Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-07
SAUNDERS CHARGE
COMES UP TODAY
State Board of Education to Sift
Allegation of Politics in
Printing Award.
EVERETT MAKES DENIAL
Says Change Was Not Due to
Saunders's Refusal to Sup
port Stearnes.
EVERETT MAKES DENIA

IOAN oNSok NO.
Letters from Clyde w. Saunders of
Richmond. chairman of the city and
secretary OF the Third District Demo-
craft" Committee. Will be laid before
'hc stat" Board of Education to-day.
charging that the contract for printing
the virginia journal of Education pub
iisheh by authority of the board. was
Wi'hdrawh from his printing estab-
iishment because he declined to prom
Use his political support to Superinten-
"eht OF Public Instruction r. c.
Stearnes in the lattcr's campaign for
reelection next August.
The correspondence in the course of
which this charge was made passed
between MIR Saunders and j. w. Eve
rett. editor Of the Journal of Educa-
'ion. u covers a period from August
2s to October ; In the opening letter.
MIR. Saunders expresses regret that the
publishing contract had been taken
away from him without allowing him
AN opportuni,y to submit bids on the
same Specifications given his success
full competitor
SAUNDERS SAYS CONTRACT HINGED
~ Il
Il sincerely hope" wrote MIR. Saun-
dcrs. concluding his letter of August
~. that my refusal of your request
TO 20 w and pledge my support to
Mr.. Stcarnes for recollection had moth
ihG To DO with your action in this
transaction"
Mr. Everett. in his reply, denied that
the competing bidders had been given
Il IL
award of the contract to another firm.
on business grounds. He emphatically
denied that the action had anything to
do with the candidacy of Mr. S,earnes.
The latter, he said. knew nothing of
the transaction. and was not even then.
August 30. informed of the withdrawal
of the contract from Mr. Saunders.
This brought from Mr. Saunders
another letter. dated September Is. in
which he went AT length into the tech
nical details Of the specifications on
which bids were invited. to show, as he
claimed that he had not received a
fair deal
WOULD NOT SELL. MS
INFLUENCE FOR PRINTING JON
The letter concluded:
The understanding Of the several
P'pp3' WI ltdEu inc conversation be-
tween you and me, when at my Office,
III regard to the matter. was that the
question Of the publication was settled
according to the agreement between
YOU and myself. We were very much
surprised 10 find tha, we were not
going TO publish tho journal this year.
after what took place, and can only
account for same on account OF my
refusal DlnIur
Stearncs as the reason for losing 1he
publication.
AS | explained TO you. l was the
chairman Of the City Democratic Com
mittcc and secretary of the Third Dis
trict Democratic Committee, and |
would not he worthy to hold either
position had been willing to sell the
influence of my position for Il job of
printing. As long as ] have been on
the committee of the Democratic partv
have never allowed any person to
compensate me for services rendered.
and hope the day may never come
that am willing TO sell the office given
me by the people Of this city TO pro-
mote my private business
WOULD Still. BE CONTRACTOR If,
WILLING TO VOTE AS WA NrED
action or not makes very little differ
cncc, as from all accounts coming to
uic from reliable sources you are act
in- as one Of his managers i'm his cam
paiGn. and the excuse of his not know
.ns Of your proposition To me amounts
To- very little. as You arc a paid State
officer and his assistant.
After taking all the above in CON
sidcration, am forced to one conclu :
sion: had been willing TO pledge nv
support 10 Mr.. Stearncs for reelection.
would still he the contractor (pub
lshcr) for the School journal.
40 question could have been raised
Ia regard to this matter had Won not
raised the question of my supporting
Mr.. Stearncs when you came to get the
hricc for printing Il State publication.
hut the fact Of your tying TO vour
proposition my support for Mr.. Stcarnes
forces me 10 the above conclusion.
1T was very unfortuntc that Won
should have seen 1T TO couple the print
ing matter with my support of Mr..
StearneS. as one is forced to the con
cluSion that the printing OF the Scboo,
Journal was placed for the benefit NJ
Mr. Stearncs. II would he All right
for You or me to do so in our private
paid state officer. II was yOur duty
10 get the best price you could. but in
Justice you should have used the same
Continued on Second Page.)
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