Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-06-29
CUT OF THE RACE.
Gen. $. d Lee VIII Not be A
Candidate.
Special to Commercial Herald.

Lee mas WltndraWn from tine queer
Material contest. This was rumored
here yesterday, but was not confirm
ed until this morning, when a letter
was received from the general him
self on the subject, inclosing a com
municatioh addressed TO him by
Messrs. w. b. Montgomery, j. Z.
George, II. M. treet and Geo IL
Poets, members of the board of
trustees, urging him to withdraw and
stating that in their opinion, it would
be serious injury TO the Agricul-
tural and Mechanical College to
make any change in its president at
this time, and asking that he lay
aside any political aspirations he
may have for the good of the college
The following is the correspon-
dence which was ma1e public here
to-day;
A. NJ. COLLEGE, June II, 1889
Gen. S. D. Lee:
Dear sir-The undersigned a por-
ton of the Board of trustees of the
A. & NJ. College and all who are
present at this commencement, ex-
cept one, whose relations to the sub
ject matter of this letter are such
that he should not even know of his
existence, desire to address you on
matter of the greatest Importance to
the institution.
The college is now at the end Of its
ninth term. Its success has been
almost phenomenal. We believe
that the success is due in great
measure to your action. Since you
have been mentioned as a candidate
for Governor, each of MS has been
considering who would be a proper
successor to you in case you should
be in a position inconsistent with
I your further presiding over the
college Each of us has been im-
pressed with the difficulty and dan
ger of making a new selection. We,
of course, do not mean to say that
no other man could be found who
would be equal to the task but when
we consider the chances of an i'm
proper person being selected, we
confess we view with fear the contin-
gency of a failure to make a good
selection. Colleges of this kind are
new. Many persons qualified to
conduct colleges of the old sort
would be unequal to the task of
managing an industrial college. We
believe that the success of the college
is intimately connected with the
future welfare and prosperity of the
the State. We are deeply impressed
with the necessity for reforms in our
farming methods. We are also
profoundly impressed with the bur-
dens Of our farmers-unduly OPP
pressed by our fiscal and taxing
systcms-and we sympathize with ali
measures which will relieve them.
Believing that relief will only come
from more thorough education of
the masses and from q greater skill
in farming methods, we would de-
plore as great calamity the failure
of the institution, whose main object
is to advance and elevate those of
our fellow citizens, who now, as
tillers of the soil, are reaping but
scant remuneration for their labors
We have noticed your sympathy with
these men and women and your
earnest efforts to advance their
welfare. We, therefore, take the
liberty of setting out the above
reasons for a further continuance in
your present position as president OF
the college, and appealing to you to
surrender any aspirations you may
have for the Office of governor by
declining further candidacy for the
place. We appreciate the fact that
you have remained here at a pecu-
mary sacrifice to yoursels; that you
have declined tempting offers of q
large advance of salary from other
places. No greater evidence could
be given of devotion to the work YOU
have undertaken. To ask a further
sacrifice, is asking what none but
the most patriotic would concede.
we are sure that no greater service
can be rendered to the people of the
State than will be rendered by hin
, who shall conduct the Agricultural
and Mechanical College to degre,
of perfection that all will recogniz,
it as benefactor to the people O
) Mississippi. We feel a deep convic
ton that you, with your experience
, and familiarity with the past work
;n..n - L. nollo... -. ....... -.