The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-08-14

board Il. Ll1sf 1t7---tlri7-s- sd A-sitttE-i ltl
tile ensuing wear, asnotetl-i la our-1scai
e5IaIaus mas caused unusual Comment
XViliIe the appointments in TIE lower
grades are generally approved, those
in the higher departments are received
with much less uHanimity Of senti-
ment-in fact the choice of pIiu-
cipaI seems to meet with disapp-oyal
both widespread and decided.
While the most vigorous opposition,
on the score of fnconpe tency. comes
iyom parents having children in his
department, there is general eondem-
mutton Of the manner in which his
appointment was brought about.
The facts IN tie case, as near as
W. can IsaFn from good authority, are
tthese: The appointee, having some
time ago approached one OF the hold
over members of the school board on
the subject of his reappointment, was
told b. linn that he was opposed to it.
The appointee, presumably fearing
that the member to be elected at the
coming annual meeting would also op-
pose him, conceived a peculiar and
Unprecedented method of coerclng the
action of the board IN his favor. Pre-
pairing a petition to the board asked
ing that he be retained in the position,
/ lie started out, petition in hand, in
search of signers; and, as might nat
ursfIy be expected, succeeded by per
sonal solicitation, III securing many
! signatures-3O we believe
In the meantime the circulation of
the petition drew public attention to
the subject Of the approaching appoint
ment, and at the annual S .hool meet
/ ing, a large number of voters being
| present. a new member of the board
was almost unanimously elected who
! had openly expressed his opposition to
| the disappointment of the incumbent.
/ The sentiment of the meeting, as thus
/ expressed, seemed to be OyerwheIm-
ingly opposed to the applicants reten-
ton. In view Of the opposition thus
enphaticalIy manifested, a number of
our foreIn st citizens held meeting
which the aforementioned h0ld-Over
member attended upon Invitation.
/ The following account OF the interview
with this member is furnished AS 10y a
prominent gentleman of the city who
was present:
One of the gentlemen present, who
| WAS authorized So To DO. sstid TO nitu;
! We understand, MT .EumOnds, that
you are III somewhat Of AN embarass-
ing situation On this question Of en-
/ plOylng Mr.. MCAurJrJ we are told
/ that your own judgment IS that he IS
on d 81 Taral
LtOD numerously signed by citizens
| asking his retention VIII he presented
To the board, and that while your
Judgment is against employing min
| you feel bound under certain pledges
To vote for him, unless something Is
done against hIm. Now what we
! want To know IS Just what the situa-
ton is, and what you want us to do, II
anything, to justify you IN voting
against mis- retention"
Mr.. Edmonds then explained the
situation, and said TO the committee
/ "that he knew Mr.. McMurCry was NOT
Ht Tor ths place. that The schuols We're
not what tney ought to be- and he told
Mr.. McMurtrY so, personally, but that
McA urtFy had been to interview him
ON the subject and renamed about
TEN HOURS trying TO persuade min TO
vote Tor ms employ m6uC as principal,
but he steadily ref Used 10 make the
! pledge McAturtry then said that
nine tonths OF The voters OE-the DIS
trlcC desired htm To remain iss pTIhci-
pat, at which Mr.. Eumoud5 said he
was amused, knowing that such was
not the case, and Knowing that the
complaints We're so general, nut he
said: If you wall get suCh paper
l signed by SuCh number You can have
my vote. MI. EdmOnds said he mad
no idea that Nc Aurtry would circu-
late Il petition himself nor, that it
/ would be numerOUS4y signed, hut he
was informed it had been, but he said
u M "a Il al Lrarf sin
come to him and protested against
his retention, and many said they did
not understand what they were doing"
~ OWs'. he continued, what ] want IS
something TO LOuntsraCt this petition.
and If you get It you do not have to
haye McMurtry, so far as am con
cerned"
/ One of the party remarked. Mr..
EdmOnds, we certainly cannot now
get remonstrance 50 numerOusiy
signed us McNurtrys petition, and we
do not want to undertake that" to
which Edmonds replied: Il do not
want that, / don't care for remOn-
STRANGE signed bJ Tom DICK and
Harry, what L want is a paper signed
by representative men AMI aCmen,
anu II such a paper IS presented, IT
VIII satisfy me"
with this understanding, a protest
was drawn mp in his presence. and
WAS signed by the citizens present, and
they immediately ely culated ahe papsI
Tor signature and certainly compiled
with the conditions. About thirty OF
the citizens who had signed the petit
ton signed the protest Nearly all the
business men in town signed the pro
test, and We confidently believe that
It was signed by tenth OF the PEG
pie who send CHILDREN q the pfinci
pals room Some OF the business men
who have children in school went
Personally re EdmOnds and made
protest.
This remoHstranee was presented K