The Russellville Democrat., 1879-08-28
TRoT CUT YOUR CHARGES.

nounce wrong and expose infdelity to trust or abuse of official position, is commen1zble. To make any ex- cuse for doing one's duty, or to frame any apology for doing thus or 20, if you believe you are right in doing 50, Is unnecessary. To give 6 REAL REASON, winch is altogether different from an EXCUSE, for doIng any public act is always legitimate. But to make an excuse for 8 public act when such an excuse is not on- ly inapplicable, bat does & positive injustice r to others is decidedly wrong.
 These thoughts are brought up by the so-called reasons which we have heard assigned as the cause of many casting their votes against school tax in this district It has been al- legged that many who voted against tax would have voted for it, had it not been for the MIsAPPRoPRIATIoS of funds heretofore raised for public school purposes in this district. Other. say they would have voted i for the tax IF DIFFERENT MEN HAD 1 CONSTITUTED THE SCHOOL BOARD. Have the gentlemen who assign such excuses IS these, considered the ex- tent and character of the charges thus eovertly made against our school board? And have they thought that perhaps such excuses may, with many who know the gen. tlemen who compose our school board, partake of the appearance and nature of pretext more than of fair and legitimate reason.
 The gentlemen who compose our school board are all well known in this community. They are as trust worthy, as intelligent and as respon sible men as there are in town. They are deeply interested in the prosperity and public good of our town, and do as much for every pub lie enterprise as any other six men in the place. All this we say in jus tice to them, but at the same time if they have been guilty of misappro- priating the public funds of this school district, we say let those who so allege trot out the charges, and there will be none reader than the DEMOCRAT to condemn and expose the wrong. The well known integ- rity and competency of the gentle men composing our board precludes all belief h our mind of any such chargesi but since the opponents of the school tax have covertly made such intimations it is due the board and the district that the accusers should trot out their charges and in- stead of making general insinuatious, particularize and specify how and wherein tho funds have been misap- propriated, and give the board 8 chance to defend itself. We predict that there has never been dollar nor cent spent or appropriated in any but legitimate and regular way; and we predict further that the board can show this to the entire satisfaction of every taxpayer in the district.
 The DEMOCRAT has always been ready and quick to condemn and ex- pose wrong doing or dereliction of duty in all official quarters. It be- lieves in holding every official to strict discharge of his duties as laid down in the law. It is always open to all who have grievances to be re- dressed, and if any tax payer in this district KNOWS of the misappropria- tion of school funds, it is his duty to speak out. Our columns are open to hIm. If he does not know it, it is unmanly and unjust to make such insinuations as an excuse for voting against the school tax.