The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-05-19
POLITICS IN SCHOOL AFFAIRS.

EhG 1dS eOSSI o. CN'o 49,
of com ment, gossip and activity
among certain of our citizens
during the past two weeks, the
business Of the persons interest
ed seeming to be wholly in ref
erence to matters which ordin-
arily are left to the men legally
constituted to attend to the
management of the schools of
the city. Certain citizens have
used their efforts with the school
commissioners to influence the
election of a city superintendent
of schools, and after having fully
informed the board the gentle
men composing that body have
used their best Judgment and
selected Mr.. S. A. Oscar to the
position. When one looks over
the list of names Of the men who
are the Commissioners it seems
strange to hear remarks made
that the board is not composed
of the best citizenship of the
place. that they have improper
motives which govern them in
their actions, or that they are in
fuenced by dark and secret
methods which would be unbe
coming to them.
THE TIMES has been published
in Washburn for nearly ten
years, and during that time
there has never appeared a line
seeking to influence the action of
a school board, and we have not
found it necessary as a public
journal charged with a semi
public duty to the people to rem
l.
der any criticism of men con-
nected with the school affairs.
We have always felt that the
Boards in the years past have
done what they thought for the
best interests of the schools.
The men who have had charge of
school affairs have been among
the very best of our citizens, but
it is no discredit to any past
board to say that in compari-
son the general sentiment would
be that the present school board
is the most representative that
has been in charge of tneschools
in great many years. There
is a great deal of complaint re-
garding the action of the school
board in naming Mr.. Oscar, and
it might perhaps be just as well
for the people to stop awhile and
ask themselves whether the
principal part of the opposition
is not the result of organized op-
position chiefly born in prejudice.
And is it not also a fact that the
people who are maxim gthe great
est complaint are the same ones
who have year after year found
fault with pretty much every
thing that has been done by
some one connected with the
schools. Either some school
teacher or member of the school
board, or the whole board itself
or the whole corps Of teachers
has been on the rack at nearly
every stage of the game. Just
now the center of attack seems
to be Mr.. Oscar, and the wrath
of these people who are continu
ally dissatisfied is being poured
upon this young man.
Mr.. Oscars's educational quail
fications are recognized. There
is no one who will attempt to say
that he has not received a train
ing better than most men have
possessed who have been called
to take charge of the Washbnrr
schools. All objections raised
against Mr.. Oscar have beer
gone over by the school commits
sioners. and those men acting
from an absolutely unselfish
position, have seen fit to elect
Mr.. Oscar. THE TIMES has had
nothing to do with this, and its
editor has in no way interfered
with school matters in this or in
any other appointment, and fOl