Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-02
PROTESTS EPEs. Pay VOUCHER.
C. 6. Bulioc. Adds Another chapter


TO the University Library Row.
LIN'OLN. Sept. Special For some
time Lhere have been rumors 0f trouble
IN the library department Of the University
OF NeoTasha and the matter vas brought 20
a head today when C.. e. Bullock fled the
following protest with the state audi.or.
LINCOLN. Aug 30. lsss.-Hou John g.
cornell, state Auditor Dear slr-r wish
20 enter protest against the payment 0f
voucher NO. -. which All probably be pre-
atAted 70 you soon. Tie sll5.a3 called for
IN The voucher oanno, be considered any
ming but robbery 1f the state as he facts
10 tne .ise will show. The records Of the
JnIVersity Board Of Regents. which [ have
gLEgIAI4F examined contain interesting his
tory regarding The employment and rateu-
non OF Mr.. John .. Epes. payee named
N the voucher as acting Librarian OF tEa
state University library. The following res-
Olutluns adopted by the Board Of Regents
viii more than bear me out IN making this
protest.
October g. 1897 on melton OF Regent
Gould. 10 was ordered IN accordance Nl5h
the recommendation 1f the chancellor and
the nominating committee. that John D.
Epes be and Is hereby appointed acting
Librarian for the period from october /.
1897, to July 1. Isgs, at the rate Of Sl.36U
per annum.
Il will be seen from this that Mr.. Epcs
was employed for nine months only.
on the -th dag OF December. 1885,. action
was taken by the Board Of Regents by
which the appointment Of Mr. John ID.
Epes as acting Librarian is extended from
July /. lssS. 10 October 1. 1898.
This resolution employs Mr. Epes for
three months at the same rate OF salary. OF
S3-u Tor the months Of July. August and
September. on June Mr.. ETes delivered
To the chancellor the following resignation.
ITO the Chancellor and Board OF Regents
I desire that my term Of Office expire by
I Limitation October /. 1898 therefore [ de-
cline TO become candidate for re-elec-
ton. JOHN D. EPES.'
Three days later June 9. the library COM
mittee employed Mr.. Epes for one year
from October l. 1895 but gracefully aC-
cepted the resignation dated three days pre-
vious. On or about the LIST Of July Mr.. Epes
was paid i226.67 OF the 234O 20 be paid him
for the three months mentioned before He
also received a voucher FOR the remaining
Sll5.33 which has not as yet been paid Dg
the state. InasmuCh Is Mr.. Epes left Ne
bTaska shortly after this time and doesn
apparently expect to render the state one
days service in return for the S540, | deem
any citizen justified in protesting against
| the payment Of any further sums Of money
| to him than have already been squauderet.
! and in exposing the schemes and machlla-
I tions Of the university administration.
| The resolution Of December :. extending
| Mr. Epes time three months, appears in
/ the first place 20 be road to wealth
/ made easy since 1t is not customary 70
/ elect people for three vacation months and
| pay them the regular salary Mr. Epes WIS
! elected as many other employees are. for the
nine months Of the school year. II is not
customary 70 pay such empOlyes for vaCa-
| ton months, nor 10 elect them for such
| time. Hence the plan arranged between Mr.,
! Epes and the chancellor is a transparent
| fraud. All the more since at the time Of
the three months election II was clearly
seen by discerning persons who used the
/ university library that Mr. Epes was not
| qualified for his work, that he was not
! rendering service in any degree proportion
ate to the salary Of the position. and seemed
| utterly unable to make himself At the shoes
! he had been thrust into. This, | say, was
| very plain to everyone; Il must have been
| known TO Chancellor MacLean himself. vet
! he secured from the regents sG40 worth Of
| whitewash 70 make Mr. Epes and his friends
! feel easier Tne finishing touches Of the
| conspiracy were given when IL was made
! 70 appear TO the public in June that Mr..
/ Epes was reelected in good faith by the
| regents. who then Tegrettully accepted the
| sudden resignation, a peculiar document.
/ which Chancellor MacLean may himself
have something 70 do with, and which Ger
| tainly in his hands before he got the
! Board OF Regents to re-eleCt Epes. The
scheme was then TO let Mr.. Epes go with
| a good record. when a matter Of fact
| known 20 everyone on the campus, all the
| record he had made was bad.
The chancellor then gave Mr.. Epes the
/ months. Having been elected by the month
| Mr. Epes should have been paid all 9TH
| ers we're in that class. At least. II he
was expected 20 draw s340 the chancellor
should have required him 20 stay in Lin
coin and whirl around in his Office chair
during the three months. I see no way out
OF the matter except to hold the chancellor
responsible for the s226.67 paid Mr.. Epes
in July for service never rendered, and 70
refuse payment for the sll3.33 voucher
against which I now protest. Further. the
chancellor. IN spite OF Mr. Epes complete
and generally recognized failure 70 I'll his
position. apparently intended TO retain him
as a salary drawer for another year. II the
regents had not been too well informed.
Hence il seems that the Onus ot the whole
Epes' transaction may Justly be placed on
| the chancellor's shoulders. Respectfully,
c. G. BULLOCK.
| Miss Flora Bullock was also an assistant
librarian Gt the university, but has been
dismissed.