The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-02
MRS. McGOWAN
DENIES REPORT
Southern Schools Are
Accepting Flags.
SENDS EXPLANATORY LETTER
Reporter Of Chicago Paper Mis-
quoted Conversation.
Has Tried On Several Occasions to
Have Correction Printed. But
Editors FAN to Keep
Their Promises.
SENDS EXPLANATORY LETTER


Wainman Of cambridge. Ca. Mrs Net
tie MCGOWAN. National Patriotic In
structor Of the Women's Relief Corps,
Indignantly denies the statement cred
tied to her as spoken at picnic at
Jackson Park Chicago that there were
many schools in the South where the
American flag 10 not allowed to fly
over the public schools.
At the picnic Of veterans, Mrs. Nc
Gowan is said to have stated that q
most hostile spirit prevailed on the
part Of the South towards the North.
and that she had Just returned from
visit to Andersonviile and cambridge,
Ga. and that the principal of the school
at cambridge had refused to accept
the gift OF an American flag. That
the women OF the South bore q hostile
spirit to all things Northern. and that
these daughters and grand-daughters
stirred up sentiment and hold resent
ment against the North.
Reports Of the speech also accredit-
that the histories OF the South were
prejudiced. and were responsible to Q
large extent for the great resentment
which was maintained.
Mrs. MCGOWAN, in her letter to Mrs.
Wainman, states that she did not utter
the sentences accredited to her, and
the reporter on the Chicago paper who
that he did not hear the speeches de-
livered on the occasion. and-that his re-
port Of her utterances wers gained
from conversation which took place
between Mrs. MCGOWAN and Col. OAR
ling.
Mrs. MCGOWAN states that after the
publication of the interview she called
upon the city editor of The Inter-ocean
and demanded correction and denial.
This was promised for the next issue.
1t did not appear. Mrs. MCGOWAN
states that she then called again upon
the city editor Of the paper. and was
again promised a correction and de-
NAL. Again the matter was ignored.
She then says she called upon the man.
aging editor. but saw the assistant
managing editor. Again the correc-
ton was promised, but 1t failed to ap-
pear.
Mrs. wainman at cambridge Ca,
writes that a part of the School Board
at cambridge had accepted the flag
offered by Mrs. MCGOWAN and that she
told Mrs. MCGOWAN on the occasion of
her visit that she thought there would
be no trouble whatever In securing the
consent of the remaining members of
the Board.
Mrs. Mc0owan's letter to Mrs VAIN
man follows:
Chicago. July q. 1909.
my Dear Friend:
"Your letter with enclosure was re-
ceiyed q few days ago and do not
wonder that you did not believe that
] said what was laid at my door. 1
think that no one was quite SO aston
ished as ] was when read that srti-
Gle In the Sunday Inter-Ocean OF July
IS. at once sat down and wrote to
the editor and sent the article by my
husband SO I know II was received.
They agreed to print the contradiction
of the statements attributed to me in
Tuesdays paper. They did not do 80,
nor did they In Wednesdays, so went
down to see them, They put me or on
one pretext and another that ut was
misiaid.' 1t had been sent to the re.
porter who covered the picnic. but they
would attend to It, etc.
81 waited. and on Thursday received
your letter. I went down again. Saw
the city editor and when he said he
meant no discourtesy, but he would
have to see what his Mr.. Brown (ths
reporter) sa4d. as was a stranger,
etc. etc. told him that 1t did not
make a particle of difference what his
Mr.. Brown said. there were two hun
bred people who would be willing to
swear to the truth, which was. that q
spoke on 1.-THE Battlefields in and
Around Chattanooga I never men,
toned Andersonville, Wirz or placing
flags on schools. I spoke by request
on that subject. and referred him to
the Deputy Commander G. A.. r.. of H.
linois. Gen. p. c. Hayes Of Joliet. who
preceded me on the program, Col. c. A.
Partridge, Assistant Adtutant General
@. A. r.. Of Illinois, who followed me.
the Chairman Of the meeting. B. C.
Bowman. Past Commander. OF L. II.
Drury Post. who publicly invited me
to speak On Lookout Mountain as
many of us old fellows were there In
AAn 20 ND AL xuyfA
names and addresses I gave him.
He asked me to meet this Mr..
Brown, and / was only too glad to do
so. He (Mr. Brown acknowledged
that he had not heard the speech. or in
fact any of the speeches. He had
overheard me talking with Col. OAR
ling. Past Commander of Columbia
Post about my trip to the South. Col.
Darling asked me II had been to AM
Jacksonville and had seen the Wirz mon
ument, and l said, yes, and described
1t as best I could. Darling said that
the better citizens South deplored this
outcropping of sectional bitterness, and
we talked along that line. said that
/ could understand the feeling better
than he, for had been given history
that had been in use in the South, and
that as they saw things In the light OF
this history they could not be blamed,
etc.
naturally tnat leo up TO the Heeu oi
patriotic education. I spoke of the
success we had been having and men,
toned that we expected to place flag
over a school In Cambridge in South
ern Georgia; and that this year we had
already sent a flag to Houston, Tex"
and would send others. Evidently this
man heard some, imagined some. and
remembered but little. Such distorted
statement OF a private conversation be-
tween two old time friends, Is more
than annoying. 1t was unfair to me
and by implication unfair to you. for
presumably any informa ton that re-
cetved of cambridge came from you.
'"The city editor promised that my
letter should be printed in the Sunday