Griggs courier., 1898-12-15

lScieaifIc Temperance lnstruc-
ton.
Among the various departments ei
the National Woman's Christian
Temperance Union there rs one un-
derflhe above title. The aim Of this
department is: ss'ro secure q nstion
Of intelligent total abstainers through
compulsory education Of the whole
people in their schools and colleges
as to all laws Of health, including
those relating to the nature and ef-
fects of alcoholic drinks and
narcotics" Its plan OF work also
involves vigilance to insure right
text books and proper methods of
teaching" Having been appointed
Supt. of that department in eur home
union, the writer, in the effort to find
out to what extent the law was OBJ
served in our county and in order to
know where to begin in the matter,
addressed polite and modest letter,
Oct. 18th, to our county sperintend-
ent of schools, asking him for the in
formation needed, in the innocent
belief that he was the proper person
from who to expect cooperation in
matters pertaining to the best inter-
ests of the schools. There was abso-
lutely no other motive behind this
honest request than to learn what, if
anything, was needed to be done to
promote the work of this department;
and there was certainly no thought Of
giving offence. But it seems that
the mind of the county superintend
ent Of schools was surcharged with
the all absorbing question Of his re
election to Office, and everything was
tinged with election hues. In a
public way he freely expresses his in
dignation at this requests characteriz-
ing it as an effort on the part of the
w. C. T. U. to "find out" his posi-
ton on the temperance question.
| Now the facts in the case are these:
The w. C. T. U. has never men,
toned the gentleman's name in any
Of its meetings, nor has it borne him
any ill will. If they had wished to
know his position as to temperance
they certainly would not have resort
ed to any hidden scheme to find 1t
out, but would have candidly asked
him to make it known. Why should
any honest minded person resent
the reasonable request to define his
position when he asks for the public
favor? But it was not necessary to
question him on that point, since il
is we'll known that he declares hi M
self as against prohibition, and does
not favor the w. C.. T. u, nor the
work it is doing. Notwithstanding
this fact some of the w. C. T, U.
women gave him their votes.) Still
he makes wholesale charges against
the VIC. T. U. as working agains,
him on election day, presumably for
getting that there was a state superin.
tendent of instruction to be elected
on that day also. Be that as it may
can he, or any ether souni-minded
person give valid reason why the
w. 9. L U. should work to re.elect
him? In his code cf rules it seems
to be an objectionable sin if any one
is supposed to be guilty of not voting
for him; although his party claims a:
paramount to everything else, abso
lutte liberty of individual choice
Now the fact was the w. G.. +. U
was running its Garage to the
polls on election day in the
interests Of morality and justic.
with the sole purpose of helping
to defeat the man whom they
were convinced was unfit for the higt
office Of state superintendent Of in
struction; an action which it wa!
reasonable to suppose Mr.. Sinclair
would heartily approve had ht
grasped the fact. He generously ad
mits that t'if the w. c. r. U. hav,
been the cause Of the teaching o
temperance in the schools, they have