Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-12-01
WHITrIER EXPERIMENTATION IN,

Duluth ~ d0r4lo :..z--fho attempt
make Snpt. Whittier. Of the Red Wing
Boys iTfainink school the scapekoat
in q poll tical scheme 70 rehabititate the
state standardization, and to turn the
state board of control over to political
rule has failed, miserahly and con-
spicuously.
: The board OF controi-not by a two
to one party division but unanimously
has ruled that Supt, Whittier has
committed no ottensesi warrantirg his
dismissal. -
!; Before that the legislature in both
branches, after careful consideration
of the evidence, had by decisive vote
taken the same stand.
Those who have been behind and
beneath the Whittier persecution ex-
pected that P. M. Ringnahl and c.. f..
Vasaly, the Governor johnson appoint
ees on the board OF control. would hold
in Whittier's favor. They wanted
them to and If they mad been alone.
beyond all question the governor would
have taken steps to remove them from
Office and give their places to his OW n
friends.
Tut the game is spoiled completely
when Governor Eberhart's own ap-
pointee, G. j. Swendsen, though dis.
agreeing in mi nor particulars with the
reasoning of his associates, joins with
them in holding that there is no pos
slble warrant for Whlttier's removal.
Practically, this ends the Whittier
episode. The character of the men
bership OF the hoard Of control puts it
beyond possibility that any will take
exception to it's findings. A similar
finding by Messrs Ringdal ana VasaIy
alone WOULD have convinced the public
that the uproar against Whittier had
suspicious sources and more suspicious
purposes. When Governor Eberhart' q
new app0lntee, square, upright citi
zen with an honorable legislative rec.
ord, joins them in their ruling, the
hue and CRY against Whittier reaches
its finish, and the scheme to use Whit
tier as an excuse for remoidine the
board Of control to the liking of cor
rupt politics receives it's death SEN
tence.
The Herald is glad of this outcome
for many reasons. It is glad because
it could not patiently sit by and watch
dumbly the preparation Of. an outrage
against justice. and because justice
has been the outcome OF an unjust per.
secution. It is glad because the at.
tempt to turn the board of control and
its multitude of rich contracts and
appointments over to venal pvlitics
has failed. It is glad. modestly, be-
cause its stand has been Endorsed by
the decision, as it always was by the
facts. The Herald was practically the
first newspaper in the state outside
Red Wing to rebuke the scheme that
was then in full operation, backed by
most of the new spapers OF the state
AMI many well-meaning citizens be-
cause of q popular misunderstanding
Of the motives and purposes of the at
tack upon Whittier.
Mr.. Whittier has been only an in
cident in this fight, though as a man
and faithful public servant be was
entitled to fair play. Greater than he
however, was the danger tina: dis
honest scheme to inject greedy politics
into the affairs of the board of control
would succeed.
Happily, it has failed. The governor
cannot discharge the appointees of the
late Governor johnson without dis.
charging his own appointee. The
membership of the board will remain
as it is, and it is to the best interests
OF the state that this should be so.
Possibly there is consolation some
where in this for Governor Eberhart,
who made himself the willing tool of
this contemplate scheme of evil poll.
tlcs and who started something he has
been unable to finish but we haven t
time to look for it.