The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-11-13
CoMRADE CoBURN
ANSWERS PROF. LANCASTER

as the fountain head of all his trou
bles with the Arlington school board
primal factor in every act of the boarC
that has not met with his approval
and assuming that | have arrogated tC
myself an authority to which he anC
others are supposed to render ac
count
To the Socialists and others near tC
me- this claim seems puerile and alb
surd That the public may not be led
into a misconception of the real truth
behind this absurdity, l deem it nee
essary to make reply.
In the first instance. behind this
assumption of Prof. Lancaster is the
time-worn political play of the some
time politician whose star is decided
ly on the wane. The professor, like
others of his kind, always individual.
Lies the force he lacks the intelli
gence to understand. The most feas
ible thing to do is to induce the pub
lie to think that some bad, unscrupu'
lous person, for no reason whatever
except the qualification of his evil
tendencies, is leading a lot of weak
lings into all sorts of wrong action,
Ii you can fasten this notion in the
minds of enough unobserving people,
the hoped for results may be OBJ
tanned.
To begin with, Professor Lancaster
accuses me of ordering his dismissal.
My answer is, that did not urge his
dismissal and was not sure as to the
wisdom of such action at the time.
Since that time have been fully con-
vinced.
| am charged with inducing Direc-
soa Grimm &c reconsider 10 sOte o4-
the shifty referendum proposed by
Mayor Ford and others; when to the
contrary a general discussion Of the
situation, in which had as little to
say as any other person present, con-
vinced Mr.. Grimm of the unwisdom
of his former vote. Right here l wish
to state that we (the Socialists) well
come the referendum and have no
fear for the results. Your boasted
public opinion, "Mr. Lancaster" will
have to be proven before l accept
it for current value.
l consider the wealth bringers, the
workers, the source from whom all
taxes and all expenses of human So
ciety are derived, as much an i'm
portant part of public opinion as you,
Mr.. Lancaster, Mr.. Ford, or any
other individual in this community.
You intimate your mental attitude,
Mr.. Lancaster, when you call for COM
parison on my social standing. l will
compare the homes | enter with those
you have access to for respectability,
based upon the only standard worth
considering, that Of morality. Your
plea to prejudice here may avail you
something with some impoverished
souls, but not with those of whom
court their love and respect.
An other thing l would draw the
attention of the public and Professor
Lancaster to is the half quotation OF
a paragraph l wrote in answer to his
political letter. If intentional, 1t is
inexcusable, coming from an educator
by profession. The paragraph as
written by me reads as follows:
Taken from an analytical point OF
view, it matters not what Mr.. Sin
clair wrote, said or did; the fact re
mained that he held his qualified GER
tificate as a teacher, and no jurisdic
tlonal body has as yet decreed to the
contrary"
Your quotation. Mr. Lancaster, i;
garbled to read as follows: "Taker
from an analytical point of view, II
matter not what Sinclair wrote, saiC
or did" and there you stop, in ordel
to give the impression that any ac
or statement on the part of Mr.. Sin
clair would meet with my approba
ton. 1t is up to you to explain
whether this was an oversight upoI
your part or deliberately intended L
deceive your readers.
You say that officially you did no
request the school board TO Withdraw
from Mr.. Sinclair's contract. Thi
may be true. But you said unofficial
Ily while in your official trappings
/ that Sinclair shall not teach, and as
sumed a dictatorial attitude towarD
the authority tha. employed you. Sue
/ insuboIdination usually meets Wit
disaster under this unstable and ins'
cure system that you love 80 dearls
i Your claim that you are willing t
|let the law and public opinion settl
the existing troubles, Is not VIII
nore liberal than We are. The So