The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1919-08-22
STATE WILL Hold LEAGUE TO ITS !
+. PROMISES DECLARES LANCER


+ -. ~, f---.----- ------s. - = =
That Miss Minnie Nelson, superiH:
tendent of public instruction, will
name the courses of study in the pub
lie schools, and that, by the echo$of
Townley's campaign speeches, by the,
prior opinions Of the. supreme court
the Townley board of administration
is not to select studies and inject sos
cialism into North Dakota schools5ais;
the basis upon which Attorney Gems
eral William LANCER has written an
opinion which was handed down late.
yesterday afternoon. 1t forms one Of.
the most interesting as we'll as
amusing bits OF literature in the his.
tory of the fight to force socialistic
text books upon North Dakota schools
1t hoists Townley's figureheads by
their own political boot-straps.( X. 4
Leissman Asks Opinion. ~ }E$
Charles Liessman, former secretary
of the board of regents, now secretary.
of the newly created board Of admin
istration on which Miss Minnie Mel
son gets a voice (at the rate of four
to one), addressed a letter to the att
torney general asking concerning the
preparation Of the courses of study in.
the public schools. .& !,
LANCER in his opinion cites the con-
stitution But he does not stop there
he cites section of the board Of adj
ministration law; hoists Bill Lemke,
by his own petard; cites the Townley
string of papers, cites the Big Chief,
himself; calls attention to Townley
advertisements in the publicity pam
phlet, and then cinches his opinion by
quoting from the Nonpartisan league
supreme court justices, Grace and
Bronson, on opinions on similar cases.
Miss Nelson Will prepare the cours.
es of study, and. she has not yet
changed her mind. 1t is hardly prob
able that the socialist text books ot.
Karl Marx and Waller Thlomas ffissss
will be included In the curriculum. =
... Langer's Opinion 49,
The opinion in its entirety is as fol-
lows: i: -
State of North Dakota
Office of Attorney General
August IL, 1919.
Hon. Chas Liessman,
Board of Regents,
Bismarck, N. D.
Dear Sir: y -
have your favor of August 9Th and
note that the board Of administration
requests an opinion as to whether
'they;at through, their educational, com.
:mittee, have: the duty, OF preparing the
bcoursesaof study >. for the pu blic2schools
of North Dakota, as provided by Sec
tion z, Senate Bill No. 1874, Session
Laws of 1919. Or whether the course
of study shall be continued to be pre-
pared by the superintendent Of public
instruction as provided: by Section
1109 of the Compiled Laws of 1913.
Section 1109 is as follows:
HE (or she the state superintend-
ent) shall prepare and prescribe the
course of study for all the common
schools of the state
This section was in effcct when ses-
sion 9, Senate Bill 134, was passed last
February. - 49,
Section 9 is as follows:
"The powers and duties of the state
superintendent of public instruction
as heretofore provided by law shall be
subject to the supervision and control
of the board of administration only
insofar as such powers and duties
were by law to- the supervision and
control of any; or all Of the board
mentioned in Section 5, Of this. act" q
5.3 Y! The Publicity Pamphlet
& This bill was referended !. and the
publicity pamphlet was issued as pro-
,vided by law. The National Nonpar-
tisan league, by William Lemke, di-
rector, inserted on page IS of this
state document, a two page statement
in which they equested the follow
ing: /. :ls5s 5sss u. ,s5 !,
5ss 5s ..Any person desiring further in
formation can get II by writing Post
office Box GIG, Fargo, N. d., and ask
Ing: for free copy Of Facts bout
North Dakota New laws .s
The state publ city pamphl let, under
the law; was sent out ! BY the secretary
Of state to- every voter an North Da-
gketa Presumably thundreds "a speo-
pie sent for the pamph let gotten out
:hy the yonp San u league II addi
s'Ei s'tioH tp III u ,sat