The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-31
CITY INTELLIGENCE.



THE GIRARD CoILEGE.-The speoial COM
mittee OF Councils to examine into the facts con-
nee ed with the removal of Major smith, Presl-
dent of Glrard College, held an adjourned meet
ing Yesterday. The committee, before hearing
WITNESSES, decided to admit the Directors of the
College to the room during the investigation,
ana 10 allow OF no cross-eXRm mination of wit
esses except by the members of the committee,
but at the same time to permit the Directors to
suggest any questions to any one OF the COM
mittce to be put to the witnesses. Two members
OF the Board who voted for the removal OF Mr.
Smith gave their testimony after which the
committee adjourned.
The members of the Board of Directors who
voted for the removal have issued the IoiioW.
ing statement giving the reasons for their
action:-
THE DIRECTORS TO THE PUBLIC.
Cn the eleventh day of September last the
Board of Directors of the Girard College, under
The highest sense OF duty TO the Trust, created
vacancy in the Office of President to take effect
on the following first of November, and elected
TO that position former President, who was of
large experience, aud an instructor by profess
sion, and whose preu Gus trial had given earnest
of his ability in that position. This act was
done in the exercise Of an undoubted power
given by the express words of the ordinance,
which directs that the Office of President shall
be held "dt the pleasure OF the Board" and under
the authority of the recent decision of the high
est legal tribunal of the State. For this act Mr.
Smith has, either directly or through his friends
eau! ed the motives and persons of the directors
10 be assailCd by almost daily attacks through
the columns OF the public press, and he has
thought it consistent with the dignity which is
supposed to belong to the position of President
to cl ng to the office, and to refuse to acknow-
ledge the authority which employs him.
The Directors have hitherto refrained from
any public reply to the unfounded and unjust
Censores which have been heaped upon them.
Tuey have hitherto refrained from so doing
First. They knew that public statement of
the reasons which induced their action would
result IN injury both to the institution and to
10 I'M ~ fNi irlsto ol.s u
Second. Because Councils have undertaken
an investigation OF the circumstances connected
Herewith.
A decent respect for that BODY would at least
have awaited the issue of the trial which Mr.
Smith invited, and which he declares had been
refused him by the Board.
Not content with the constant assaults which
aimost daily appear against the Directors, and
the effort to torestal the result oil this invest.
gation and manufacture public opinion, the
Board are informed that Mr.. Smith will refuse
TO yield up the powers and profits of his Office
and the occupancy of the dwelling on the Col
lege premises, which he holds only by virtue of
his office, and that he has Tesorted to the dila-
tory eXpedient OF bill in equity to prevent his
successor from being installed. Perhaps no bet
ter illustration of the capabilities of the present
incumbent could be given than the utter indeli-
cacy and want of dignity which mark this cling
ing to office. The Board have borne with these
efforts to mlsrepresent and injure them longer
than due respect for themselves, perhaps,
would Justify, through fear of injury to the pur-
poses OF this great charity; but they seem now
to have no alternative but to make this public
statement. They have removed Mr.. Smith from
the Presidency of GiTard College because after
four years of kind and patient trial. they have
found him to be, in their deliberate opinion,
unit and incompetent for his position; and be-
cause abuses have existed in the treatment of
the orphans which the public have never sus
pected, and which the Directors have Vaiuly
sought to change in any other way.
In arriving at q conclusion as to the compe-
tenCy of an officer, the daily life of an institu-
ton, as witnessed by the Directors, is the safest
guide. Hundreds of little details, each, per-
haps, not OF much importance except in con-
nection with the others, go to form their correct
judgment. They have found an utter absence
OF yigor 10 the conduct of Grard Colege-an
evident want of live man; they have seen the
inst tutIon drifting along without purpose,
chart, or compass, save what had been pre-
viously provided by others; moral mould and
rust uDon everything; dirt in the house, vermin
in the beds; the appointments OF the tables
torn, dilapdated, and offensive, and, ADDED TO
these, there was an entire want OF all Draln
given to the economic condition OF Ine lhstlIu-
tOn, and of all heart in the treatment OF
mothers and orphans, while there have been
constant appeals TO the Directors to entotce the
Presidents discipline; p nuna[e9S nc sS OF UOyS run
from absconding and petty larceny up to Iornl-
Ca,ion and arson.
Some of these things met the Directors at
every session of the Board or committees, and
on every occasion when they visited the college.
Nothing can be claimed as an Offset to these
things, or as an evidence OF progress in four
LEGION OF Honor" which enables certain little
boys TO sport piece of colored ribbon in their
button.holes: positively nothing else,
Inefliciency was bad enough, but something
worse than inefhciency was constantly ringing
in the ears of the Directors clamorous appeals
for relief against cruel punishment; mothers in
tears at the private houses and places OF busl-
ness OF the Directors, begging for Justice to out
ragged children; pupils showing purple welts and
the marks of cruel stripes upon their persons;
boys iDcarcerated under lock and key for weeks
upon weeks in midwinter, in the topmost rooms
of college buildings, where no heat Was allowed
them-no light permitted when evening came
no books given them 10 read-strlpped IN some
instances partially and in others almost entirely
of their clotbes--obiged to ans wer all the calle
of nature in these rooms, and fed upon bread
and water; children condemned to the House o
Refuge on the application OF the President,
without knowledge on the part of their mothers
or friends, and without any opportunity of ap
peal-new and ingenious modes of punishment,
which were but the synonyms of torture-uttel
want of sympathy for the mute appeals o
orphanage, and disregard for the feelings and
rights OF mothers, as shown in the denial oil
their most innocent requests. These are
sample OF what the Board could no longer with
stand.
Notwithstanding that the evidences of the
Iun snmeuts inflicted, well as of the cOndi-
tiOn OF discipline which has existed in the col
lege, are to a large extent in the hands of the
President alone and not accessible to the board,
some statements made IN his reports or derived
from the official records are appended which
will sustain the ae ion OF the Directors.
During the first eighteen months of his ad-
ministration President Smith caused the eX.
pulsion of sixty-iour (64) pupils! During the
first six months o. his Administration l03 Zone
hup nd n abepOndipu op