The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-14
Forum Of The People
MT. Harrison Again Replies
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:

MT. u8rEISON fAS6iH 1scphoo
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 | May I not again presume to answer your
 recent editorial regarding the reappointment ! of Lewis Bowen on the park board. There are some things in your latest editorial that I think require answer.
 I take issue with The Age-Herald in its yelled and subtle manner of supporting the action of Messrs Phillips and Thuston against
 the reappointment of MT. Bowen. You should | be courageous enough to come out openly and | frankly and Say to the public of Birmingham that you are supporting their position and not beat around the bush about it. also take issue with your yelled inferences heretofore in your editorials and your plain statement now that am playing politics in the posi- tion that take regarding the reappointment of Mir. Bowen. I have challenged that state ment and again challenge it now, and not withstanding your rambling editorial in which you in no wise substantiate your charge that am playing politics in my position, you have not yet shown that l was actuated by poll- tics in the position take in supporting MT. Bowen's reappointment and the further posi- tion that I take that Messrs. Phillips and Thuston are unwarranted and unJustified Ill the position they take regarding Bowen's re- appointment.
 I am standing for fairness and justice on this question and against such tactics as l believe no man who believes in fairness and justice can support. It is indeed strange position for a newspaper to take purporting to represent the public interest in matters of public character such as the question of the reappointment of MT. Bowen presents to the public of this city. In making this fight claim that I am not only doing 1t ln the defense of fairness and justice and against Ihigh-handed methods, but in the interest Of the park board itself, whose official acts must conform to the approval of the general pub lie of this city before it can make any great progress.
 I do not believe that the public will con- done or approve such fragrant action by two members of the park board against the com bined judgment and position of two more members of the park board and five members of the city commission in the matter of mak- ing an appointment to that board. l believe if such a. reprehensible action by these two members is allowed to stand that the general public of this city will feel so outraged that it will react against the park board in its future program looking toward park develop ment in this city. That is a serious and most important phase of this matter that presents itself of which these two members are directly responsible for and of which it seems they nor The Age-Herald give any con sideration to.
 You state that Mir. E. J. Smyer and a committee of pub!ic-spirited citizens are re- sponsble for the creation and passage of the park board law I don't know where you got this information. However, I deny emphati- cally that any committee of citizens are re- sponsible for the creation and passage of this law. In saying that do not desire to de- tract one bit from the fact that they did hold several conferences with myself and Attorney Wynn and others at the time we were fram- ing this bill. MT. Smyer insisted on one pro- vision of the bill which gave the park board itself the absolute right toRname the mem bers of the park board, taking it entirely out of the hands of the city commission and mak- ing it f-perpetuating. This l would not agree to, holding that the city commission, elected by the people and responsible to the people, should make these appointments and maintain, in a measure, the responsibility of the park board to the public of this city and to the city commission elected by the people of this city. The matter of allowing the park board to confirm appointments was q con- promise and which was never intended nor should it be used by two members of the park board to block the appointment of any~man by the city commission, of character, of standing, of ability and of representative po- sition in this city. The educational board, the DOarQ, Ln0 CIVIL SCENASC oooAuJ OA III fact no other boards are allowed any voice in the matter of appointments made by the city commission.
 There is strong feeling in this city that all these boards should be made responsive and responsible to the people whom they serve and the action of Messrs. Phillips and Thuston on the park board whether right or wrong, has done more to accentuate and crystalze that feeling than anything that has ever happened before in this city pertaining to the public functions of these boards
 If The Herald designates my position on this question as actuated by politics, which I hold is nothing more than common fairness and justice, both toward the public and Mir. Bowen, the appointee in question. then The Age-Herald can make the best of it. I do not subscribe to that philosophy and I am entirely willing to leave it to public opinion of this city as to whether I am right or wrong in the position that l take or whether I am playing politics on the ques- tion or whether I am really trying to repre- sent the public interest on the question. If The Age Herald wants to line up with the position and the attitude of Phillips and Thuston they have a right to do so, but you should come out openly and frankly and say so. I merely take issue with your position and the subtle, insidous way you have of not meeting the issue squarely, but trying to shift the responsibility to me on the grounds that