Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-18

/ the Institution because things may De oohe
which they do not approve. believe tnat
these young men will yet see the mat
/ ter In its true light and make honoraoie
| amendment for the wrong done 10 me
! and other members OF the board. IL IS
curious commentary on my treatment 10
| this case that / was the only man on the
/ nominating committee Who diu not hbh
| the report which recommended Mr. Boat
| wright for the presidency. ana, besides
| took little part in the discussion. was
engaged TO lecture In the conn'ry thae
night for Rev. Mr.. Bagby's cnurch' nee,
| City Point. and did not expect TO attenu
the meeting. / went TO the depot. bought
my ticket, and started 10 enter the car,
when / met Mr.. Bagby, and he excused
| me on account of the terrible "eatner'
J My reason. In part, for not signing ~
fessor Boatwright's nomination was tnat
| two other excellent gentlemen members
| of my church. were spoken OF IN con,
nection with the presidential office, ana
could not see II my duty TO advance one
OF them at the seeming expense Of the
other. This caused me to take Only
slight part I'm the election. But, III hau
been opposed 10 Mr.. Boatwrghts cleo
ton in advance. would feel 1t my plea
sure 10 give him the very best support
OF which am capable after he has Deen
chosen. 1 believe in the reign OF the ma
jority." -
AvERSE TO A PRESIDENT.
In reply to question as 10 what he
supposed that the professors at the roll
lege would do In view of the recent
election, DIR. Hatcher said that he had
been so pressed with duties since Tues
day that he had not seen any Of these
gentlemen. He knew, he said, that some
OF them had always been much averse TO
having a president and the choice OF
any man would have been source OF
regret to them, but they will be all right.
They are excellent men, devoted to the
college and TO their work, always c0ur-
teous and sympathetic with the trustees,
and they will speedily adjust themselves
to the new situation. There may be some
feeling growing out of the fact that Pro-
lessor Boatwright is the youngest man
in the faculty, but this is a question OF
sentiment. and will soon yield TO the
dictate OF sober judgment. The election
of Mr. Boatwright is not the signal OF
revolution, bat 1t is only carrying out
what the trustees decided upon long ago,
and what they have been trying ever
since 10 put into execution. The Doctor
said that he believed that the professors
would yield a cordial support TO the new
president and go quietly on with the work
which they have been doing so sue
cessfully The election OF "A president
was not intended as n reflection upon
the older men In the faculty. Professor
Boatwright was chosen because he SEEM |
cd TO be best adapted TO the position;
at least that was the judgment Of the |
trustees. They may possibly have made |
a mistake, but that Is a question which |
the future only can decide. Those who |
doubt the wisdom Of the election would |
do we'll TO lie back quietly and wait, and !
maybe IL will turn out better than they |
now think. Things do turn out that way |
quite often. IF Professor Boatwright |
does not meet the emergency" Or. |
Hatcher said. then we will turn him |
out and try another man. But 1t will |
be well IL the friends Of the college will |
believe in the new president from the |
start; believe In him in a cheerful and |
helpful way, and that will make him /
succeed. He will succeed. He has a /
faculty for success. He knows how 10 /
do things and is young enough to learn
ever so many other things, and TO learn
how to do them"
DETAILS AS TO ELECTION.
DR.. Hatcher was asked If the election
of the new president was as close as Il |
was reported to be. in reply he said that
he was very careful not TO disclose the
secrets of the council chamber, but that |
he had some things to say on that point
For his part he thought II was a high
honor to Professor Boatwright that, with
so much choice material TO select FROM
he was Erected at all. Besides" he
continued, when man gets a majority
he Is elected. and after that everybody |
is supposed TO be on his side and the
question as 20 who voted for him ought
not to be opened. At the same time,
as the fact has gotten out, II is no harm
to tell you that when the meeting closed
that evening twenty-nine trustees had
given their voice in favor of the new
president. That fact ought to be sutfi-
cient answer to the intimation that there
is serious division In the Board of Trus-
tees as to the recent action taken. There
Is no trouble on that point. The trustee
always work together. What is true OF
the Board OF Trustees is true of the
students. 1t was a lonesome little party |
that went out on Wednesday night TO
cast contempt on the trustees and their !
new president. but on Thursday night
about ninety Of the young men, accompa-
MED by band of music, waited on the
newly-eected president and presented
their congratulations. The sentiment OF
the young men is loyal to the action OF
the Board of Trustees. i am sure that
the professors, themselves the noblest
men, will be swift to yield an intelligent
and discriminating cooperation 70 Pro-
fessor Boatwright in his administration"
THE RUMORED BAD FEELING.
DR.. Hatcher expressed surprise that
rumors had gone out OF bitter feeling
in the meeting in which the election
took place 1.-THE trustees" he said,
"are men, and they do not always see
things alike at first. and we had spicy
and vigorous discussion but II any
brother had one minute of bitter feeling
during the discussion, / was not aware
IL Il. Ill
by uncommon ability, and enriched with
elcQuence, humor, and fraternal kind
ness. but let not the friends of the coll
lege heed the insinuations as TO bad
blood. The meeting itself was one of the
largest in the history of the board"
When asked If he feared any bad con-
sequences from the opposition he very
cheerfully said: "Why, bless you, brother,
no. Beforehand 1 did feel little APP
prehensive, but when 1 see the rising
tide of enthusiasm in favor OF our
horored young president I cease to be
uneasy. Some little display OF opposition
we looked for, and we would have been
disappointed If 1t had not come. It will
fade as the autumn leaf and the coll
lege will go on. The trustees know their
business and are not to be diverted from
their work by trihes'
DIR. Dickinson's Opinion.
When asked by a Dispatch reporter
what he thought Of the election of Pro-
fessor Boatwright as president Of the
college, DIR. A. +. Dickinson replied: "a
better thing never happened 10 the coll
lege. IL will lead, / think, to our having
not less than $50 students next session,
and later on We may hope for a much
larger number. For three or four years
] have had exceptionally good opportuni-
ties for seeing how popular Professor
Boatwright is with the Baptists of the
whole State. We have gone together TO
district associations, and TO other gene
raj meetings OF the denomination, and
everywhere he has been received with !
favor. Nothing that the
Board of Trustees has done for many
years has so delighted our Baptist peo-
pie, and nothing that the board could
do will more surely bring students and
a greatly increased endowment TO the col
lege. The announcement OF Mr.. Boat
wrights election had scarcely been made
when enthusiastic responses began to
come In from almost every section. Mark
what / say. this action Of the trustees
will not only put Richmond College far
In advance OF any point II has ever
reached, but 1t will greatly aid in estab-
fishing half a dozen academies In the
State as feeders OF the college"
An Ohicial Statement.
IVheu ny Charles II Roland encretarv