The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-09-12
THE COLLEGE QUESTION.

In referring, at some length, to the TAIL
ure Of the location Of the College at Dill
Ion under the auspices Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church the Christian Adz'0cafe,
the organ Of the Methodists in Montana,
says that "the College question has not
been settled yet" So far as this section of
Montana is concerned the College ques-
ton is regarded as settled, but some other
place, more favored but less entitled, may
secure the location Of the institution. The
advocate regrets the defeat of the enter
prise at Dillon, both for the sake of denom-
national interests and because our city
should have secured the prize, and then
admits that the College project is retired
for another year. This is, probably, true.
1t may be that the enterprise is retired for
an indefinite length of time. Our relig-
ious contemporary, the Ad1ucate, mildly in
sinuates that the TRIBUNE is indignant be-
cause the late M. E. Conference failed to
indorse the work of the committee of FIVE
ministers, who voted unanimously in favor
of accepting the Dillon proposition. The
TRIBUNE merely stated the facts in order
to relieve the people Of this section of the
Territory from any blame whatever in the
defeat Of the enterprise. If concise state
ment Of facts can be construed or comfort.
ed into "a tone of indignation" the 4idvo-
cate is welcome to its far.fetched construc-
ton. The Ad0ocate ignores the facts that
in the defeat of the College
project. The committee of FIVE Methodist
ministers who accepted and unanimously
Endorsed the Dillon proposition-which in
cluded the scholarship prospectus feature
were no; ignorant men. That commit
tee embraced the talent Of the church in
the Territory. They we're prominent
Methodist preachers, able in every respect
to comprehend and digest plainly written
and easily understood proposition. When
that committee met the scholarship" fea-
ture was before it and the committee acted
in considering the matter.
The discussion, in committee, was full and
not member Of the committee hreathed a
single syllable Of hostility to the scholar.
ship prospectus. When the Conference
met and the College matter came up for
and disposal it was evident
that opposition to the measure had been
worked up, and it was developed during a
spirited discussion, which at times had the
bite and sting Of "talk, talk, talk" to it that
The scholarship subscriptions would be the
means resorted to to kill the College at
Dillon. AS the discussion, animated at
lines, progressed in Conference it devel-
oped the fact that an increase of the Con-
ference Committee on Education from five
o seven members was necessary or essen
:ial. The committee was increased to
seven and the committee, thus augmented,
'eported adversely on the prospectus which
lad been subscribed to by our citizens.
That, in nutshell, was the result. The
tribune is not called on to explain why
he committee was increased in member
hip--but the Ad1'scate. being the organ Of
he M. E. Church, might throw some light
IN the subject. It is possible that the
was not increased for the sole |
purpose Of killing the College enterprise |
It Dillon, but nevertheless it is matter Of
act that the report of the committee did
10 the killing business most effec:ually.
f the advocate will state on whose mo-
ion the committee was increased more
light will be thrown on the matter Our
tatements were founded on facts, and it !
$ certainly not the object Of the TRIBUNE
o misstate anything relating to the COL
eye collapse, for truth is mighty and will
revail among all people-including Meth
dist ministers.