The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-28
A FOUL LIBEL.
Recent Attack on D l'ecsor
Cullen In Two News
papers Indignantly
Denounced.
EDUCATION BOARD AROUSED
Resolution of Denunciation
Defeated as Giving Too
Much Importance
to a Lie.
EDUCATION BOARD AROUSED


to a Lie.
Phew! what tempest arose in the
Board of Education meeting last night.
The Journal and another paper pub
lished in this county were denounced as
scurrilous and lying sheets, the chair
mans ruling to shut out the debate was
appealed from, members were accused OF
giving out secrets OF the caucus and all
this hurlyburly was previously occasioned
by that dangerous instrument, a piano.
Last week discussion in the Board
took place about the award of contract
by a certain committee. Director John
j. Cullen created some fun by pinning
President Mulvaney down to definition
as to whether piano was piece of
furniture or a musical instrument. The
incident was treated the next day in the
Journal and the other paper as many of
the directors said in manner calculated to
leave the impression on the public
mind that the director was unduly ele-
waited or in plain words intoxicated.
Director Cullen and his friends laugh
thought that rebuke was necessary and
last night he offered resolution censur-
ing the papers for their unfair statements.
THE Board has been wilfully maligned," F"
said the director. "and l think it is only
right to let the people know it. What the
Journal has said is false and untrue in
every line.
Chairman John J. Mulvaney ruled the
resolution out or order, for the reason,
he said, that it was unwise to engage in
a controversy with the press.
DR.. Geo. M. Culver appealed from the
ruling and vote being taken resulted in
five sustaining and six opposed to the
chairs ruling.
] Director Geo. F. Witt agreed with the
chairman that the Board should ignore
the articles, but DR.. Culver insisted that a
foul libel had been made and notice should
be taken of it.
The fat being now fairly in the fire,
Director William A. Lewis, usually suave
and cool arose and with evident indigna-
ton said
''I am ready to agree that it is unprofit-
able to discuss with the press because it
has always the last word and l always
avoid it. But when it is guilty of injustice
it is right to denounce it, whether it
chooses to make amends or not. 1 can APP
preciate fun, but fun is fun and ridicule is
another thing. I don't know why a news
paper should ridicule this board one MEM
Der of it unjustly accused
Holding in his hand the articles in ques-
tion Mr.. Lewis insisted that they held the
board up to ridicule when they stated that
twelve weary directors tottered to their
chairs"
ITS a libel" continued Mr.. Lewis, "and
an outrage on this board. What are we
here for? Fun? To be held up to public
contempt? We are here for the education
of the youth of our city, we get no pay
ard yet are hammered for it by these two
newspapers. We welcome the publication
of our acts, but it ought to be fa. and
just and not disregardful of the tr-lth and
the facts. When these papers say we had
tired look and only succeeded in reach
ing our chairs without accident, they lied
and you Mr.. President know that as we
all do. The statements made are wholly
false and untrue. Is Director Cullen to
be held up in scorn by a newspaper when
he very properly asks for information?
There may have been pleasantries In Mr..
Cullens inquiry. He was polite and Mr..
President, he undoubtedly had the best
of the position. His duty as Chairman OF
the Commmittee is defined in the manual
and he would very naturally inquire why
he didn't have to attend to it."
Mr.. Lewis here referred to the question
put by Mr.. Cullen at the previous meet
ing when he learned that the purchase
of pianos for the Greenville School had
been taken from his committee and
relegated to another.
"All his Inquiries continued Mr.. Lewis
''were presented in gentlemanly manner
and the entire proceedings between the
director and the chair at that meeting
were entirely proper. The report as I read
1t places in his mouth language indicat-
| ing that he was intoxicated. My hearing
| is fairly good and / am sure that heard
1 no such enunciations."
Mr.. Lewis paused and in slow stern
| tones said:--
tits libel upon Mr.. Cullen. 1t is mosi
untrue and most unjust. It's a dastardly
and cowardly attack by papers calling
themselves respectable. There's no sport
in that. A mans character is his own
| Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis
something, nothing;
Twas mine, 'tis his and has been slave
to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good
name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed
TITS an easy NATTER continued Mr.
Lewis, ito write few lines and do that
to let people who know you not read and
then say, that's fine Board of Educa-
| ton and holds US all up and (em-
phasing this with sharp rap on table,
don't like 1t worth a cent. We spend
our time and serve here and we are told
it's duty. My folks have said to me often
! give up the Board of Education and ]
reply that am trying to discharge my
duty. l don't do with the ability of maay
| here, but do it with the best of my
ability. I do it for the rising generation
and statements like these in papers are
unjust and unfair.
! 81 will go further, said Mr.. Lewis
| ''and say with Mr.. Birdsall here that we
do right to condemn these newspapers. ]
care naught what they will say but ]
simply add that condemn them.''
| DR.. Egbert while agreeing with Mr.,