Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-03-10
Let the Blame Rest Where 1t
Belongs.

y
port was freely circulated, at
least on Hobbs Hill, that had
prevented an election from being
held last August in the 11th
School District so that | might
appoint the directors, and in do
ing so | had ignored the Hill Dis
trict or School altogether.
The facts are these: On the
first Monday in July last went
before the County Court and
urged that body to see that cleo
tions were held in each district
of the county and that good men
be elected in each district-men
who would discharge the duties
of the office. | also called the at
tention of the court to the fact
that the election commissioners
had not published a call for the
election, and later ! called Mr.. L.
V. Woodlee's attention to this
and he (bemg one of the COM
missioners) had the call publised.
OF course this did not give thirty
days notice. 1t will be remem-
bered by some, too, no doubt, that
| had published an article in Mrs.
Grundy urging the people to go
to the polls in August and elect
good men for school directors.
Before left Altamont the first
Monday in July last, w. z. Rob-
erts came to me and urged me not
to have the call tor an election
made, that it would not be legal
then (Will knows the law, you
see) and that | could appoint bet
ter men anyway than would be
elected; that | could get the place
(meaning the County Superin-
tendency again if | wanted it,
ETC., a very good speech, and |
thought | understood Will per-
fectly, he was looking for a job.
The call was published in Mrs.
! Grundy the following week. w.
p. Roberts came to me and urged
me to go to the sheriff and ex.
plain to him that the call was not
legal and for him to pay no at
tention to it and not hold the
election and then went on with
his little speech about me being
able to appoint better men than
the miners would elect. When |
told him that Iwould not talk to
the sheriff as he had suggested
and that ] did not want the re-
sponsibility and trouble of max
ing the appointments, he said he
would talk to the sheriff himself
and would get another person or
two, whose names | do not re-
member. to do likewise. | under
stand that the sheriff says he
never made any such request of
him, and how could a man have
the cheek to ask a public officer
and a gentleman to disregard his
sworn duty? Will would have
another do what he dare not Go
himself. But there was no cleo
ton in the 11th District, just
why | do not know. Lack of in
terest contributing most nc
doubt. Imade the appointments,
In doing so | adhered to the max
i'm that "The office should seek
the man," and appointed none
} who sought the office though
there were others besides Will
l appointed one man from the
> Hill school and two from the tow
school, to wit: J. X. Summers,
. Jacob Eehr and J. @. Smith, an(
l stand by my appointments.
; But how did the news that
had prevented an election il
order to get to make the appoint
ments get out in this campaign'
Well, W. P. Roberts suggested i
to me and me only. | told on,
man what Will was going to do
and | remember him well anC
will vouch for him that he di,
: not circulate the report. Need
less to say | did not. Then
close this article by asking agail
who perverted this story and cir
: culated it in the recent cam
paign? | do not know. But thi
do know that it was a dirty
mean, and cowardly trick don