After Echoes Of The Election

Mr. Editor - Will you kindly give me space to make a few corrections to errors that have appeared in your valuable paper from time to time.

In your Saturday's issue you say "Miss Bower refused to run on a ticket with Mr. Scott." The truth of the matter is this: After the caucus on Monday evening, Sept. 7, I decided not to be a candidate on an independent ticket. Later the ladies of the city believing that there should be at least two women on the Board of Education account of the large number of women teachers and the many girl pupils in the schools, I consented to stand as their representative. A request was made from them, however, that I would not allow my name to appear on a ticket with those of the retiring members, to which I acquiesced as I have stood at each election for a member of the board as the women'a candidate. and believe I should respect their wishes.

Mr. Editor, you have stated in your paper at various times that the teachers' committee have made all the appointments of school teachers. Again you are in error. This committee, to which I have had the honor to be a member of for three years, simply made a recommendation of a new teacher and never without consultation and consent of Superintendent Slauson, always taking his advice and suggestions when there were vacancies to fill.

Every act of mine while serving as a member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education (nine years) will bear the closest scrutiny by the public and in every instance have I worked for what I thought to be the best interests of the school. I feel I can honestly say the same of the other retiring members, Mr. Mills and Mr. Scott. Never has a board meeting been held behind closed doors since I have been a member, the public and newspaper representatives always being welcome.

May the new members have the courage of their convictions and fearless in expressing their opinions.

May the new board work as harmoniously as the old and the Ann Arbor public schools continue in their onward progress is my earnest wish.

To those who stood by me so loyally , yesterday I tender my sincere thanks.

Yours truly,

EMMA E. BOWER.

Ann Arbor, Sept 15, 1903.

                                                    __________________

Tq the Editor:

The voting yesterday and the interest taken by the people of Ann Arbor in the school work was a glorious thing and augurs well for the future. As an active participant, allow me just a word regarding the issues involved. The caucus in a unanimous manner expressed its disapproval of everything which did not favor the most open and free publicity of the school trustees proceedings. With this sentiment I find everyone present was in hearty accord and I so expressed myself freely during the canvass. The ladies of Ann Arbor, most all of whom were in full accord with the resolutions voted upon at the caucus, desired Miss Bower to be a candidate, not because of anything which was or was not done by the school board, but because they wished to be represented. and considered Miss Bower the most available candidate to carry the election. The issue with them was not publicity or secrecy, but a lady on the board, and it was for that reason that they selected Judge Harriman on the ticket - he representing the publicity platform, and it was the original intention to, also, include Mr. Copeland on the same ticket (tickets having been already started with his name, but were discontinued because of some objections on the part of a few). These are the facts.

Now, just a personal word. From what the editor of the Argus states in his paper yesterday, I seem to be solely responsible for the defeat of Miss Bower. He states that through my indiscriminate challenging the voting was somewhat retarded. I am sorry this was the case. I thought I was simply doing a duty that others seemed to shirk. I am sure, however, and the clerks who took down the names will uphold me in this, that there wasn't a single name not written down as rapidly as they could take it, between 1 and 2 o'clock - during the rush. I did not challenge but three persons, directly, and have them sworn, as, the records will show, and those cases were when there were but a few present voting. What I did do in numerous instances was, to ask those in the rear end of the line, and before they reached the voting place, whether they paid taxes or had children within the prescribed age, and invariably except in three cases, accepted their answer. Someone must be responsible for this defeat of which my friend the Argus is so sorry, and as no one is so competent to bear the blame as poor Herbst, he must, forsooth, saddle it. Yours,

H. H. HERBST

Ann Árbor, Sept. 15, 1903.