Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-17
REPLY OF DR.. PAGE,
nE AGAIN PAYS HIS RESPECTS TO Mr..
LYON a. TYLER.
An Appeal in the Observation-Disclosures
Csntrovsrsy 20 the Records-Lesssrs
from MAI. slmons 8 Capt Elicit.


erOusly, though 1 90 NOT seS WHY no
should do 30 after no had arrogantly nt-
tackled me 10 the public press when line
from him 10 me would have drawn out an
assurance that had not intended to do
him an injustice. Generosity in Mr..
Tyler's mind means giving him the credit
for everything. II Is pity he has not
thought OF being, if not generous to others,
at least Just to them. said he had gwen
" efficient aid in the organization of the
school and institute" His reply Is the re-
tort courteous that my connection with
the institute was so superficial that am
TO inform the public who
were lis most efficient friends, and that
twenty persohs did more for the institute
than did. This last is fact have never
questioned, and l will be generous enough
to Mr.. Tyler to include him among the
twenty.
Now. as President Tyler ia the emily com,
petent adviser OF the pubic. he VIII OF
course wish TO be accurate. de iormerIy
claimed that he and Mr.. Howard oris,-
natedn the institute, and WIN us o.Ie'
friends at the meetings in his ONCE ue,
termined on George Ainslio as president
and selected the vice-presidente We'll ne
now allows that at the citizens meeting Oh
December s. 1884, Captain Alnsiie was a..
once I,, common consent called TO the CHAIR y
and he further admits that 1T was at the
next citizens meeting. on January lou.
that "the president and vice-presiuent
were determined upon"
WHO WE'RE THE oRIGNAToBs
u.oo,.llx ,oia.ske In supposlng they
yere tbe oripinators of the Mechanics In
stitute. Major Ainslie, Major ". n.
Simons. John OFT, and others are shown
nv Major Simons's letter to have not only
originated il. bat to have with others
made possIble its establishment, and l.
cheerf,illy accord them the credit TOR II.
The Builders Exchange, too, notwith7;
standing Mr.. Tyler's sneers, did It's run
mart Mr.. Tyler declared that in the sum
,ner Of 1884 il was in IAN expiring .condi-
tIon.n He repeats the charge and cites
Mir. Creed Davis. who states that 1t Ian
puished from the outset. Languishing
does not mean expiring. Mr.. 1yler's own
witnesses unite in saying that IL hueu
materially.n Only Mr.. Tyler still insists
that il did not that its meetings had
"been pretermitted for three months,
and that at the meeting held on September
18th the dropping of members Tor non-paye
ment of dues was the fourishlng part ol
the proceedings. The letter OF captain
Elicit. its secretary, shows that no is again
in error.
RECORDS AGAINST RECOLLECTION.
To President Tyler will consult the
racorJs little moro carefully instead OF
bis recollection he will find in the minutes
of the Board OF Aldermen meeting OF
October 10, 1884, resolution oherea ny
member. who was also memoer Oh
the Builders Exchange, presenting a
petition and providing that SI,OVo
be- appropriated for the purpose
Of purchasing apparatus, paying room
rent, and other expenses OK the schooi ior
mechanics recently organized Wde NJ
auspices Of he Builders Exchange Of p"s cl'y.
The Builders Exchange therefore does not
appear TO have wholly failed to respond"
70 the call upon it as Mr.. Tyler charged.
SO he Is still mistaken. President lyler'
however, draws the distinction oetWeeh
the work of the Builders Exchange as
body and that of its members. captain
Elicit. It's secretary, he saws, did TINS on
his own notion" and that as AN indi-
yjdual.n President Tyler draws fine dis
tinctions.
President Tyler charges that In quoting
from the resolution of September "a, 1881,
IN
the establishment of q school" &C., L
omitted the words and aid" Mr.. over
ton Howard makes the same allegation.
Nv statement. even as 1T was, necessarily
conveyed the idea that the exchange was
not moving alone. hut If Messrs. Tyler
and Howard will look at the DISPATCH OF
lure odd ultimo they will find that this
omission, which was wholly typograaphicsi,
bad already been publicly corrected by me;
If President Tyler would read more ana
write less il would save him some mistakes.
He Jaws tried to throw discredit on him.
/ did not mean to discredit more than his
memory.
THINKS HE DID 1T ALL.
Referring to the statement OF the fact
that was on three committees whist he
was only on two, he SAYS that IS pretty
GOOD considering that he made out the
Committees for Captain Ainslie" and put
me on them. But, he says, was chairman
of no committee whilst be waa chairman
of two standing committees, and OF ali the
many special committees 10 negotiate Tor
funds. &c, q prominence easily explicaole
in view of his statement that he made
them out. He says he drafted the resolu-
ton on programme introduced by Mr..
Archer at the citizens meeting. Inc
original" says he, exists IN my hand-
name he saws, is on the committee OF tbir-
teen in his handwriting. So is his own,
This does not prove that he appointed
them. though his own being there Is " per-
suasiye.n The original is rough pencil
draft on the paper used by the
Builders Exchange. II was evidently
written at the time as resolution en-
bodying the views of tho members ex-
pressed at the meeting. Mr. Tyler, who Is
fond of writing, acted in drawing up the
resolution. as any other member might nave
done and thought nothing oft. And NOW he
thinks, and thinks no doubt honestly, that
he did IL all. He IS like child TO whom
tho coachman has given the ends OF the
reins and who thinks he IS driving. lie
was left of of the committee, and with
the four other teachers, including Mr..
Thomas N. Carter, was requested 10 act
with the committee. Captain Ainslie and
the others present must have done at least
one thing at that meeting. l have never
meant TO intimate that President Tyler
did not hold his meetings, and
sin profound ignorance OK any
first suggestions by any other person, for
profound ignorance of what others do
seems to be not unusual with him. The
records. however, which have followed
throughout. show that he has grossly over
estimated his own Importance and depre-
ciated others. All that l have charged
President Tyler with Is poor memory, an
ugly temper. and an invincible incapacity
to allow due credit to Others. Inc Letters
of the two surviving tirst officers OF the IN
stitute who have held office up to the pres
ent, together with the record, show that
neither his memory nor his judgment Is
infallible. His unealled for attack
upon mt is evidence that he has not that
calm and equable mind which we would
expect in an instructor OF youth and one
SO devoted to the public service as he
seems to be; and thirdly, not content
with claiming everything from Others and
reducing every one, from the President
down. 10 the position of his assistants. he
now even claims TO divide with his friend.
MIR. Howard, the credit which he formerly
awarded him of having made the first sug-
gestion to start the enterprise. de quotes
his very words, Howard. let us start some
enterprise or other"
AN uL-TEnPERED ATTACK.
He deyotes considerable space to an i'll
tempered attack upon me. Certainly no
one, he says, ever thought of rewardiDg me
for my services. Certainly no one ever did
any more than ever thought of asking to
be rewarded. II Is doubtless inexplicable
to President Tyler that there are persons
who are willing 70 render services without
looking for reward. With him il il, Does
Job serve God for naught?p Whether Mr..
Ainslie dropped me from the committees for
tbe reasons President TYLER states, or