The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1904-11-19
SATURDAY, Nov. Io, 1904.
Argument VS. Abuse.
In last weeks Messenger appear.
ed the following short article.


at might be q good idea while theey
{Grsnd jury will be at work to investi-
gate the books Of the School Board and
let the people know something about
the financial condition Of the board. We
would like to know how much revenue
they get. how much money they expend
each year and also the exact amount Of
the Wood defalcation. We can see no
reason why we should not have publish
ed statements Of the financial condition
of the Schaol Board. It lie being rumor-
ed on the streets that they have 90 much
money that they are lending some. A
statement from the school authorities
would set the matter in Its proper light
and stop all the rumors and suppositions
which are made. and which are due to
the ignorance Of the public on the real
financial condition OF the school board"
These inoffensive remarks which
were made with no intention of
wounding the feelings of any one,
and which were not addressed to
any ono in particular, raised the
ire and indignation of T. j. Liable.
President of the School board, who
made a furious assault upon the
Editor of this paper. and said they
wore lies. 1t is not necessary to
offer any arguments on this point,
point, there was no accusation,
how could there be- any lie.
We simply referred to the ru-
mors we had heard on the streets
that the board was lending some
money, without asserting it as a
fact, but simply as rumor, which
we did not know to be correct or
not as We are entirely ignorant of
the condition OF the boards fnsn-
ces.
During the past four years we
do not remember having seen any
statement showing the amount re-
ceived and expended by the School
Board, the President said state
ments were published, the Trea-
surer said they were not The
Messenger is willing to pay ten
dollars to any one who will show a
statement for any of the last four
years showing the revenues and
expenditures of the board; the Mes
senger is willing to pay an other
ten dollars for copy of the amount
collected and expended in special
taxes for the Fifth, the Third or
the First Ward, and also a like
amount for proof of the publica-
tion of the Wood defalcation. If
the board has failed to make these
statements to. the public who have
Alright to them, we cannot expect
to have them unless through the
Grand Jury. and it is the right of
the press and the people to de.
maud these statements, and no
public official has a right to take
ofense when an Investigation of
his public affairs is demanded.
1t would have been more in az
cord for one who Processes to ex-
pand the influence of education,
civilization and refinement to SUBJ
nit a statement of his affairs, ex-
plain, or even deny the remarks in
gentle and courteous language,
which would have been more sa-
tisfactory and more convincing to
an intelligent public who would
much prefer proofs than abuses.
The Messenger has never been
hostile to the school board, aud
has never criticised their actions
ia the past, not even have we laid
any blame. to them for the Wood
defalcation, but it is customary to
Investigate the books Of all boards.
ell co,tcrsticns sud associations