The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1920-10-22
TO THE VOTERS OF BOURBON
COUNTY.

We believe that a local school
night should always be confined to
the locality in which it originated.
However. as the controversy at Mil
lersburg has resulted in the nominal
ing OF a ticket for the Bourbon
County Board of Education. we be-
lleve, that in justice to the school in
terests of Bourbon county, we should
make the following statement:
In the early spring of 1920. Col.
and Mrs. C. M. Best found it neces
sary to dispose of the M. M. I prop
erty; they made an attempt to inter-
est local people of Millersburg in the
purchasing of this property and the
continuation and operation of the
school; failing in this they contract.
ed to sell the property to the Bour-
bon County Board of Education for
the sum of $4,000.
Several weeks later a group of Cit
liens of the vicinity of Millersburg
made, an offer to purchase this prop
erty from the County Board of Edu-
cation and offered considerations an
proximating 100000 for the proper
ty. The Board refused this offer.
This was followed by suit in which
it was attempted to enjoin the con-
summation of the contract between
the Board and Col. and Mrs. Best.
This action was decided in favor of
me County Board in the Bourbon
Circuit Court and by the Court OF
Appeals Of Kentucky. At about the
time of the filing Of this suit a Dor
tlon or the men who were party
plaintiffs to this suit entered into n
private contract with Col. Best.
whereby it was provided that should
the courts prevent the sale to the
County Board that the sisners OF
SAID contract would take over the
property on the same or similar
terms that had been offered by the
County Board of Educati ton. In other
words. had the suit been decided
against the County Board of Educa-
t1on the county would have lost the
difference between the 100000 offer
ed for the property prior to the
bringing of the suit, and the s46.-
600 paid for the property.
Within the past few weeks we have
heard statements made that after the
coming election this property would
be secured from The County Board Of
Education. AT about the same time
we discovered that there was a
propaganda among the colored peo-
pie of Millersburg to the effect that
If the new high school was contin-
ued their school would be reduced to
term of six months: later we learn
ed that there was further propaganda
among the colored people of Millers-
burg that if they would vote for a.
certain ticket that their teachers
would receive more pay, that they
would be given additional grounds,
additional equipment and more
teachers
Mr.. A. T. Moffett is one of the par
ty plaintiffs in the suit against tho
County Board of Education. to pre-
vent the sale of these grounds and
buildings to said Board. It was he
who was most active in organizing a
ticket for filling the Board at the
election to be held November 2, 1927.
He is one of the candidates for these
Offices.
Since this new High School ha-
been established it has been 4 COM
mon expression in MilJersburg: 1.-THE
way to get the NJ. M. I. property
back is to fight this school.
We regret the bitterness engender-
ed; we deplore the attempt by parties
unknown TO us, to align the interests
of one race against the interests of
the other. We believe that any per-
son who attempts to arouse the jeaI-
onsy of one race against the other OF
of one class against another is an en-
of n of hnf In
classes
! that if Mr.. MOffett and his selection
of "a ticket secure Office that this
property will be secured from the
county. 1t is unknown as to what
consideration will be given for the
sale of same.
We believe that the fair-minded
voters of Bourbon county will almost
unanimously reject a proposition &c
inject directly into the County Board
of Education a fight that has grown
SO bitter that when minister ad-
| dressed the Teachers Association OF
Bourbon county and endorsed the
new High School in Millersburg, ex-
preston was made as follows: "He
had just as we'll pack his trunk and
leave town." We believe that every
| fair-minded person will agree that an
insistent, prospective purchaser Of
county property places himself in an
awkward POSITION when he offers
himself as a candidate for member
ship on a Board that will have the
power to sell the same property. We
believe such action would never be
taken excepting under stress of anger
| and under the sting of defeat in The
courts.
We are glad to state that we are
Informed that at least two of the pro-
posed ticket have stated they are
unacquainted with the conditions
named herein. and are not in sympa-
thy with the motives indicated above
| Five men who are not residents OF
Millersburg or of the MIllersbure
school district have been prevailed
upon to offer themselves for members
of the Bourbon County Board of Ed
ucation on one platform. namely:
That they will! represent as best they
may solely the school children OF
Bourbon County in passing upon any
Il II 1DE Gov