Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-01-17
DIR. Mcswcen "BuIIdOscd."

Dr. MCBwceu BuituOscO.
In the only number that has been
issued since Christmas of the down
town enterprising sheet, dated Jan.
II, may he found the following par
agraph:
DIR. j. f. McSween has resigned
his position as teacher in the pub
lie schools. BY the action the
schools have lost their best, ablest,
and most experienced teacher
The Doctor has been the object OF
petty, contemplate feeling of
opposition by members OF the
board, on account of political opin-
ion. So long as our schools are
prostituted by party prejudice and
action, so long they will remain in
their present low condition.
Now, neither the Board of Ed
ucation, the people nor the scholars
of the schools were yet aware of
any such state of affairs existing
in regard to DR.. McSween or any
other teacher in this city, and the
general impression is that there is
not the slightest shadow of truth
in the statement. And to show
our readers how much ground there
may be for making such assertions
as are found in the above item, we
will give the facts in the case just
as they really exist, although we
very much regret that the oppor-
tunity has been afforded which
calls for such statement.
The claim that there was feel
ing against DR.. McSween on ac-
count Of his political proclivities,
does not seem to be well sustained,
inasmuch as his petition for posi-
ton as teacher was first presented
and was urged 10y Democrat, and
was strongly opposed by Repub-
lican, so that it can by no means
be said that politics interfered at
that part Of the proceeding. Near
the end OF the first year that DIR.
McSween was teacher, the scholars
in his department drew up petit
ton asking for the removal OF the
Doctor, and the document was sign
ed by nearly all his scholars. That
petition was discovered and sup
pressed by a Democrat. 1t was on
the recommendation of Republic
cans that in 1875, DIR. McSween's
name was dropped from the list OF
teachers. 1t was on the motion OF
Democrat that DR.. McSween was
again appointed as teacher in 1873
The motion by which DR.. McSween
was given a position in the schools
last July, was offered by Demo
crat, and voted against by the only
member of the Board who is a Re-
publican.
Thus it will he seen that it was
the Democrats who have kept DR.
McSween in the service OF the
school district, and that the oppos-
ition to him has always come from
members of his own party, which
shows the statement made by ou'
contemporary to be false throughout
and further shows that it is q per
sonal spite Of his own that causes
him to say anything against TIT
schools.
And further, the better class o
citizens on the north side of th'
river have for some time past beer
sgitating the subject of petitionins
the Board Of Education to hav
the Doctor removed, because b
was becoming so decidedly unpop
ular, and tbdt the course of stud
was not ifved mp to by him. Tn
number of scholars in his room ha
dwindled down to %, and fair pro:
; poets of the number being n
' greater while he held the position
while now, since his resignation
there are SO scholars In the ROOF
where he formerly presided,
Third ward.
These are facts, which we sho
mp to the public in order that the
may not be deceived in regard
this matter, which they might
II they should take our cotemp
rary's item as being truthful.