The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-06-29
Annual School Election.


strong grounds against woman s
election as clerk for two reasons; first
that women have no business ability.
second, that women on school boards
and elsewhere are eXtravagant.
When tae officer to be chosen was
elected the men got up and stampeded
the meeting, going out almost in a
body.
The man who went to the school
meeting for the purpose of voting for
u woman for. clerk aid a perfectly log
ical thing in leaving the meeting as
soon as the electi on OF clerk WAS over,
and trusting the women to safely tran
sact the financial business of the city
schools for the ensuing year.
But the man who loudly asserted
that women on the school board We're
exIravagant. forgetting that they
the citizens at the annual meeting,
and then goes OFF and leaves them to
transact the important financial busi-
ness of the year, makes the thi nlzer
who is fond OF reason and logic laugh
long and loud.
There We're just about a dozen men
left who were Interested in the levy,
library tax and other business for the
ensuing year. There were Il large
number OF women, however, and none
of the wildly eXtravagant things in
regard to school finances came to
pass. Mr.. Welman was elected clerk
for the ensuing three years, and levy
of il mills for school purposes, mill
for library purposes was made. The
length of term is to be 9 months
Tie annual school election in Kins-
ley has gotten to be d SORT of blot up
on our city life. Politics, religious
prejudices aud pers onaliikes and dis
likes are used by people to inha me
passions and arouse disLrust. Some
OF the teachers take u prominent part
in these things, thereby destroying
their usefulness in the schools. The
GRAPHIC has always felt that teachers
should take no prominent part in pO-
litcal or school elections for the
above reasons. The dignitied and
honorable course is for the teacher to
rest the matter of his re-employm
on the merits of his work and the de-
SIRE OF The patrons for his employ
ment.
This year the women of Kinsley had
candidate. She was selected by a
caucus OF thirty women from every or
ganiZatlOn in the city, and from which
the 1nen were not excluded, She was
a broad minded, level-headed woman
with large experience IN school af
fairs. They went before the district
and asked or her election on the sole
ground that it was better to have d
pred Ominance of women on the board:
| hlst. because they can and will devote
more time and strength to the work.
secondly, they are uore finely fitted
ior it because the care, supervision
and guidance of children is directly
the work for which sod fitted them by
nature. The women Interested and the
men who believed with them, made a
clean, fair canvas for Miss Bidwell.
their candidate. They had for Il mot
i've only the best welfare Of the child
ren of kinsley, and made their fight
upon principle alone-that principle
being that it was better 30 have an
other woman on the school board.
There was and it was made per-
fectly plain in the caucus and py those
who did the work, SO that only those
who wished to misuHderStand, did so J
no word spoken for or against any
teacher or officer of the school. There.
was only the desire to give KinSiey
fine schools, anu a Kindergarten in
the future if We were able to financial
Y afford it.
Various absurd and scand alous
rumors We're started. Those who were
interested in the wnman's cand d ate
knew of them but could not cOnscien-
tiously go about raightening them
out. for those who started them would
be guilty OF starting others. and those
who believed them liable To believe
anything told them.
Probably the most absurd thing
started was that the women desired To
elect another woman on the board il,
order to introduce dancing and card
playing in the public schools of our
city. No fair-Ininded person would
advocate introducing anything in
schools. be it dancing: church rreeds
or politics. upon Which there is an
honest din, renee of opinion, for these
are things for people to settle with
their own conSciences.
The voters of the district decided ii
best to retain a predominance of inca
ON the board. We think il only fair
to ask that the gentlemen on the board
assume II larger share of work as to
school visiting and supervision than
they have done in the past. and re-
lieve Mrs. Hire. Certainly every one
admits that her hard work has made
for the Improvement OF onr schools.
We hope to see the day when people
will bring to bear upon the candidates
for election ro the school boards only
their best thought and Judgment as
to the fitness for The positioN. Let the
.,,.ji,irul hoSS and bea II ui,