Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-07-05
TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT


space IN attempting to reply to a
couple OF Record editorials wherein
we found some fault with what we
consider unethical and unfair treat
ment by the Herald Of matters con
nected with the local school CONSOLE
dation fight. What we said in our is
sue of June IA we repeat at this time
and hope the Herald will take it to
heart-We welcome any arguments or
letters or other information against
consolidation that are founded on
tacts what we have objected to is
the Herald's publication of letters
against consolidation from people who
obviously knew nothing about the
plan. Our idea of the free press"
which the Herald seems to dote on is
to use it for the dissemination of facts
not rumors foundedon lack of infor-
nation or transformation. The Record
has never been concerned about popu-
larity or lack of it in our fight for bet
ter schools. We are blessed with or
binary common sense and knew it
would lose US some business and
make us some enemies-but it will be
a cold day when the writer hesitates
to advocate a plan that we are con-
WINGED will benefit our public school
system. The Herald speaks of the
autOcracy Of Russia and Germany
that autOcracy obtained and retained
its power very largely because of the
lack of education, or the wrong type
of education, of the people of those
countries. 1t would be easy and
popular for the Record to adopt the
course lately taken by the Herald and
print letters and articles opposing
school improvement, or advocating
the abolition of the Office of county
agent, or some other cheap measure
of temporary economy that would find
favor with the often unthinking and
tyrannical majority. The Herald's
course in this school matter will re-
turn to the plague it one of these
days. The Herald is one of the
brightest exchanges that comes to our
desk and it's editorial column is we'll
written. 1t should WELD a big in
fluence and we regret to see that in
fuence turned toward destruction
rather than construction in so many
lines. It's editorials may not have the
fire, but they will convey more sin
cerity and do much more good, if it
will adopt a constructive attitude to-
ward worthwhile public improve
ments and enterprises" blooming
ton Record.
The Herald has little to answer to
the foregoing except for one or two
things. We would like to see the
Record adopt o policy of printing the
full excerpt of any Herald matter 1t
uses as a subject for editorial COM
ment. This would be fair and clearer
to it's readers. Friend Bishop adopts
the attitude of setting up straw man
and then knocking him down. We
would like to see him present the real
things. This would be very ethical
Then we would like to see the Rec
ord give other people credit for the
sincerity he claims for himself. This
would be fair also. The Record re-
peatedly accuses the Herald Of play
ing the demagogue, of catering to ma
iority opinion and of misrepresenta-
ton. He is unwilling or unable to
see that the love of justice and fair
play are the mainsprings in the
thought of other men. There are
those who accuse the Record OF being
actuated by selfish interest, personal
or local, rather than the great COM
mon good. We do not hold with these.
We believe the Record to be sincere
and we ask the same consideration.
In Caesars day the Record editor
would have been an imperiallst, IN
Greece a defender of Alexander, IN
medieval England in the ranks OF
King John against the barons and IN
time of King Charles an opponent Oh
Cromwell. In colonial times he would
have stood with the English crown
for time at least, and later on IN the
battle for supremacy between the
federalists and democrats he Woulu
have aligned himself with Alexander
Hamilton and against Thomas Jener-
son. In England later on Friend
Bishop would have Numbered agalnse
Lord Brougham and the bill OF rights
and universal suffrage as champloneu
by the great liberal.
In his present reincarnatlon Frle4u
Bishop runs true to his type. we uo
not say this type is ignoble or W!tnoue
its fine points. Throughout history
the school of thought and government
to which Friend Bish belongs have
meant well but-they do not trust
democracy.
Sir Arthur Wellesley, the Iron DUKE
Of Wellington, (whom Bish may nave
been in that period used as slogan;
Everything for the People l 81 but Il
Nothing bv the People" Who can
gainsay the majesty of Wellington VI
the sincerity of his stand? Losing ne
went down nobly and the greau o;t tioo
Of democracy, the cry for recognltlon
from the Common Man, swept over
him and engulfed him, marching On
to new and greater victories. -.
The Herald is content to cast lts
fortunes on the other side, run the
risk of being called demagoglc anu AZ
satisfied with the slow progress maue
bv the masses in finding what they
want. We believe in progress but y. we
do not want to see it advance at tne
expense of majority opinion. We
realize that this is slow but II 10 ea,v
and wisely democratic. Let new
things come and let the peopie N
60 for &C we NAV. is to counsel, d.