The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1895-10-17
CALL HIM DOWN.
Continued From First Page.

tence. "Please let me hear from you
immediately. and the subscription
were written on q small scrap of note
paper, suggesting that il might have
been the design of the writer to have
his name disconnected from his lille
gal proposition and the scrap of paper
containing it thrown aside or lost.
Passing over this and the misspelt
word in the second sentence of the
first paragraph and the bad grammar
in the first sentence of the third par
agraph, which speak poorly for the
scholarship of one having in charge
the educational interests of the coun-
ty, it will be observed that Supt.
Smith doesn't say or intimate that he
regards the books of Lippincott e.
Co. as superior to those of other pub
fishers, or that the interests of the
people of the county would be better
subserved by their adoption than any
other, but the leading idea is, that he
thought he should be paid by the firm
for his efforts and influence in their
behalf, and that if they could remuner-
ate him sufficiently, he thought it prob
able that lie could have the last one
of their books Introduced in the
schools in this county. This, as we
have said, without any regard to
the merits of the books or the best in
terests of the people whom he was
elected to serve.
Mr.. Benson replied to this letter in
frank and manly way, calling MIR.
Smiths attention to the fact that he
could not represent the interests OF
Lippincott e. Co. as he proposed with
out violating the law and his official
obligations, although, he said, he
would like to employ him if these OBJ
structions were not in the way.
For reasons which will be explain
ed further on, we are unable to give
COPY of this letter and of second
letter from Supt. Smith to Mr.. Ben
son. In this second letter, which was
quite lengthy one, Supt. Smith
plead ignorance and declared he had
had no intention of violating the law
in making the proposition he did, but
assured him at the same time that he
had used his influence and done all he
could TO have Lippincott's books
adopted by the textbook committee,
but that things had worked out con.
trary to his calculations and his efforts
proved futile; also urging MIR. Benson
to keep what had passed between
them as strictly confidential.
Having presented the foregoing, the
editor of The LEADER will add a state
ment as to how this correspondence
came into his hands and why it is pub
lished, which only emphasizes Supt.
Smiths unfitness for the office to
which he is now seeking a reelection.
For convenience of expression this
statement will be written in the first
person, singular number.
Some time last winter Il can't recall
the exact date) l was met by DR.. V.
B. Watts on the street and told that
Supt. Smith had been guilty of trying
to sell his influence to some OF the
school book publishers IN New Orleans
and asked if the proof were furnish
ed if would publish it and advocate
having him turned out of office.
knowing, as I did, that DR.. Watts
had a grudge against the Smiths be-
cause of their opposition to HIM in
the campaign two years ago, particu-
larly against Treasurer Allen Smith,
father of Supt. Smith, l was disposed
to attach little or no Importance to
what he said, and replied by telling
him that would first want to see the
proof. / also added that such inform
alton was rather in between seasons
any way, as the text books had been
adopted last October for period of
five years, and as it was too late to
remedy what had been done, if there
was anything in what he charged,
about the best thing to do would be
to get his proof and use it provided
Supt. Smith should seek to be re-
elected. This seemed to give the
Doctor little satisfaction, and he had
a good deal to say to the effect that he
believed Supt. Smith had been paid
by the American Book Co. for his in
fuence in securing the adoption Of the
books that were adopted, and with
this LETT him.
Two or three weeks later he stopped
me Oh the street again and told me he
was ready to show me the proof of
what lie had charged against Smith
when he last spoke to me about it,and
with this drew sheet of paper from
his pocket on which, as we'll as / can
remember, was copied in Watts own
hand writing the third paragraph of
the above letter, but which was
mere fragment, containing neither ad-
dress nor signature, and which he
claimed had been copied by him from
the original in New Orleans the day
before. | made rather light of the
matter and told the Doctor that that
was no proof; that he couldn't con-
Wet man of wrong-doing Oh any
such scrap of paper as that, and if he
wanted any body to believe what he
was saying he would have to produce
the original letter or certified copy.
He replied, if would go TO New Or
leans with him some time he would
carry me around and show me the
original, as the book firm that receiv-
ed it kept it on file, and that if didn't
do that, he would get certified copy,
and with that left him, little think
ing l would hear of the matter again.
Several weeks, perhaps two months
after this, on the afternoon of the first
Friday in April when the county ALI
auce met, a well-known gentleman in
town who is not member of the AL
lance, came to me and told me that
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