Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-17

member as having SOJOurnoQ WIN Ln6m
during the war. Col. J. was until recent
ly chief of the Louisville police. H. is
now connected in an official capacity with
the L. Il Paducah R. R.
But while [ write Jour boat has brought
us 120 miles down the river, and we are
nearing Greensboro, a snug manufacturing
town Of 5000 or 900 inhabitants on the
Kentucky side, where we stop. So we will
close this lengthy scrawl, with the promise
not to do so any more. Yours,
BoTEToURT.
To the Public.
/ was very much astoniShed to see the
communication of City Treasurer, Heber
Ker, tc the Council, which was published
with the Council proceedings in the last
issues of the city papers, and may be par
doned for noticing what 1 regard as amost
unwarranted assault upon me, and upon
the lady teachers in the Public Schools,
through me. was present at the last
meeting in February, of the city Council,
in my capacity as President of the city
School Board, to give any information in
my possession, bearing upon the proposed
purchase Of the old Wesleyan Female In
stitute Building for school purposes, and
upon the invitation of the Council. ga We
them my views on that subject. After this
ma tier was disposed of, a discussion was
started by some of the members Of the
Council upon the city finances as bearing
upon the Public Schools, and In the course
of the discussion, stated to the Council
that thought they ought to make some
better provision for paying the teachers
that their salaries were barely sufficient to
furnish them with the necessaries of life,
if paid promptly in money as they had been
promised-that the city scrip did not an
swer their purposes as money. A nd I sta
ted in Illustration Of the Importance and
necessity for making such provis ion, that
a few days before one Of the lady teachers
had called at my house to see me, lat the in
stance, as she said, OF a NUMBER OF her fell
low teachers, and said that they had not
been paid since November, and that some
of them had just called upon Mr.. Ke the
city Treasurer, with their scrip for pay
ments and that he said, he had no money
for them, and would not have for perhaps
a month, rs all the money he expected to
receive during that time would be required
to pay the interest on the city bonds,
which must be paid, that the teachers
were in despair at this statement, as they
must suffer for the necessaries of life or be
forced to sell their scrip at 10 to Is per
cent discount, and asked if I could not
help them-that [ fortunately knew of
friend who had not paid, but was prepared
to pay the city tax amounting to over $500
that [ had gotten this friend check for
the amount of the tax due, and with it
paid nine of the lady teachers a months
salary and used their scrip to pay the tax
tickets of this friend, thus relieving the
pressing necessities of these ladies'. I said
this without any purpose to reflect in any
way upon the city Treasurer, and I feel
sure that no member of the city Council
who heard me, understood me to do so. I
had no idea that the Treasurer had it in
his power to do anything for the relief of
these ladies, as 1 believed that he told them
the truth when he told them he had no
money that he could apply to pay their
script. believed that the Council could
provide for them, and therefore I was
speaking to them. But did not go before
the Council to make complaint on this sub
Ject, and had not been asked by the teach
ers to do SO. 1 was present on other bust
ness, and this subject being brought under
ulSCuSSlOu NY d Iu0IuUCE OI UQG council, i
spoke my mind to them.
[ did not understand these ladies to
question the kindness or the poiteness of
the city Treasurer, nor did they come to
me in my official capacity to make COM
plant of the Treasurer, but they came to
me as a friend for advice and assistance.
AS the city Treasurer k7,ows that got the
money from this tax payer and cashed the
script for these ladies, (since went to him
to pay the tax and Informed him how I
had relieved the ladies and had their script
to take up the tax tickets, and he referred
me to his Deputy, who had the tickets for
collection, [ dc not understand the mean
ing OF his question of veracity with me on
this point. But he questions the veracity
OF the ladies in, stating to me ssthat they
had not been paid since November and
says that ''they had been paid regnIarly,''
and says that if that was not true, 'sWhy
did take up the warrants of February 8,
1876. and not the warrants of November,
1875" Now the Treasurer ought to haze
E1aoeon why did not, as he had the war
rants in his possession. But will not,hold
him responsible for the suggestio falsi con-
tanned in the statement (for do not be-
lleve he intended it, though in making it,
he imputed falsehood to these ladies and
to me.
lie should have known that the warrants
of February 8, 1876, were for the pay of
the teach ers for December, 1875, and that
until L got the pay for December for them.
they bad not been paid since November.
And this was one of the grievances that 1
was asking the Council, (not the Treasur-
er,) to relieve against, for this December
pay should have been passed by the Coun-
Gil January l, and not February 8. have
in my possession the written statements
OF thirteen of the Teachers, each one of
whom is in arrears Of pay two months, and
some of them three and four months.
repeat, that I am astonished at Mr..
Ker's card, and cannot imagine how he
has been misled into making such COM
munication. It was as far from my pur-
pose to injure or be unjust to him as to be
so to any other friend I had, and if he had
come to me or had gone to any member of
the Council who was present on the occa-
sion referred to, he would never have made
such mistake. I regret the necessity for
making this statement, but Justice to my
self and the teachers for whom 1 spoke,
seems to require it, and I ask the papers