Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-09
PROF. NELSON STANDS BY CHARGES

I him unaocountabie 10 his constituents
But as / stated. ! DO not believe that
| even the method OF voting han any
| other Significance than mere oversight
as to It's possible results.
anticipated the anger Of some OF
my friends IN the convention; not In
| deed from the motive which Il seems
Is imputed 10 nie-ihat Of intending 20
imply the truth OF the charges | repeat
ed-but from making public Disagree
able situation ! hope these friends
Will now eyonerate me from the first
OF these motives. AS 20 the last, |
have no apology 10 make. hope !
shall always have the courage 10 raise
ny voice against public evil even
though II cost me my dearest friend.
Most Of tho MS Of our civilization
spring from the virtue OF loyalty TO
the individual al the cost Of treason
10 the race. Saloons, houses OF liz
fame. gambling dens bribery and cor
iuptlon Of all kinds, exist because those
who could furnish the evidence pride
themselves I'm the virtue OF not giving
away" their friends. and fail TO recog-
nize the higher duty Of loyalty 10 the
community. II my friends stand In
the way o. the public veal l hope |
shall have the courage 20 sacrifice
them.
Let me refer 10 just one evil. the
fruits Of which the state has been reap
ing FOR FIVE years. The last convention
adopted a certain inferior textbook |
In grammar--w0rthless In fact as COM
pared with others II might have adopt |
ed The book has been anathematiz- |
ed by almost every teacher In the state |
that has used It, Immediately after |
the convention | asked one Of the |
members how such book got |
In. bribery" was his reply II
can't prove Il, but am morally |
Certain Of Il. all the same" He may |
have been wrong, as he had been BIT
terly opposed 20 IT, But | have heard
no other explanation since. Indeed,
there could be but two rational ex-
plantations and one of these Is bribery.
Perhaps Il was a child Of both.
Now look az the consequences. Ten |
thousand young men and women have, |
during these five years. gone into life
with an imperfect knowledge of this
subject largely because OF this blunder
.or crime II crime II was). VIII you tell
me that the man who accepts a bride
IN a gt.book convention deserves
my mercy, even from his dearest
'rlend?
Now az TO another matter. The mes
senger who brought Supt Nelson's
message related that some OF my
rlends, who condoncd the intention Of
NY letter, depiored my lndlsoretlon in
attacking an evil without tangible
proofs, What is discretion In matters
II this kind Is It not a question 0f
lever offending anybody, Of making
iure, first OF all, that you viii come out
With q whole skin2 When trusts seek
private ends through money, they do
Tot leave wool ON every bush. Must
lothing BE- said Of lnsdIOus movements
Until they are accomplished facts. or
curse TO stand well with everybody,
ne would better be discreet. But |
refer one breath OF untrammeled
moral freedom 10 oceans Of asphyxiat-
ng policy.
Speaking Of dissertation / might have
etained the good viii OF my friends
nd still said what did by the simple
evice OF a non De plume. In which |
ase these friends would no doubt have
cen logical enough to examine the
natter and not vent their feelings upon
N' Nih'ls ifuA udNt dlNdya Hflu |
hat controversial matter worthy of
rlnt is equally worthy OF personal re-
that In fact, the best
riterion as 20 whether such matter
hould be published az all Is this very {
uestlon OF whether the writer Is will
1g to sign what he has written. Let
his fact then plead in my favor. !
Permit me finally 10 close this mixed
liter by recording my conviction that
ur present way Of choosing text books
! far from IDEAL, It is expensive. as !
aspects the size Of the body and TIE :
istances from which the members I
ONE. II IS open TO all the forces o. q
ribery and corruption. IL does - 7 Q
ring together a preponderance OF cx-
ert educational Judgment, Let the e
w be SO modified that a commission
say nine men-actlve teachers shah | n
e chosen by the state board OF educa- {
on not longer than ten days prior 10 s
le date OF their labors and let part Of {
leir duties BE- 20 receive sample texts "
nd bids, but no communications what c
yer save in writing. Then We shalt
ptain not only good texts, individually :
lnsidered. but good texts in the sense
their being unified and progressive
related. A thing next to impossible o.,
our present system Of compromises.
~ l.. NELSON. M
Provo June s, 1902. pl