The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-05-20

lore III report OF n committee Oh OOn'
gress. about Gen. O. o. Howard, now
President Of Howard University. which
will surprise your readers
1t is well known that his rcpniniion for
prudence and good sense has, for the last
few years, not boed high bat few people
away from Washington, have been pre-.
pared to expect from him, in his official
position, anything worse than lack Of
Judgment aud general uuftneS4 for the
place Unfortunately, it is nscerained
from persons who are in posi- ion TO
know what they affirm that his financial
transactions in the University, having
reference to his personal benefit, have been
extraordinary, to say the least While
he was Commissioner Of the Frecdman's
Bureau, it appears that he gave $4,000
from the funds of his official possession |
toward the first payment for the grounds
on which the University buildings are sit
uated. This estate consisted Of 100 acres
bought at $1,000 an acre. and was finally
almost wholly paid for by funds which
were under the control of the Bureau. 1t
was thus purchased by the money Of the
people of the United States.
The first evidence which Gen. Howard
gave of remarkable ideas Of proprety in
the use Of public property was exhibited
by his requesting the trustees to give
him outright the bes. acre Of this land
for a building lot. The request was
granted but some months afterwards,
! b,,
ed, and it was found this arrangement
would not bear examination, he declined
to accept the gift, and paid for his acre
the original cost.
When elected President Of the Univer-
sty, three or four years ago, the nominal
salary Of one dollar year was voted him.
He was then Commissioner Of the Freed
mans Bureau, and could give little more
than his name to the Institution, and was,
besides, receiving the pay of Brigadier
General in the u. s. Army. After a
time he needed more money, and by his
influence in the Board procured the AZ.
pointmcnt of IA committee with unlimited
powers, ostensiby to decide upon and AL.
low him compensation for his past serv-
ces, although they had been quite In.
, fnitesimal quantity. All the members
belonged TO the First Congregational
Church, which was struggling with pecu.
mary difficulties, anl they gave him
$4,000, saying at a later day that they
, were given TO understand that he would
0 pay largo part Of tito the church. They
/, did not inform the Board of their action
y and 1t was not known for many mouths
The church got a large fraction Of tho
money, its members generally being
wholly ignorant OF tnr sUutcu f,or, who
it camo.
. Having thus got bis hand into the
\ treasury OF the institution, he xt asked
= to he protected from his own blundcr i
indorsing officially, without authority, q
;. note of $4,000, which he had to pay
. This sum too, By the help of commit
; tee which made no report, was given him
Il a year or two afterwards, the trans
: action had begun to be called in question
@ by some OF the trustees, who were not
i present when the committee was appoint
# ed, and decidedly disapprove its action, hi
+ turned over to the institution, It is said
some property, which may eventually re
). pay that sun.
= His last and greatest financial feat wa
;. performed few months ago, and consist
> ed in getting the sum of $1,000 o.
q $4,000 voted him on the ground, tina
= he had from the first performed full dut
= as President Of the University. Profcs
u su's anu STUDENTS knew or no sucn Iat
= performed, and he was, during the Who'll
IS period, Commissioner Of the Freedman
n Bureau, and was supposed to be dscharg
II ing fully the duties Of that Office. BE
/ sides all this, he was regularly receiving
as he is now, the pay of II Bricadior Gen
/ eral, which amounts to nearly $4,000
J" year. while the annual income ofthe Uni
versity falls 10000 or $4,000 benin
its curren, expenses The intuition
=. kept going by borrowing money, secure
:. by its real estate; and he is receiving
~ from it salary of $4,000 year.
. will naturally be asked How can tn
g trustees do business in this way? Tn
. happily, many Of them are not what the
i should be, and too many Of them are il
y some way dependent on Gen. Howard
, good will and fear to oppose him.
. The management of the institution b
" its President in other respects is repre-
r scented as singularly undignifed weak an
T. vacillating and the professors and othe
. teachers are almost daily shocked an
y mortified by the leadership to which the
D. submit. pcrhans NAV rrcur 10 some r