The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-08-09

four members and doubtless woult
have demanded the resignation of Su
perintendent Wilson had he not beer
protected by the law as construed b.
you. The four members of the boart
who voted for immediate adoption
voted their honest sentiments and re
fused to be dominated by you or in
: fuenced by political considerations
One Of the members offered to resign
ibut In his offer to do so showed thal
he had become frightened at the "bil
lstick." and that hereafter he would
never disobey. You thereupon gener
ously and In the interest of the school
children OF this state. evidently be
lieyirg that hereafter you could con.
troll his politics on the board, declined
Ito accept his resignation. You there.
upon issued your edict attempting the
summary removal Of the other three
members do not know what course
two of them will take, but this com
lmunicatlon is to inform you that one
of them will disregard your efforts to
remove him. and continue in the dis
charge OF the duties imposed upon
him until the highest court in this
state determines this question be-
lieye that vital principle of good gov
ernment is involved I believe that
public officers, whether elected or ap-
pointed should discharge public duties
in obeyance to the law and their con
science, without fear or political dom
laation from the power that appoints
them and solely in the interest of the
public good.
Takes Up Charges.
In the summary of your purported
findings which you sent me, you say
"In the matter OF the connection with
the book trust, have this to say That
the development and circumstances at
tending this investigation was sufii-
cient to lead anyone to believe that
the American Book company was un-
duly interested in the outcome of this
investigation. Their state agent was
hiding in oklahoma City during most
of the time this investigation was in
progress, under as many as three
aliases He was aware of the fact,
and so were the second members of
the board and their attorneys, that |
was trying to locate him and bring
him before me to give testimony. BY
the admission of one of the attorneys
under oath, II was clearly established
that while he was thus hiding, and
while | was seeking him, he was hold
ing conferences with one of the en-
ployes of the board, and held two
separate conferences with one of the
attorneys for the board"
AS shown above, you have found that
| was innocent of any connection with
the American Book company, and that
therefore. the American Book com
pany was in no way interested in the
investigation so far as / was concern
ed. but Governor. have you forgot
ten the fact that when Mr. Butcher,
the state agent of the American Book
companyf did appear before you to
testify, he was under the protection OF
the law firm of Ctuce. Stuart and Gil
bert? Whether he was under their
protection when he was in hiding and
using The aliases do not know Your
connection gives you a better oppor-
tunity to find out than have Is il
/ fair for you to insinuate that the at
torneys for the members of the board
were connected with the American
Book company when as matter of
fact the record before you showed that
your brothers law firm, Cruce, Stuart
and Gilbert, were the attorneys for
the American Book company in that
investigation?
Another thing in this connection:
First. last, and all the time W. E. Row
sey of Muskogee has been your con
fdant, your emissary and your fac
totum in all things connected with the
board of education, as the medium
through which you communicated with
the outside world, FIe has been the
bearer of messages for you and in re-.
turn borne back to YOU much freight
in the way of gossip and Information.
The records Of the board will show
that he voted for the adoption OF the
American Book companys book at
every opportunity an dthat Messrs.
Glenn. Hayes. Wilson and myself yot-
ed against them and by our influence
and vote defeated the adoption OF the
American Book company's book.
While the board was still in session,
and within half an hour after the
American Book company's bid had
been voted down by us, you attempted
10 remove us by sending special mes