The Republican., 1899-10-12

TO the Editor of The Republican.
Professor Palmer challenged his op-
ponent, Professor Frazee, to joint
discussion of the school question.
Professor Frazee very wisely declines
to meet him. We who are acquaint-
ed with both gentlemen know as well
as Mr.. Frazee that he has not the
ability to meet Professor Palmer and
discuss jointly with him, before the
tax payers and voters, the educa-
tional questions of vital importance
to the people Of Garrett county.
If there were any doubt in the mind
of anyone as to the comparative
ability of the two gentlemen who are
candidates for this very important Of
flee one in which all our children
have so much at stake), the letter
of Mr.. Frazee should forever settle
the questisn of his ability. Any per-
son who has the ambition to be at
the head of the schools of Garrett
county should at least know enough
not to make such an egregious error
as Mr.. Frazee makes in. his letter de-
clining Mr.. Palmer's challenge, which
was corrected by the MOltntGiD Demo-
crat, but which appeared in The
Journal and THE REPUBLICAN un-
corrected. In referring to Mr.. Pal
mer's letter Prof. Frazee says in his
letter of October 3rd: Yours of the
23rd i12St.,n which any school boy
should know is incorrect. Mr.. Fra
zee ShOUId bnOU the difference be-
tween "the 23rd inSt.," and ''the 23rd
uLtimO," if not he had better take a
few more lessons before he becomes
the head of Garrett county schools.
But we give him credit with being
wise enough to know that he has not
the ability to cope with Mr.. Palmer,
and that in a public discussion upon
school questions his inferiority and
lack of knowledge would be shown up
so plainly to the voters of our county
that he would lose many votes by the
Joint discussion, SO he takes refuge
behind the slim excuse that he has an
aversion to dragging the public
schools into politics!'' Oh, my! it al
most takes our breath as we think of
the danger confronting us.
"The Public Schools into politics ~
OF course, Mr.. Frazee, you were not
prompted by the consideration of Mr..
Palmer's superior knowledge and of
his larger experience in school mat
ters to your own. OF course you are
not afraid that you would get beaten
so badly that every body would know
that you are nothing near the equal
of Mr.. Palmer in educational and ex-
ecutive ability. Oh, no! 1t is Just
because of your aversion to drag
ging the public schools into politics -
of course, and the editor of the MO1taa-
tain Democrat calls this "a good and
valid reason for declining the chal-
lenge. Many of the people of the
county know that the true reason is
lack of ability and nerve to meet Mr..
Palmer.
Now, Mr.. Frazee, we would like you
or the editor of the Democrat to tell
us when the public schools were ever
out of politics. You can hold up
your hands in holy horror and talk of
your aversion to dragging the pub
lie schools into politics." but please
tell us at what period of time during
the thirty years of Democratic mis-
rule and misgovernment of our State
the public schools were not in poll
tics?
Is it not true that when the DEM
ocrats had every judge in the State
that law was enacted giving the
judges the right to appoint the school
commissioners and was not every
commissioner and examiner Demo
crat Were the schools out of politics
then? AS time passed and the people
of the State began to see how they
were misgoverned and struggling for
II liz