Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-05-03
Assemblyman Chambers Pet Bill.

The people of the joint school
district of Montfort village and the
town of Wlngville are frequently
at swords points on school ques-
tions. The people of the village
wish to be up with the times in all
matters educational, and are willing
and anxious to vote the necessary
taxes to pay the bills.
A large per cent of the people of
the township, outside of the village,
don't like the idea of SO much
school taxes, and long since formed
themselves into a reactionary party,
to oppose every measure calculated
to advance the schools of the village.
This party is led and directed by
the Hon. J. P. Chandler, our pre-
sent distinguished representative in
the Wisconsin assembly.
Up to twelve years ago the chill
dren of Montfort we're attending
school al the peril of their health,
in tumble-down shanties not much
better than cattle sheds open on
the south side. The people of
Montfort proposed to build new
school building of modern pattern;
but this reactionary party was
marshalled by Mr.. Chandler, and in
a very disagreeable ''scrap" nearly
prevented the construction of the
building. But the village won out
on very narrow margin, and the
building was erected to the satisfac-
ton Of the village.
Mr.. Chandler is still endeavoring
to gain control OF the schools there,
but so far without success, and he
has even introduced a bill in the
assembly, calculated to help him in
his designs.
The high school officers of Mont
fort are elected one week after the
spring election, by three members
of the town board and a like num-
Der of the village trustees. This
board of election met at the ap-
pointed time. Mr.. Chandler, chair
man of the town, and his sideboard
voted for J. P. Chandler He
claimed that the incoming officer
should be a resident of the town
Ship proper. Willing to concede
the claim, the three village officers
voted for Mr.. Cook, former tax
payer of the township, and
capable man. Mr.. Chandler urged
that he (Chandler) was the logical
man to be elected from the town
ship. But the village part of the
board plainly scented something in
the woodpile, stood firm and re-
fused to be convinced that it was
for the best interest Of the school to
elect Mr.. Chandler. Whereupon,
an adjournment was taken until the
following Saturday.
At the adjournment meeting the
board voted the same way, tie
between Cook and Chandler. After
q number of ballots a crisis took
place. Mr.. Chandler made set
speech, among other things saying
to the board that they must elect
him (Hon. J. P. Chandler) or they
would not elect a clerk, as the
outgoing officer would hold over.
To this astounding proclamation
the village three replied, ''Then
there will be no election" They
remembered former summersaults,
and feared they might occur again.
Whereupon the meeting adjourned
sine die. The two remaining mem
bers of the high school board in
due time elected John James, a
resident of the township. The out
going member did not hold over.
The Chandler bill changes the
method Of electing high school
officers. Election to be held in the
country at some convenient place,
with a separate ballot box for the
women. By the provisions of the
bill the township would outvote the
village by more than one hundred;
and Mr.. Chambers pet scheme to get
control of the Montfort schools,
and incidentally revenge upon some
of the people, would be realized.
He would put upon the state an
obnoxious law simply to be sue
cessful in a little Montfort politics.
That is his measure as statesman
and champion of the peoples
rights