, 1907-05-09

an Independent in politics, that l would
not have my name connected with
such counter movement.

VIII
such counter movement.
Accuses "MaehIns" Politicians.
At this writing l have every reason
to believe that the democratic, social.
list and prohibition partisan organiza.
lions acted In good faith in support of
the aforesaid ticket; but through, as
believe. a cunningly laid scheme on
the part of certain active partisans
known as machine" politicians, the
purpose in nominating a non-partisan
school ticket has been in part defeated.
A very transparent motion, sustained
by the chair. just before the balloting
commenced, intended to change the or.
der Of the ticket in a way to neutralize
as nearly as possible the main purpose
OF your respective societies in putting
a non-partisan ticket in the field, and
would set back. for one year, at least,
the possibility Of relieving the public
schools Of Laramie from the curse of
partisan domination. Just what effect
this will have is yet to be determined.
Not Broad Enough to Control.
1t has long been my earnest belief,
founded on observation, that no polit-
ical party, no church nor any secret
society, is broad enough to absolutely
control any part Of the free school sys-
tenn in America. Prejudice, policy re-
CARELESS Of the welfare OF children, ia.
voritism, coercion in the matter of ex-
preston by teachers, are the natural
outgrowth of continued partisan con-
troll of any free school. Its r~etarding
effect wherever found is %self-evident
to every noble-minded teacher.
Quotes President Harper.
In advocating a reform in the mat.
ter governing a public institution that
touches 50 closely the welfare Of ev.
cry child in the land, as do the free
schools, n naturally seeks the sup
port Of the opinion Of others. There.
fore, you will, I trust, pardon me for
introducing the opinion Of a man who
in his time was eminent as an educator
in n Of the great American universe
ties. l refer to the late William r.
Harper Of the University of Chicago.
Two Things in Combination.
IN an article from his pen, under the
head Of the trend of university and col
lege education in the United States,
he states that two things combine to
make possible the existence of a uni.
versity. The first is opportunity Of re-
search and investigation; the second
Is freedom to enjoy this opportunity;
either without the other is OF curse OF
little value. Freedom to enjoy the
opportunities for research is depend.
ent largely upon the organization Of
the institution. If 1t possible to
trace the history Of the birth Of the
university and to examine closely the
inherent characteristics of which it
was possessed at the time Of birth
three things would be noted: First,
the right to govern itself; second. free
dom from control of state or church;
third, the right Of free utterance.
Without these characteristics in an in
%stitution Of learning, whatever may be
its name, it cannot be a university.
All universities should be influenced
by the changes which are going on
among the people. But when for any
reason the administration or the in.
struction in any n of its departments
is changed by an influence from with
out; whenever an effort is made to
dislodge an officer or a professor be
cause the political or theological sentl.
meat Of the majority has undergone
a change, at hat moment the institu.
1t cannot again take its place in the
rank of the universities so long as
there continues to exist to any appre.
ciable extent the factor of coercion.
Neither state nor church nor private
patron has any right to interfere with
its search for truth or with it's pro
mitigation when found"
The Brook and the River.
AS | have studied each, l have often
times thought Of the similar character
istics of the brook and the river as
applied to human life and human in
situations. The brook is less in force
and volume; its murmur, like the voice
of the child, touches the heart; its
apparent laughter as it wends its way
to the larger stream, where its iden-
tity will be merged with the water
from hundreds Of other brooks, re-
calls the "audacity of YOUTH" so neces-
sary for the best fulfillment of Gods
purpose. Both river and brook have
their shoals, with swift running, but
shallow water. Each have the little
islands or bars that temporarily divide
| the stream. and each have the steadier
but deeper current, all held within
schore lines where in places the
water whirls and eddies as If impa-
tient at its limitation or was stirred
by some sort Of tempest.
If the natural flow of either river or
brook is ~obstructed by artificial bar
| riers, either will break over or around
! such harriers