The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-03
BAYS MAR T|NDAlE
|G AN c CONTROLS
WOMEN S CLUBS
Domination of Machine'c Friends in
Detroit Federation Responsible
For Recent Attack on Her, Mrs.
F. C. Osborn Declares.
he Made II Plain in School Board
Campaign That She Acted on
Own Responsibility.

Mrs. +. C.. Osborn. subject of bit
er squabble in a recent meeting OF
he Detroit Federation of Women s
lubs, gave out the following state
bent, Wednesday, relative 10 the
batter:
In view OF the prominence given In
be press TO the recent action OF the
federation OF Women's- clubs In re-
uesting me 10 make statement to
he press that in my work In the re
1T school board campaign, was not
authorized In what l did by the teder-
tlon. | deem II necessary 10 lnak
he following statement In justification
my refusal 10 comply with that re-
hest.
This action OF the federation, l am
3formed was In lieu OF more drastic
I.tton contemplated. and was proposed
member not unfriendly 10 me as
last resort TO head on the more un-
evorable action.
AS | viewed the matter. there were
NO good and sufficient reasons why l
Ilould not comply with this demand.
| In the first place, l had not repre-
n1ed nor assumed that was acting
br the federation. or In Its name. Inc
bets in regard To this are as follows.
Turing the election campaign l gave
bur statements TO the press. All OF
hese | carefully wrote out In full end
hey were printed as ! wrote them l
Igned my name TO these articles Win,
Lit any title or club identification and
hey were given to the papers as my
Iersonal contributions.
The first and fourth articles were
|-inted In The Times and the journal
lad the other two were published In
he three evening papers. the Journal.
lines and News There was no state
ent made by me in any OF these ar
Icles that j was acting Tor the Ieuer
ion. or as a member OF II When
saA hl
free papers l personally requested the
Ianaging editors not TO connect me
|lth the federation This l did because
he OF the papers In printing the nrst
I-ticle had, In its editorial introduc-
on. Identified me as chairman OF the
Ivic Improvement committee OF the
Ederation For this. OF course, | was
] no way responsible. Further, In
Direction OF this reference TOOK
bins In the hrst sentence OF my next
|rticle TO say that 1 had been chairman
the civic Improvement committee OF
be federation last year, clearly imply
kg that l was not this year. Ana on
bis same day there appeared III the
|burnal prominent statement that
be chairman OF the civic Improvement
|pmmittee or the federation was MRS.
| E Bowles This correction was SUP
|enented by at least one other state
lent that 1 had been chairman. OF the
4 |vic Improvement committee last year
b that the public was not. feit sure
|nder any misapprehension in the mat
|r. Ny articles were all ssatea IN
Itch a way that there could be no
Listake that | was acting in my pri-
|lte capacity
| The federation letter. sent out from
Hy committee last year. for whlch
LIN criticized for publishing, was whol-
in the interest OF the public II was
! necessary part OF the exIlanatlon OF
| low bid received on elementary text
|ooks last fall for the first time which
ad resulted In substantial saving
II the city II was sent out to the
|.xt book companies throughout the
United states Ii can in no sense be re-
|arded as private matter, ana was
|stified In using IL.
| However, | should not have hesltateu
IN comply with the demand made or me
Id make a statement TO the press ais
|yowing any connection OF my work
IN the election with the federation.
Een though l had not assumed In any
Law that such was the case, ana al
hough | should have done SO az the
lax OF appearing before the pubnc as
|resumptious and egotistlcai hao re-
|arded the demand as made IN sooo
Eith and not dictated by outside IN
|uences But l know that this action
4 ad been forced by the Martindale con-
|rol, which has dominated the ltaer
tion curing the past year ana tnel,
ad II not been for THIS lnhuence, vne
batter would never have been given
-,
Ever sinA the women's clubs began
few years TO give serious attention
|o the unsatisfactory conditions exist
|ng in our schools, and among other
|hInss. forced the Martindale machine
III remove an active saloonkeeper from
Inc prtncipalship OF night schooi. that
hachine has been actively engaged In
TO secure control OF lhe
limbs and persistent In discredlting
|hose individuals active In promoting
|mproyed conditions.
The federation's voting organization
l. such as TO make IL easy for an astute
eoiitician to get control IL Is compos-
In Of three delegates from each cluo
OF the size OF the clups
Ina hence its makeup Is somewhat
ri,nilar TO county or state polltlcal con-
|,antions. and may be manipulated In
~ aame way by those politically IN
.i,ned The school board machine Is
arofioient in such manipulation, ana
yith the many people In the clubs con :
6scted with the school system, or VINO
Ave relatives or close friends who are
is made apparent how the federation
'as come under its control. Again. the
Esdaration has been engaged Tor sew
,rai wears in carrying on free lecture
sonrse in the public school buildings
tcontinued on Page Fifteeno