Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-05-23

lance, Dut Mr. w SAYS II Is uDtru6s
that he did ask Mr.. Byers if he was
going to say anything about the board
muddle; that the latter said he was
not; and that Mr.. W said, Il am
glad you are not Mr.. w. Is able to
answer for himself, and We give place
to this paragraph only TO show how
very careless men sometimes III In
pledging themselves TO assertions the
truth Of which they have no personal
knowledge.
6. That we have on one occasion
differed from Mr.. Wilkinson in school
affairs. That is true. We opposed
his High School proposition, and b
people sustained US, as they would sus-
tain Us now if they had the opportunl-
ty. This, too, is an unimportant mat
ter IN the present controversy, but 10
show that we could differ from him On
that point and yet recognize his work
and merit as a teacher, we reproduce
the following paragraph printed at the
time:
Whatever remarks the REGISTER may
make in regard to this question of taxation
for what II deems unnecessary and uncalled-
for expenditure for school purposes, no
structures other than logical are intended
against the Principal, Mr. Wilkinson, nor
any one else. Every person has a right TO
his opinion. Mr.. ". Is an advanced edu-
Gator, and the REGISTER ~cheerfully accords
him honesty Of purpose and single-minded
zeal N his profession.
We did not .2denouncen him then:
we do not praise him now. We only
assert that in rejecting his application
the board disregarded the wishes Of a
great majority Of the patrons OF the
school. If advocating their desires Is
praise for Mr.. ..Wilkerson' 1t is not
a condition of our making
9TH: This: I'VE and the public
wonder why the REGISTER is such a
staunch friend of Prof. VS.. Is it
county printing he wants? Wonder
why the editor can devote almost q
column of his paper to advising Iron
ton School Board and did not devote
one-tenth that space to the disappear
ance of nearly $4,000 of the public
school money. Is il county printing
he wants?m
If this base and slanderous insinua-
ton needs denial from Us then have we
lived in vain, and denial would be OF
no avail. As rapidly as the facts in
the school fund case came to our
knowledge, We told them. II We want
ed TO retaliate by i~nsinuation we might
askif everybody else who knew OF 1t was
equally frank with the public, and as
prompt to disclose the facts? AS to
the county printing" the County
Clerk has less Of it to give than any
other official in the courthouse-ex-
cept the County Treasurer That that
comes through him is st the disposal
Of the County Court. If We had been
afraid Of losing 1.-the county printing"
and sought TO base our cause in self
seeking by pleasing those who award
the greater part of it we would have
sunk our convictions and now be cheek
by jowl with the objecting directors.
But the insinuation is too contemplate
for serious consideration.
The REGISTER, from the start, ignor-
ed persons in this contest; it has ad-
vocated such action as would best
serve the interests of the school-that
and that alone. Three Of the directors
made it a personal matter. Do they
QSDk EnlcE Ii 50. u ~ my 0S
by darkly limiting of some terrible dis
closure they could make it they want
ed to? Of reasons that would shake
the foundation Of the hills, and yet re-
fuse TO give those reasons to an Rnx-
ious and expectant public? Do they
want TO spare the feelings and reputa-
ton of somebody? If so, they are sim
gularly merciful in this one instance.
If they were actuated by the public
good, why, when they held their first
caucus to consider the affairs OF the
district, was Mr.. Wemp. q newly elect
ed director, ignored and excluded from
their conference? Do men so act when
there Is no concealed motive-no at
tainment that will not bear the frank
est and the freest and fullest discus
sion? If they had disclosed to him in
confidence the dark, mighty and tre-
mendous reasons" they refrain from
giving the public in sheer mercy to
God knows whom, they might have
won him to their side and prevented a
deadlock. When the result of the first
nights balloting vas announced it was
8 surprise to everybody except to the
initiated few. 1t was certainly a great
surprise TO rs. Ira a. Marshall had
been outspoken, before the election, IN
favor of retention. We had. with 9TH
er citizens, solicited MI. Whitworfh to
become a candidate, advocated his
election, and voted for him. We did
not ask him where he stood on the
question, but thought as a matter OF
course that he, too, would favor nc
change in the principals room. We
were in error, but the mistake has ex-
cuse. For two years while living al
Pilot Knob, where Prof. Hawkins was
in charge of the public school, Mr.
Whitworth had sent his son to the
I~routon school under charge Of Prof
Wilkinson, regardless of the heats o.
summer and the iuclenencies OF winter
What more natural than to take 1t for
granted that he would be against {
change in the principals rooms? Hl:
action as a patron interested in the
welfare of his son Is in marked contra
diction to his vote as q school director
interested IN the advancement OF hi
friend, Jesse Hawkins. Mr.. Whit
worth's son graduated at b close o
the last session; but are the other pa
irons OF the school entitled TO no con
sideration? As to Mr.. Carly, wheI
: Prof. Wilkinson asked his vote for tn
: school principalship, he replied-s'
= ~ -A ---AE -