The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-07-27
Tracy Mayer
Makes Reply
CITY OFFICIAL IMPLIES PERSON
AL REASONS INSPIRED LEGION
BOYS TO MAKE CHARGE.

Mayor J. G. Flikins, of Tracy,
who was last week asked to resign
by the American Legion Post of
that city, in replying to the charges
writes as follows: Dir
"In reply thereto, beg to advise
that l fully endorse all the patriotic
sentiments expressed by this resolu-
tion and without desiring to voice
any self-praise, do not think there
is necessity of my defending my pa
triotism as I have tried during my
lifetime to be loyal American citi-
zen. No one has any more respect
or admiration for the boys who served
in the late World War than I, and I
do not think any one in this city has
endeavored any more than to express
that respect and admiration wherever
the opportunity has presented itself.
During the war believe did my full
share as patriotic and loyal citizen,
and whether that share was much or
little, it represented all that / was
financially and physically able to do.
It is true that am not as much given
to speech-making as some other citi-
zens of the city, but assure you that
has not been due to any lack of desire
on my part to express my respect for
the boys, but rather to my misfortune
in not having been gifted with or
trained to the art of public speaking.
with reference to the charge con-
| tanned in this resolution that | delib-
eratetely neglected to hoist the flag
upon the city flag pole on the Fourth,
beg to advise that on the morning
of that day, I made every effort to
| locate the city flag for the purpose Of
| having it hoisted for the day, and that
I was unable to find it or to get in
touch with any one who knew where
| it was. One of the members of the
| City Council called my attention to the
| fact that the flag was not up in the
morning, and I advised him that
would make further effort to locate it,
| which / did without success. If any
| of the officers or members of your
post knew where the flag was kept,
it is somewhat peculiar that none of
them made any effort to have. the
| flag hoisted, or to call it to my at
tention at any time during the day,
although many of your members
have been in the city and must have
noticed that the flag was not hoisted
and their silence would appear to
| have been deliberate, and to have
been maintained during the day of
the Fourth, for the purpose Of lay
ing the basis for the resolution, you
have now adopted.
/ with reference to the charge
| that proper respect was not shown
the governor of the state during his
presence in the city on that day,
| beg to advise that I had no knowledge
during the day that governor Preus
was in the city, but that learned
late in the evening that he had been
| here for a short time in the afternoon
| on his way to Sleepy Eye, where he
was to speak in the afternoon. No
previous notice of his intention to
spend any part Of the day in this city
was had by any one here, and it is
| not unusual that I did not learn of his
the fact that less than five per cent OF
the population of the city knew that
he was here at all.
"In view of the apparent haste and
secrecy with which this resolution
seems to have been adopted by your
post and in view of the fact that it
! must necessarily have been adopted
before the members of your post, with
/ the exception of one or two, could
have had an opportunity to investi-
gate the truth of the charges made,
cannot help but feel that the resolution
was adopted, not so much because you
really believe that my actions of which
you complain were sufficient to justly
J. the resolution, but as a protest for
| certain other official acts on my
part of recent occurance to which
some members of your post saw fit
to take exception"