The herald., 1897-12-18
President Silver at once declared tn.
resolution adopted.
MIR. HUGHES EXPLAINS

ACooAuIiOH duOpteO.
MIR. HUGHES EXPLAINS
Mr.. Ashman asked that the privilege
or the floor be accorded to e. T. Hughes.
whose name had been presented at the
regular meeting of the board of educa-
ton Monday night as a candidate FOR
the position vacated by Adams. The
council consented, and Mr.. Hughes took
the floor and read the following state
ment:
To the Honorable Council Of the City of
Los Observation-Disclosures: Having been in
FORMED that my name will be suggested
to your honorable body as a candidate
Tor appointment as a member of the school
BOARD OF this city, / herewith beg to de-
cline to occupy the position of candidate
Tor that appointment. In doing so I desire
to state that the petition heretofore crcu-
lated In the Seventh ward for my election
by the board of education as a member
thereof was not suggested by me or made
with my knowledge. until large proper
ton OF the names had been affixed thereto.
l have not at any time sought the position,
nor would l have consented to allow my
name to be presented had it not been that
the aforesaid petition, signed by more
than hundred of the leading citizens of
the ward, irrespective of party had been
circulated and was shown to me with the
request that I permit my name to be used
in that capacity. AS to the matters con-
nscted with the presentation of that petit
ton and the balloting upon my name you
are all familiar. There have been humer-
Gus and various statements made In con-
nection Herewith not warranted by the
facts. AS for myself, 1 have never al any
time sought or requested the personal sup
port Of any member of the board of cdu
cation or OF your honorable body
for said position, and owing to
the Misunderstanding and unwarrant-
ed statements that have arisen and
been made in connection with the matter,
l desire now to decline to permit any fur
Their use Of my name In connection with
the position referred to. feeling. as I do.
that my action as member of that board
would To liable to be misconstrued and
that my services. however conscientiously
rendered, might be criticised and misun-
derstood. and that could not under such
circumstances be Of benefit to the schools
and the city. which every conscientious
member of such board should be.
In making this declnation it Is with no
fear that l might be unable to discharge
the duties of the office conscient!ously,
for I am not now, nor have l ever BEEN
pledged, nor have l made any promises
or indications as to what my course would
be upon any matters that might come be-
fore the board for consideration, and had
l been elected to that position I should
have been absolutely free to do that which
my conscience and best judgment dictated.
Trusting that selection may be made
by your honorable body Of one who will
justly and faithfully represent the ward
in which live. and who will discharge the
duties Of member of the board of .educa-
ton with ability and with an eye single to
the best interests Of our public school sys-
tenn, remain, yours respectfully.
Z. THOS. HUGHES.
FURTHER REMARKS
Continuing, Mr.. Hughes said that
there had been no politics in his action.
He thought the school department
should be wholly removed from politi-
cal influences. He asserted that he had
retired from business, after having made
a success Of every undertaking that he
had attempted, and that there were no
possible perquisites connected with the
position on the school board that could
induce him to take the place II he had to
make contest for 1t. He said the honor
was not to be disregarded when two
hundred or more Of the best people of
the ward had, without his knowledge.
signed a petition asking that he be
elected The position was a trying one. and
he. for one did not feel like taking place
where he would have to request the
boards consent to his leaving the city
on pleasure trips whenever he desired to
CO. There was nothing but hard work
in the job. il it was properly attended to,
and under the circumstances he did not
desire that his name be used as can
didate. His reason for appearing and
making this statement was that many of
his friends would still think he was a
candidate. and would work for him with
out knowing that he had declined. 1t
was for the purpose of notifying them
of his intentions that he had made the
statement.
Messrs. Wilson and Russell. who had
circulated the petition for the election of
Mr.. Hughes, addressed the council.
They expressed their disappointment
that such man as Mr.. Hughes could
not be elected at this time. They had
secured more than 100 signatures to the
petition before he had been informed
Of what they were doing and even then
it was only at their earnest solicitation
that he had consented that his name be
used. They hoped that a good man
would be chosen to fill the vacancy, and
that politics would not be considered in
making the choice.
The council then adjourned.
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