Ellsworth American., 1907-10-16
INsULTED +. W. LORD.

0OV. FOsts OF fOrtO R1cO, speedily
Apologized.
A sensational episode occurred at San
jun, P. H., Sept. 16, the news Of which
has just leaked out. Gov. Regis H. Post
is said to have made sweeping denuncia-
tipn Of some OF the officials in the depart
ment OF education, thereby incurring the
di spleasure Of the best people of the
island, and SO rousing the teaching force
in Porto Rico that fifteen school superin-
! tendents and three chiefs of departments
declared they would resign unless the
governor spoiogized.
1t is said that at conference Of school
superintendents, about twenty-five in
number, called by DR.. Dexter, recently
appointed commissioner CT education,
Gov. Post, who had imbibed too freely,
charged the teachers with being Pharisees
and general failures. Assistant Conmis-
sioner Of Education E. w. Lord, an Els
worth boy, was particularly under fire.
The governor the morning after, apollo
gized profuseiy, and the designations were
thereupon withdrawn.
Gov. Post was appointed last March,
but the Senate has not yet confirmed the
appointment. The residents Of San Juan
and Porto Rico generally are opposed to
the mans confirmation. Mr.. Post was
previously auditor and secretary OF Porto
Rico.
The Porto Rico RerieD in report OF the
incident, says:
On Monday evening Of last week (Sept. 1s)
the governor Of this island delivered to the
district school superintendents Of Porto Rico
| an address so extraordinary in its tone and
character that it has been impossible to sup
press it. The substance of the address lay in
| the attack upon the department Of education
| and upon the missionaries Of the different
| churches who have come 70 this island. The
attack was SO bitter that nearly all of the de-
partment officials wrote out their resignations
while the church people interested are very
| indignant at this new manifestation Of guber-
Material displeasure.
The next morning Commissioner Dexter
conducted the governor into the presence of
the thoroughly angered employees of the de-
partment of education. Again assembled. the
governor apologized. The supcrintendents
literally backed him into Il corner, ano we e
merciless in their cr- ss-questions
I
AS the Re1ieU stated at the time of Mr..
POSTS appointment, the President had the
power to appoint Mr.. Post governor, to give
him the title, and to make Porto Rico take
him as such, but the President could not
make governor of him. because the Creator
must have hand in the construction Of q
governor.
Mr.. Post, in our opinion, has been the most
serious enemy to Porto Rico ever sent to TIE
island, simply because of the fact that the
people believed that the moral support of the
President was back Of him, and that the
President Endorsed all that he said or did.
How the President could MAKE such an egie-
gious blunder is past comprehension.
The attack on Dr. Lord was outrageous
Commissioners have come aud gone, but al
ways DR.. Lord was at his desk iu the de-
partnient of education. steadily pushing the
work along. The people sympathize with DR.
Lord in this profane, vulgar, uncalled-for at
tack by one whose commission alone enables
it, or gives it consideration at all.
We do not for one moment believe that
President Roosevelt will stan for this out
| rageous exhibition, although he is warm in
his friendships and firm in the support Of his
| personal appointments. If he does, then self
| respect will drive many people to appeal to
| the senate committee before Mr.. Post is con-
\ frmed