Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-11
The School Board Middle.
To the Citi=ens of the School District of Lea
in0fOu, Missouri:

10 the CtftSeaS OF the SCHOOL Dt6tTsct Leg
ingtOn, Missouri:
We the undersigned, members of the Board of
Education of said district, state that on the 2lst
day Of July, 1880. the said board did elect Prof.
e.: s. Clark, A. NJ, Of Ohio. a graduate OF the
ohio State Normal School, and for IL years =
teacher in the public schools Of that state and
Indiana, as principal in the High School Of TINS
city. Messrs. Allen, McfaIden, John and
Winkler, upon the final ballot voting for him.
and Messrs. Wilson and Ballard voting tor MIR.
Fleet. The secretary Of the board notified Prof;
from HIM y letter OF acceptance: a short lime
after this n letter came from Mr.. Clark to the
office OF the secretary. IN his absence, resignlng
the position as principal of the High school on
the ground OF the opposition TO him in LexiEg-
ton and the decline of his fathers health. ex-
pressing qualification that he resigned in favor
mean time Mr.. Ballard published Q card in the
lnteiliEencer. dated July 2sd, the latter part OF
only voted but used my influence to secure the
election of n citizen of the county and state. l
| opposed the action OF the majority of the board
| by which Mr.. Clark, n resident OF Indiana, was
chosen to the position Of principal OF our High
School" On The Both day of August Mr.. Will
son stated IN the presence Of Messrs. McFadden
and John. that he was ''5Orry Mr.. Clark was
not coming; thought him u gentleman, had
nothing against him personally, but thought We
we in they were willing to unite on one
Of our most experienced and best educated home
teachers, and although We had the name of q
highly teacher in north east Mis-
souri,, still we determined. In order to satisfy
them if possible. to vote strictly for home mate
rial, and offered them VIM. Aull, . man born
and raised in our midst, educated In our public
school. a graduate of our High School. has
taught four terms in this county, and the
s s9es.y sch Rnp M SSm Fieel %a. si her VIM, NAM We
then offered them Mr.. CatrOn, who has been
elected school commissioner time and again,
and has been q successful school teacher here
and elsewhere. But no; Fleet was their ideal of
u school teacher. We then presented the name
OF u. *. Smith. whose business is and has
l..an a fnnohnr .r an,,,a rAsnfA Rnf n nj N
prared that will them it WAS Fleet or no prln-
cipal in the High school. which is corro6orated
evening, the third day We had balloted, upon
the lI6lh ballot. four tickets appeared for Fleet
and two for Aull. The undersigned promptly
but the president, Mr.. Wilson, declared him
elected. In II few moments MIR. Steele came in
anu stated. to the board that he was authorized
10y Mr. Fleet to say that, under the circum-
stances. he (Eleet) would not accept the posi-
ton. The board then adjourned until Saturday
give Mr.. Fleet an opportunity to decline in per-
son If he so desired. The board met according
to adjournment, but no communication from
notified by the. secretary in writing that he had
been declared elected and the same day he sent
i 10 his written lit c, aS1eptsnnGe tsscL And i, on ~, Motley HIsS
School room with the full knowledge that 1t
was against the vote Of one half Of
ingly to be personal in this statement OF facts,
but from what has been said and done. we feel
l called upon In sell defense, to state canululy
some of the reasons that prevented US from
voting for Mr.. Fleet. His certificate is below
VIM. .Anll's, who graduated from our High
| School; it is below Miss Shaw's, who is assist;
ant In the High School,, and is below several
female teachers in the ward schools. and he had
not resided in Lexington long enough to nIl the
requirements Of the card of Mr.. Ballard,
wherein he said he wanted home material.
Any one who wishes to compare the csrtif-
Gates and satisfy themselves on this point, can do
SO by calling on the secretary OF tho board
Some OF us have been members of the board
since its organization in 1865. and feel a just
pride in the advance made in all the public
schools Of the city. This has been attained by
u hearty cooperation of all the members of the
board and q Determination to employ the besl
teachers we could get. No discord has evel
occurred in the board, Notwithstanding the
frequent changes IN its personnel. to mar its
harmony or retard its efficiency, and no body
OF Six men has ever worked together twelve
years more smoothly and pleasantly until three
new members came into the board last spring
Since then apparently anything but co-opera
ton has been the order Of the day. One side o.
the other is responsible for this state of things
and we submit 1t to the citizens of this schOO
district to determine which.
Z. ALLEN,
A. H. McFADDEN,
b. JOHN.