The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-03
THE OTHER SIDE
Of ALAMEDA
SCHOOL FIGHT
Dr.. TisdaIe Replies to
B. G. Brown.
THE TELEPHONE INCIDENT
SOME DEPARTMENT SECRETS
MADE PUBLIC.
The School Director scorches j. K.
Lynch and George Scott
of the Municipal
League.
THE TELEPHONE INCIDENT
SOME DEPARTMENT SECRETS
MADE PUBLIC.
Alameda Office San Francisco Call,
LOG Do r.Ir -+rnn+ Arnril .

Alameda Office San Francisco Call,
1923 Park street, April 2.
DR.. c. L. Tisdale, member of e Ala
media Board of Education, who vas made
famous by his celebrated telephone in
terview with Brainard c. Brown, replied
last night TO the charges of corruption
made against him and other members OF
the board by the school committee of the
Municipal League. His address was
made at meeting of the Non-Par-
tisan party before one of the largest po
litical gatherings ever witnessed in this
city. The speaker was wildly cheered
throughout his address. In part he said:
am here to say TO you that I am candi-
date for reelection to the Board OF Educa-
haps-Gaughter) that am candidate. / have
served in that position for the last eight years
and I not ashamed of any act that have
performed during that period. have lived in
this city for fourteen years. and never before
has any man or any party or any organizat!o'i
OF a political or other character dared to vii
ify or throw mud upon the candidates OF
rival organization. 1t Is the first time. fellow
citizens, that this kind Of a Tight has ever been
made Alameda has been the pride of her
citizens. She has sat here upon the peninsula,
occupying proud and lofty position. She has
said other town have crooked officials, other
towns have had municipal scandals, other
towns have had disagreements in their body
polite. but We, the city of Alameda, have
never had men in office Of whom we were
ashamed. We have made that statement and
We have believed ii. and in believing 1t We
have brought here thousands of the best people
Of California TO build their homes in our midst.
They have come here because they believed
that Alameda was pure. They have come here
because they believed its municipal government
was clean. FellOw-CitiZens, II the sort OF fight
that was begun lately is kept up, Alameda
will receive black eye from which it VIII
take her years to recover.
The speaker paid a tribute to the high
character of the opposing candidates, and
stated that they were not responsible for
Fn n lfFNer
campaign" He said that there had never
been a scandal in the Alameda School
Department, and that its financial affairs
had been conducted in a strictly honest
manner, and that its supplies had been
purchased at closer prices than by any
other city in the State. Getting down
DR.. Tisdale paid his respects to j. K
Lynch, George A Scott and Brainard c.
Brown, the Municipal League committee,
in the following style:
The next charge that has been made against
the present management Of the Board of
Education is that the schools are overcrowded.
We know It. Whose fault is it? The critical
gentlemen OF the Municipal League say II is
the fault OF the present Board of Education.
Gentlemen. our record in that direction is
matter OF public knowledge Six years ago
the citizens of Alameda voted for bonds to
erect a primary and grammar school. The
City Trustees purchased a lot and paid 500 de-
post on IT, One of the triumvirate whose name
is signed to the attack upon the Board OF Edu-
cation is Mr.. James X Lynch Of Sherman
ptreet Mr. James K Lynch. you will remeu-
Der, is the man who served an injunction upon
the CITY Of Alameda, and so prevented the
building Of the primary grammar school at
that time. Fellow-citizens, If we hal that
school to-day there would be no congestion in
this deDa! tment. This is the same James K.
Lynch who selfshly said that no school
should be built in his neighborhood, the same
man who is reported TO have said that no school
children should pass by his house, the same
James K. Lynch who caused the city TO lose
the 500 deposit that II put up the lot,
the same James K Lynch who. trusting to the
Of lie ri ha
decided to cast the blame for his selfish
ness upon the Board of Education Of this city.
ApplauseO
Another member Of this triumvirate. who
signed these attacks upon Mr.. Lanktree and
myself is George W. Scott, the anxious father
Of a School Director. He has signed this state
ment. He has charged that a ring controls
the department in this city; that Mr.. Lanktree.
Mr.. Brown and myself have captured all the
leaving his son TO the solitary grandeur OF the
presidential chair. tLaughter.) How was this
position obtained? DR.. Scott agreed to appoint
US if we would vote for him that he might be-
come president and satisfy his own ambi-
ton and that of his father, who, until out
RACED public opinion became too strong, occu-
pied the undignified position of member of
committee which was publicly vilifying and
insulting his sons colleagues on the board If
our record in the preceding years had been so
very bad, why did these gentlemen return US
TO those positions Of alleged importance?
have told you.
Referring to Brainard c. Brown, with
whom he had the telephone interview,
the speaker said:
The third member Of the triumvirate TO
whose venomous pen is due the series Of polit-
zeal classics that have disguised this conmu-
nifty during the present campaign pays the
enormous sum of 50 1-3c per annum toward the
school fund Of this city. No wonder that he
guards with a jealous eye the expenditure Of
this munihcent amount and feels anxious for
fear L may be msapplied applause For
months this person has been maliciously and
falsely attacking me every occasion. Be
iieving that he was misinforned: believing that
he was honorable enough to desist from these
attacks when told the facts 1 called upon the
gentleman at his office in San Francisco and
talked the situation over with him freely.
said to him, You have made these charges
against me. Do you know that they true?''
He replied, i DO not. Some one told so.
I am opposed to you and have got to beat you"
We talked the matter over. l explained II TO
him in a fair, square manner, as one man
one OF these assertions that had been made
against me. I invited him to come to my
Office, TO look at my books and see the enor-
nous amount OF money that had made out OF
the School Department during the period 1 have
been in IL. ! asked him to come and see that
in fifteen months past had made exactly SIS
treating the teachers professionally. He didn't
come I left that gentleman that day with
the feeling in my mind that the matter was
ended He grasped my hand in parting and
said: Il didn't know ths-I was misinformed
Of these facts" few days after at a meet
ing Of the Municipal League he attacked me in
slurs were communicated TO me late at night
and I so far forgot myself to my tele-
phone injudiciously. applause and laughter
Put yourself IN my place, gentlemen and an
awer me honestly II you would not have said
much as I did. I admit that / was angry
at such unwarranted and unexpected attacks
upon me from a person who had so recently
taken me by the hand. regret my hasty re-
marks, and the more as by so doing raised
70 a position Of importance and prominence a
person who never could have attained to that
by his personal merits or character. (Ap-