The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-28
From Smith County.

EDITOR CLARION: In the columns of
recent issue, | find an article from
three gentlemen, in which the integrity
and yeraeity Of the committee who went
70 examine into the nature Of AFFAIR." of
the State Normal School. at Holly
Springs, were impeacbed. / come. now.
70 speak IN defense of one of that cor1-
mittee, and the only one whom ] know.
! mean Prof, A. l.. Summer, of Colum.
bia, who was the worthy Representative
from Marion county. This defense
comes, impulsiyely, from a spirit that
has dwelied within me for the last six
teen years, during which time, I have
been Intimately acquainted with Prof
Summer, a. he Is a native Of this coun-
ty. Il is a spirit Of unshaken confidence
IN his honor and integrity, aud which
forces me 10 believe that e would not.
fer any consideration, rnisrepresent one
single fact concerning said school how
ever deep his prejudice might be against
the surroundings Of the institution
feel hat | am speaking the sentiments
OF I'll who know him in the limits Of
this county, wAen ! say that he has
never been knowu in any other sphere
save that which belongs to the attri-
batcs 1i good name. Beyond this, his
experience a. a teacher, forces IA 10 lie
heve that his Judgment was correct, As
well az his words true He has been
successful teacher from the time ne first
began; and to-day, has a record of
which he may Justly feel proud the
founder Of Harperyille College, and the
Columbia school, Of which he has re
Gently resigned the princi palship Yet,
Notwithstanding, the gentlemen, in their
article seem 70 surmise that the com
mittee from jackson, whom they call
the astute gentlemen, might be made
to believe the moon was made out of
green cheese, upon some hearsay eyi
dence. Now, your humble writer can
tell those gentlemen better; for Prof
Summer has been able to ascertain the
composition of the moon by observation,
and he did not get as close 10 it, either,
as he was to the State Normal School
No; the truth OF the business IL, we
believe, a. the Governor believed, that
the school has not merit sufficient to JUS
tify its existence We believe that the
committee told tne solid truth about
the matter, and that the Legislature
should have done as they recommended
We believe that if the school is doing
sufficient good to justify continuance
of it, the effects would be 50 apparent
that no one could be mistaken about it.
Furthermore, We believe if Highgate
was so worthy as pretended for him, his
worthiness would be so iudeilibly
stamped, that a committee, even though
filed with malicious intent, could not
have oyerridden IT, Men, in this eoun-
try, 10 not lead life blameless in the
sight of their felloY-creatures, and then
be without a remedy, when slandered
and inisrepresented. Besides this, it is
perfectly natural for those State Iastitu-
tions to puton thebright side, whenever a
committee from the Legislature visits
them While we do not say they would
overrate things at all, but simply have
them in as good condition as possible.
This being the case, and we do not
suppose that the State Normal School
was an exception, we accept the state
nent OF the committee, and pray God
that the day may be hasLened when the
black sploch of this institution will be
wiped from the blue canopy of our be
loved State, and leave -as never things
left before not Il single trace behind.
G. G. TsoNAs.