Middletown transcript., 1897-05-01
Jommunicated.)
VIEWS OF A TRUSTEE.

MR.. EDITOR HOW very easily the goou
name or honorable record of our fellow
citizens may be made the target Of irrespon-
sible and unthinking scribblers. I can not
understand why editorslor correspondents
give to the public unfair statements as re-
garding men and bodies Of men which are
only calculated to cause unkind reflections
and reflect upon the integrity and honor Of
their fellow men. The Trustees of the
Middletown Academy are your own fellow
citizens, and hope as body and indivi-
duals they haYe not lived among this peo-
pie almost for two generations not to have
the respect of the decent class of our fellow
citizens. They have generally managed
well their own affairs, their trtuhfulness
and honor will compare well with any
board, and If they have feeling of unkind-
ness toward their fellow men, the writer is
entirely ignorant of any demonstration Of
it. The gift of property and the law max
ing it corporation are very brief. The
Board has duty to perform under the
terms of the gift. that is to assist the cause
of education in the town. Have they done
this2 By whose courtesy does the public
enjoy the grounds and buildings now used
for public school, How much would it
have cost the tax payers to have erected
such building and purchased said pro-
perty? Let ''Tax Payer" figure on this ques-
ton. How much did the teaching appa-
ratus and meager furniture cost ? At whose
request was the new building erected ?
What did your School Board promise in
view of said outlay? "Tax Payer" says he
would resist payment There is class of
men whose promises and obligations are as
fixed as any law of nature. but unfortun-
ately another class requiring bond and pen
alties to hold to an honorable discharge of
duty. If "Tax Payer" belongsito the latter
class feel be should be the last to venti-
late his views for the public good.
In the act Of Incorporation there is q
provision for collecting money, being sued,
etc. Why was this provision made to a
plain but, I hope, honest Trustee? /. looks as
if every dollar was not to be expended as
rapidly as made, but to form a fund for
present and future uses. regret there is a
disposition to find fault with the economy
of the present management. think can
assure the public that extravaganza and
squandering of this fund will not occur
during the incumbency of the present
Board.
H.sA. Now1AND.
with the greatest pleasure is the COM
munication from Mr.. Nowland inserted in
the TRANSCRIPT nor does the TRANSCRIPT
intend to step between Mr.. Nowland and
Tax Payer" but the opening sentences in
the communication may in the minds of
some reflect upon the TRANSCRIPT. We
agree with Mr.. Nowland that unthinking
scribblers may attack any good name and
editors may make ",unfair statements" )" but
since in tn is case neither the one nor the
other has'b been done, nor do we think Mr..
Nowland meant that. and more especially
since as a trustee he did not point out an
unfair statement made by us. This much
is said to show that there are and have been
no unkind reflections upon the honor of
anyone.
The TRANSCRIPT gave as matter Of news
the facts asito the Academy when the whole
town was discussing the suits brought by
one of the trustees. To an observer there
is no question of integrity and honor"
bnt of Judgment. The charter of the
trustees does not say mot the one we read),
that the trustees shall " assist the cause of
education in the town." but the establish
ment and maintaining of an Academy"
and " the remainder of the money shall be
invested as fund for the endowment and
support of said Academy" If the trustees
so, so or 20 years ago made mistake in
judgment, there is no reason for its con-
tinuance, nor does the TRANSCRIPT question
any mans honor in differing in opinion
with him. This is an important question
to the people of Middletown who unlike
any other town or district in the State
have not dollars worth of public school
property. The HTRAEscRIPT" is open to
Mr.. Rowland, "Taxpaper" or other citizens
to a fair and frank discussion of the subject
and without any reflections which Mr..
Nowlsnd says may creep in but which haye
not in this case. 1t is public, question.
vital to the taxpayers, and can ard should
be discussed without the least feeling-ED.
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