The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-12
HOWELL.
als quarrel With the Result Of
Recent School Meee1na.
Inc School Board Sit Down on
Him With Emphasis ana
Avoirdupols.

EDITOR MINER: The school meet
Ing Last Saturday, which resulted In
the election of Capt. K. A. Nichols Il
the trusteeship made vacant by thu
retirement Of Prof. w. Egbert Smith
seems to have aroused some warmth
Of feeling. Two or three days ACC
School Principal Howell rushed into
print with q long letter, in which he
ventilated his differences with "a
certain clergyman of Butte" and
charged that 1.-The election Of Satur.
day was openly managed by the said
clergyman" As the preponderatine
vote cast for the successful candi.
date was construed by the aggrieved
writer into q public rebuke of his
conduct, and as the conviction was
FORGET upon his mind that the school
board and the people Of Butte had
sustained the recalcitrant preacher
ir carrying out his plan of personal
revenge. therefore he seems tn have
arrived at the conclusion that he was
placed in q false position a. princi.
pal Of the schools of this district. and
he gave public notice of his readiness
to resign bis employment. This was
contained in q letter published in
your evening contemporary, and adj
dressed to the school trustees.
This afternoon the school trustees
Joined In q letter written in reply to
the same. and sought the same medi-
um Of publication They object to
their names being thus publicly used
in connection with any church con-
troversy. The fact that the school
principal had been involved In a per-
sonal quarrel with a CITY clergyman
they d'sclaimed a. any affairo of theirs,
and the pub ic method he had adopt
ed of communicating with them as
an official board, they condemned as
unkind and improper TT it should
occur to u.s." say the trustees. 80 &C.
cept your resignation 80 publicly ten
dered, we would prefer to assign our
own reasons for 1t, and not accept
those you assign" In conclusion
they hold him to the performance Of
his contract to serve out the school
year, and they promise to fulfill the
terms Of tteir contract with him.
The letter Is a severe rebuke to the
ill.advised school principal, and the
general verdict seems to be ''served
him right"
Now, Mr.. Editor, as q taxpayer Of
Butte, and Indifferent to any church
controversy that may arise, I wish to
express my entire approval Of the
taken bv our school trustees.
and to Join with them In heartily
condemning any attempt to link pol
ltics or religion, In any shape, with
the conduct of our public schools.
To the citizens belongs the right If
for school trustees, and it is
In singular bad taste for any of their
appointees to cavil at the choice
and feel himself personally
aggrieved because the election went
counter to his will. the school trus-
tees of this district have never shown
addicted to ''boss'' rule,
intent IN giving office to their own
pa%rtisans, and willing to sacrifice
The public interest to their greed for
The efficiency of the corps
IF teachers employed, and the very
satisfactory condition of our schools,
ire evidence that the trustees have
honestly and d~iscreetly fulfilled their
trust.
Then this appeal to the public
press by Mr.. Howell in .~vindicatitn
If his cause, and this unwarranted
assumption that the school board and
he people of this district have
,onapired with "a certain clergyman
If Butte to do him an injustice. are
certainly in the worst possible taste,
md show that personal feeling had
him to a knowledge of the
rue state of things and has led him
conjecture up spooks.
I am willing to believe that the
gentleman is q competent school |
,mcer, and that the citizens of Butte
will be content with his labors so
ong as he keeps h,'uself in bis place.
But when he assumes the role of an
INJURED innocent, and puts In a pitt
ul plea in the papers that he is the
of q conspiracy, it is evident
Re ia getting off his base, and the
'cathing rebuke he has received may
rave the effect of bringing him back
% hls senses. AS a public school
,h"er, we are all interested In Mr..
Howell; but as a private citizen,
|~uarreling with his preacher. we ask
Tim to Keep out Of sight. CIvIs.
Butte, April 10th.