Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-31
DR.. TYLER AGAIN TO DR.. PAGE.
Another Chapter In the Controversy
About the Old Mechanics Exchange.


To the Editor of ne Dispatch;
In making the proposition IN my last
letter To refer the matter in controversy
between DIR. Page and myself to the deoi-
sion of Jury of DIR. Pages own friends,
| thought to relieve the public and DR..
Page, who does not like long communica-
tions when opposed to his view OF things,
from any further communication at this
time. But Dr. Page is like his tug-mule.
Aunt Sue" IN Harper. He has found
he had too great burden to carry, and.
like most persons who have their folly ex-
posed to the public view, gets mad about
il and talks of my arrogance" and
"ugly temper" His vanity was so
great IN his speech before the Me-
ehanics' Institute that he repre-
sented the institution as having sprung
at once into being from the force OF his
suggestion, like Minerva from the head of
Jove. Now, i'll his last letter he makes no
contention for his FIRST suggestion. but
humbly admits that there were, as offered
TO prove, fully twenty men who did more
for the Mechanics Institute than he did.
He dares not dispute the fact that Norman
V. Randolph and Henry q. Jones were two
wears ahead Of him IN making the first
suggestion, and that even Is. NJ. Quarles
and George PoindeXter were his prede-
cessors, though members OF the very Ex-
change to which no belonged. He gave
no credit to these gentlemen and yet talks
of my. egotism and arrogance" We
acted by establishing the school and,
hope the public will believe me, in igno-
rance of all suggestions.
II Dr. Page is sincere about his state
ment that there were twenty persons more
effective than himself. how comes IL that
he is still arrogant" enough to make me
out as mistaken" about facts. about
which, as one of the twenty to whom he
accords credit in preference TO himself, 1
had so much better opportunities to Judge
than he2
DR.. Page is entitled to ali the comfort he
can obtain from the letters of Captain
Thomas Elicit and William L. Simons.
Captain Elicit expressly states in his re-
mort of January IL. 1856. in which he gives
the origin of the institute, that the school
was formed October 3. 1884, by few
teachers essrs. Howard. Tyler, Lamb,
and Higham." These four. he says,
established" the school, and the record
shows that they had a school of III stu
dents before the public meeting of De-
cember 4. 1884, was called. VIII Colonel
Simons or any one else say that they had
any agency in employing me or any one of
the other three teachers who made the
school possible! | do not understand
him IN his letter to say anything OF the
kind.
Messrs. Howard, Lamb, and Higham
declare that I'VE, the teachers, carried
out our own plans and formed such
classes as we deemed necessary When
Colonel Simons undertakes TO deny my
facts, it will be time enough for me to an
swer him. He il certainly entitled TO his
opinion. but repeat what l stated in the
beginning, and the statement IS supported
by all the teachers, and that IL that we
acted independently of al precious sugges-
tons on the subject. The school was our
own and we invited others to give US their
countenance, and that Is all they did. 1t
is preposterous 10 claim the contrary.
DR.. Page has shown disposition not so
much to learn the truth as TO raise dust
about himself before he disappears from
the public view. Hence his willingness to
give the credit TO the Builders Exchange
or TO the Senger-Hall meeting-in fact. 10
any one except to those men whom the
very records declare were the originators
of the school. He excuses his last letter
upon the ground that had accused him
OF incorrectly quoting the records" and
then states nothing TO show that the re-
cords were not incorrectly quoted by him.
He said in his letter OF June 18th that
had been appointed chairman OF CON-
mittee 10 PRINT the constitution; Iquoted
the records, which made the case out
very different. In bis present let
ter he has nothing 10 say in reply.
He said that President AiDslie and
Vice-President Starke were both members