Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-04-07

as correct. Inc mayor authorized Jonn r .
Royal to make a new census, which he did,
and found about /, 200 pupils, or nearly 300
more than given in the Scott census.
Still Withholding his list, Mr.. Scott wrote
letters to the press in which he made
charges that seemed unwise, for no one
bad thought of charging him With any in
territorial wrong, but that he had trusted
largely to the, teachers under him TO do
this work for him. and that they did not
get all. as was found out after making a
careful canvass, and hence did not get
them correct.
The Royal census having been returned
: too late to get the school money through
its regular channel, the nsfter was taken
up in the legislature, referred to The CONF
mittee on claims, advertised and reported
] in the local papers, but neither Scott nor
& his manager appeared at that hearing.
/ The committee reported fought to pass"
I The resolve passed both branches OF the
legislature and was before the governor
Z for approval.
That night another act in this drama
was being carried out in this city. An
other was elected to succeed MIR. Scott as
superintendent of schools. He then pro-
, ceeded to carry OUT a previous threat he
had made that he would "make them
squirm' il they did turn him down. He
WAS willing to let the DILL go through, hut
in return they must let him retain his Ioo,
or they would have trouble.
A letter was Immediately sent by Mt.
Scott to the committee on claims. cbarg-
ing the city with fraud. Another hear
ing was called, and Mr.. Scott and his
manager appeared. claiming that their list
was correct and still making the charge OF
fraud. On being questioned as to the fact
that the number OF children was not as
large in proportion to the number OF
voters with other places. he made the very
broad statement that from one to two
hundred non-residents we're brought into
the city each year and SLOWED to vote.
This statement everyone will ADMIT is de-
cidedly wrong, and casts serious reflection
on the city. and places a stigma upon the
name of every citizen.
The Royal census, after reaching Au-
gusta, was found TO be Incomplete be-
cause of the loss of one of the books
which contained all the ward pupils
and quite number OF those from other
sections. However. the committee $50
they reportl claim that the found
neither census complete, and b II under
those circumstances il would NO. warrant
the payment of additional money until q
proper list could be presented; hence it
was placed on file, and left so that it could
be taken up by the ext legislature.
This, however, was not exactly the story
that was brought back by MIR. Scott and
his manager. They claim that they easily
proved their charge OF fraud. and that he
committee told them that they only de-
liberated over it three minutes, and then
unanimously voted fought not to pass.
Also that they could see fraud on the face
OF the city's case, and that the officials
were a gang OF crooAs.
Thinking that something must be
wrong. with a number OF others | inter-
ested myself in looking the matter up to
ascertain, il possible, who vas wrong, as
we could not believe that the men who
rnmnosed he atfy
characters prior to this time were beyond
reproach.- would stoop to incriminate
themselves for the psltry sum of $50.
The result Of this investigation was that
there were found at least l,l92 pupils of
which there is positive and record proof
who were eligible to draw school money
on April last year.
When this was found to be true, aud
judging from the stories that were being
told. that the committee did believe that
the city OH GERS were dishonest, and know
Jag that II they were given chance TO
look the matter up through the records We
had, they would form different
opinion, we went to Augusta and mad an
informal hearing with them IN Judge
Peters room.
After looking the matter up, the COM
rnittee was satisfied that the claim OF the
city was just; but it was too late in the
session to take the matter up this year
hsrnored any idea of fraud, and never
made any such statement as had been
reported That instead of coming ont
of executive session in five minutes and
telling wrat they had done, they were in
session for more than an hour. This con-
versation was all made in the presence of
Judge Peters and other OF the most promi-
nent members of the Legislature. This"
they said. 'you may go back and tell your
people"
TO make their position plain you may
read the committees letter to Mayor
Simonton, signed by the chairman and
secretary, in which they deny the stories
of fraud which have been so widely cir
culated by Mr.. Scott and his manager.
This letter speaks for itself, and needs
no further explanation.
Now there is one thing hich must seea
strange to ht-thinking people, and that
-, II Mr.. Scott has a list which be is so
sure i, correct as he says II is, why will
he not produce it and prove to the citizens
that ii is so? Does 1t not appeal TO you as
very strange thing that. although he has
been asked many times for a copy, which il
produced and found correct would do more
toward esta blishing his honor and honesty
the minds of the citizens of Ellsworth
than all this recent advertising il in the
press that he only acted after he lost his
position, and II he had been retained.
would have been willing to let it drop!
| believe the whole matter is wrong and
VIII not have tendency to pro ..ote the
welfare Of the city. The whole flair seems
to be nothing but game of cheap poll
tics. and those who ted Mr.. Scott on are
willing that1he may be sacrificed to bring
disrepute on the city. The city officials
did not have any grudge against Mr.. Scott
as he claims was shown by redu ing his
salary sl0O, for they cut down ali salaries
that year, one OF which was that OF the
city marshal from si5 10 S6.25 a month.
Yet the other official. " hose salaries were
reduced rave not seen nit to say that they
did that io- spite.
II seems like poor citizenship to try to
keep from the city what rightly belongs
to IL, and to try 10 defame the character
of its officials. EUGENE ID. BRANN.
Care of Rubbish.
ELLSWORTH Me, April 5. 1909.
To the Editor Of The american:
The greatest difficulty with which the
sanitary committee OF the village i'm
provement society had to contend last
van ua in eia