has contracted the ILL
will of a few political bosses,''
The ilal examinations Of pupils in our pupiic
| schools are il the hands of the State High
| School Board. This board is composed Of the
governor, the state superinl endent Of public
instruction, and tie president OF the univer-
sity
Up to the year 1891 these examinations were
given by this board il only the village anu city
schools. During the session OF tle legislature
| In 1891 Z special act passed extending the
| right to Take these examinations to all the
| boys and girls in the common schools Of this
| county, This Was secured through the efforts
| OF Sup't. 3. S. Coven In the following legis-
| lature d similar act Was passed extending the
| right to all counties Of the state.
| Since that time pupils from every township
OF kandiyohi county have passed these ex-
| amlnatlons and thanks to the very efficient
| work OF Supt. Covell these boys and girls
have received the same recognition Us Was
| formerly only accorded to applicants from our
| village and city schools.
| The extension Of this right is based upon this
principle: While the farmers pay 50 large a
| Share OF the taxes, why should this privilege
| oe denied the boy or girl that lives the
| farm: If a boy in the country is prepared
| TO pass hnal examination in arithmetic any
| other study why SHOULD he not nave the right
| to take it as well as the boy or girl living in u
| village Or city, In other words, why con-
| denim boy or girl because they live in the
| country:
! The passage OF above act has aroused the
! bitter opposition Of those trying to get control
| OF our common schools, and SuDt. Coveu is be-
| ing prosecuted by this opposition simply be-
cause he dared to do what he knew was right
| GUSTAvE \. ERIxOS.
We are glad to give Mr.. Covell's
! friend space for the above. We would
not detract one iota from the credit
due MIR. Covell for whatever meritori-
Gus work he may have accomplished
for the common schools of our coun-
try. But we feel free to state that we
believe that there are other phases of
Mr.. Covell's political career which
has weakened him in the estimation OF
those who are and have been his
friends. In the above article Mr..
Covell is held up Or being opposed to
corporate monopoly and the county
gang. He is held up as an unselish
person, prosecuted for his boldness in
standing for right. We would ask,
how long has he been opposed to the
gang? Did he not aspire to become
the gang candidate at the late repub.
lican convention? Would he not have
been glad to have been one O. the
gang? Did he not previous to that
convention carry the badge of the can.
didate for governor whom he must
know is the incarn alton Of aristocrati(
corporate power? Did he oppose the
gang in the struggle for better village
government in Willmar last spring:
In short, has he held Office eight years
because of his good works, or has the
republican party had anything to dc
with it? A man who casts his lot with
a political party ought not to whine
when he is beaten by the same method:
he has himself employed. After doing
all in his power to defeat the friend.
of purer politics, he now begs them tc
save him from the destruction to which
his past political methods inevitabl.
lead. No, Mr.. Covell, the populist.
cannot, however much they may de-
sire to credit you for work done, con
sistently support you in this election
You cast your lot with the apologists
for gang rule two weeks ago and be
cause you was kicked out is no reaso OF
why the opponents Of the gang should
exalt you. There is a vast difference
between a stand for principle and tn,
case Of a. SOre-hea1