The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-04-29
NEaLEcTINo TO VOTE
% VOTING AGAINST

If every taxpayer will vote on May
8, the High School Bond proposition
is practically certain to carry. II it
is defeated. the stay-at-homes who
favor the proposition will be respon-
sible.
If every taxpayer can be put into
possession of all the facts, there will
be but few votes against it. Mr.. Tax
payer, read or read again what Presi-
dent Quigley had to say in last weeks
papers, and what the High School
Committee had to say in the papers
Of the preceding week. Personally,
believe have never noticed any
community project,-Liberty Loan
Drive, the proposed installation of
sewers, or any other public move
ment,' SO adequately and fairly dis
cussed as this High School Bond
question was discussed in those ar
ticles.
If every taxpayer. knowing all the
facts, will vote without prejudice
his own honest sentiments, the vote
will hardly fail to be unanimous. or
course every voter of public spirit
will be Influenced by the public good
in his voting; and this is question
Of public good. Yet it happens that
this question Of the highest public IN
terest IS also a question of genuine
For the small increase of 35 cents
thousand on his taxes will undoubted-
.ly return to him in increased valua.
tion Of his property. while the pos
sible return to him from the school
in operation in the training of his
own or nefghbor's children and in its
influence on neighborhood life is be-
yond computation Ignorance costs
more than education.
Let every taxpayer make this, for
q moment. private matter, and see
how 1t looks II in private capac-
ity as rancher or business man, you
had to deal with similar proposition
- proposition involving. II it be
possible. equally high and sacred In
terests. urged on you by the same
tremendous imperativeness. and put
within your power by the same abun-
dant RESOURCES, what would you do?
You would not hesitate a moment.
You would move to tho task with The
settled conviction and earnestness
with which . rancher cuts . field OF
hay, or that . man exhibits in secur-
ing himself An Indispensable house
Yet no one Of US Is the citizen he
ought to b. until he 10 ready to At
tend TO the affairs Of community In
terest with the same caro- and spirit
that he devptes to private matters. If
you believe this Is good thing. put
yourself about to see 1t triumph.
do not know what rs to be said
against the proposition Tho three
main points, namely, the absolute
need Of the building, the tremendous
urgency for it. and the overwhelming
ability Of this rich county to provide
it, seem to be generally granted.
About the location, whether in con-
junction with the Normal or apart.
there was formerly room for an hon.
est difference Of opinion But that
day has passed. Tho site has been
decided and excavated to the satisfac
tfon, believe, Of every ono who un-
derstands the contribution which the
Normal makes to the education Of
High School pupils. At any rate. 1t
is too late to interpose objection to
that feature of the matter, and it
will pay none Of us to sulk about
details. In America, the minority
must yield to the majority, and the
minority does 1t best, when 1t does
it generously.
The plea to defer may be made,
for it can always be made in such
matters But 1t can never be made
with less force than in this case. The
Immediate urgency for this building
is tremendous. The County High
School occupies a state building II
it wore excluded, the embarrassment
should be extreme in every way. Per-
haps, no other building could be Sc
cured without great loss Of time to
the students next year. Yet II an
other building could be secured, the
cost and disadvantage would make
the move an extravagant blunder. On
the other hand, suppose the State con-
tinues the present arrangement,-the
embarrassment is scarcely less. The
facilities are not adequate. The High
School is pretty much in the position
Of those who crowd in upon a home
which is not adequate for the proper
inmates. Will another year or two