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Show I HALF-DflY MATTER I COMES IIP H Louis F. Moench Circulates H Petition to Have Question H Submitted to People. Special to Tho Tribune. OGDEN.. Fob. 31. Contending that thcro is no secret concerning the eir-dilation eir-dilation of a petition asking that the discussion of tlio half-day school plan KH lie renewed, Louis P. Moench, a teacher in one of the public schools, has fur-nishea fur-nishea copies of the request, to the iH newspapers. The petition, which is ad- dressed to the board of education, takes particular exception to the allcgod.at-tempt allcgod.at-tempt to stifle a free discussion of the plan in press and on the public plat- form. . i. In reference lo the mass meeting, at tho tabernacle on February , at which a resolution was adopted enjoining Hie board of education and Superintendent John M. Mills from "further agitation and discussion at this time of such pro-poBed pro-poBed plan," the now petition outlines that this could in no way bo regarded ns the voice of the people. It is pointed out that not more than 600 persons out of a total population of 30,000 voted at the 'meeting, which had been publicly, called onlv twenty-four hours previous-1 Iv. It is 'asserted in tho petition that the tabernaclo meeting cannot bo re-garded re-garded as in any way binding upon the board members or superintendent. Tho principal paragraphs "of tho newest pe-tition pe-tition are: And while we at this time do not favor tho introduction of this sys-tern sys-tern in consoquenco of a lack oi a thorough understanding of it by the people, we do most seriously object to that part of the resolu-tion resolu-tion which prohibits the free and open discussion of this proposed plan, both from the public press and the rostrum, as it is the only way through which the public can becomo educated on this or any oth-or oth-or new plan which the superintends superinten-ds "dent and the board think wise to place before the people before in-troducing in-troducing it into the school. Freo press and free speech is the very essence of American liberty and to throttle it is simply to stultify tho growth of our republic and to rclo-gate rclo-gate it back to absolute monarchy and despotism. We are conscious of the fact that there arc new systems of oduca-iion oduca-iion and that th"ero is much coin-plaint coin-plaint against the present system, not that Ogdeivis not up with the best, but that even the best Ms not good enough now. and we know of no other way of bringing new light before the people and into tho schoolroom than through .the press and the rostrum. "We, therefore, favor the full and ' free discussion of any plan that may be for the good arid improve- i merit of our schools; and if Su-pcrintendent Su-pcrintendent Mills has anything which he conscientiously considers worthy of introduction into our (schools, we feel that ho should have full liberty, nay, we think it is his duty to present it to the people in the most feasible and practical rruy possible. If there still remains a doubt as to the practicability of the scheme, ac-cording ac-cording to the petition, it is suggested that the board of education submit it to a vote of all the people. With regard to the recent, charge that Superintendent Mills planned for the renewal of the discussion just be-fore be-fore he left to attend the national con- vention in Richmond, Va., Mr. Moench declares that neither Superintendent Mills nor tho board of oducation had a thing to do with tho petition. . |