The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-31
The A. & NJ. College-Matter Worth
a.. Reading tsfE f-
MARVIN COLLEGE,
WaXahachie. March II. 1SS
Editor statesman

W uAtlllstCnAts AItiI 1COls y
Editor Statesman: ~, $3.50 asda. l.
l have read with eminent satisfac-
tfon your editorial III the STATESMAN
of March Is. Your arraignment is
most Just and in time. Some weeks
ago | addressed TO Representative
Gibson, detailed statement of facts
connected with the outrageous his
tory of the State y. 81 NJ. College.
In that paper [ show that in the
second year of the administration
of the board of directors, after al
lowing a large margin for repairs,
etc, that there was a balance of
$4,000 Cifteen thousand dollars,
unaccOunted for. l demanded in
formation on the point-none has
been given. | showed that washer
women, laborers, janitors, ETC., had
been made officers of the college,
and allowed to draw their pay ON
vouchers from the endowment fund
in order to cover up the infidelity of
the administration. Evidence of this
can be found in the Auditors Office.
You exposed the whole affair when
you said, "The records of the board,
its proceedings in council and its
known acts will show that there has
always been most earnest OppO-
sition in the directory to
comply with a contract bind
ing on Texas" The board were
opposed to making the college agrl-
cultural and mechanical. / could
tell you the reason if space allowed
they were palpable 10 any one
who viewed the situation from II
near point of view. When was
elected professor of English langua-
ges and literatureI was urged TO
agree with the president i'll his
views. No later than the summer
of 1879 Gov. Pickett said: "Gentle-
men we must have agreement in
this faculty at all hazards. Mr.. Gath
right is the right man."
From first TO last insisted that
unless we meet the expectation OF
the people, which expectation was
legitimate. we would be swept from
our places, that the board allowed
us to be abused, hiding ourselves in
cowardly fear until the full force OF
public opinion demanded II change.
1t was success in part, but IN the
main it failed. That board of direc-
tors were the guilty parties. The
chief sinner is Mr.. Peeler. am
ready to affirm that | have often
heard him assert that the action of
the board must be kept from the
people, or words to that effect. /
have no animosity towards the
A. and NJ. College, but as a citizen
of Texas | have right TO ask that
the obligation of the state be carried
out. 1t is well known, far and wide,
and can be proved, that there are
men now in the faculty utterly I'M
qualified for their positions. Here
the change was not made i'll the in
terest of the institution according to
the intent of the law, but was po-
litical move; each man nominating
his man, the nominating party hay
ing as much knowledge of who was
competent as Choctaw Indian. In
that college is All old captain of the
Davis police, man who arrested
some of the best men in Texas for
no cause whatever, save political
malice, dragging them to prison,
where they languished for months
and years. This board has not only
proved recreant to the trust imposed
but have insulted the sensibilities of
proud and gallant people.
Yours truly. L. NJ! LEWIS,
President Marvin College.
=. S.-You will obs erve that the
usual annual outlay has been about
$4,000, the year 10 which | refer it
was SIS. 600. J..