East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-06-12
LANDERS REPLIES TO STATEMENT
MADE BY SCHOOL BOARD; DIRECTORS
WON'T ATTEND TONIGHT'S MEETING

school board over their statement
made yesterday
To the Editor East oregonian:
Believing that the statement of the
school board appearing in your paper
Of last evening requires a response
from me, may 1 beg the courtesy Of
your columns to state my position in
the present controversy?
1t has been neither my wish nor
my purpose to become a factor in any
thing that would cause community
discord. Nothing has been farther
from my desire. But It seems neces-
sary in order to allow the public to
decide as to the merits Of the situa-
ton that l should reply to the COM
munication of the board, stating the
facts as l understand them.
The board said in its first sentence,
many people have been misled by
one statement or another regarding
the controversy" agree that such
has been the case. For instance, on
last Tuesday evening at the meeting
OF the board. in which the committee
presented its petition, two of the
members, notwithstanding the written
record before them to the contrary,
reiterated the assertions they had
been making to various persons for
some time, that in acceding to the
demand Of the superintendent for an
increase in salary last fall. it had
been raised $500 for the present year.
The facts as shown by the contracts
on file in the clerks office. and the
minutes Of the meetings in which
teachers were elected. prove that the
salary in 1910 was fixed at $2250 and
remained at that amount until last
fall when it was raised to $2400.
This shows that the increase was for
$3.50 and not for $3.50. I do not wish
to say that the board deliberately
misstated the facts for, in truth, the
three members who have been max
ing the statement, at last Tuesday
evenings meeting. denied any inten-
tiOn of misrepresenting the facts. But
assuming that they were entirely hon
est would it not be reasonable to ex-
pect that members of a school board
be sufficiently familiar with their
own transactions. the records Of
which lie open before them at each
meeting not to make statements so
evidently careless. 1t Is certain that
other statements equally unfair have
been made TO various persons by
members Of the board. and that sew
eral statements of similar nature are
embodied in the article to which I
am replying The facts have been
very much misunderstood, hence !
feel justified in explaining my atti-
tude concerning the incidents refer
red to in the article above mentioned.
l wish first to take issue with the
school board in their contention that
the cause of my resignation was not
their objection TO my part in the pro-
hihition campaign; nor that it was
because of my interest in the Bulgin
The board stated that such
a claim is wholly false. My resigna-
ton last fall certainly was presented
because the board told me that the
people We're objecting to my activity
m the prohibition campaign, and that
hey had not forgotten my activity in
he revival meetings last February.
The following are the facts regard
ng the offering of the resignation and
he reason therefor:
One day in the latter part of Au-
gust or early September, the chairman
If the board. w E. Brock, called me
% his office for a conference. He
explained that certain men had been
o him and other members of the
board protesting against my making
he addresses in support of the pro-
1ibition cause, and that the people
we're very seriously objecting to my
lotions, He further stated that these
criticisms together with those made
lpon the part I took in the Bulgin
meetings had created a situation so
erious that unless ceased at once.
lie would resign from the board, I
old him that I would not go out to
make further addresses. 1t was to
his conference the board referred in
heir article when they state that I
thoroughly agreed with them that my
ctions had "been at least in-advised."
I is true that l did say to him that
in representing the whole commu-
Iity' l probably should not have
lone It. And l still believe that I,
hould not have done it had ex-
ected to please everybody. One in
position hardly expects any of their
ctions to please the whole commu-,
Iity." But have not and do not
wish II to be understood that I re-
ret having endeavored to exercise .
ny rights of freedom of belief and
Il speech as a citizen, Being a teach
r does not necessarily disqualify one ,
rom representing any worthy cause.
'ut I do regret that there was suf-
icient difference of opinion at this
oint to cause breach between my
elf and the board At that time. Mr..
Irock and other members of the
oard did not hesitate to make clear
heir attitude on the prohibition
question That we differed, Is no
more my fault than theirs. II was
ouhtless merely an honest difference