The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-27
PROF. HARRISON'S REPLY.
HE GIVES SOME INTERESTING
POINTS of EXPLANATION.
Osly Three Visiting Iruaess Present at The
Meeting-Plain Questions AS TO the
Who'll. Vote Coming Out.
RIchmond COLLEGE. JUNO p. ls9s.


To the Editor OF Inc i imes:
sir,--i our issue OF this morning con"
tans a statement from Dr. Nllham =
hatcher. vlce-president CT the tlus le.s'
with reference 10 their action IN Ntcd1-
ing the chair OF Latin. This stateihtht
was evidently written with the puI 80
oil breaking the force OF the plain leSldi
OF Facts and Official documents wnlch, III
thor connection and chronological olNeI'
1 gave 10 the public IN my card oi YES
terday. IL IS hardly worth my WDllt' y.
your space, 10 do more man lof'Natt
my friends and fellow itizcns 10 Iedu
again my statement, for Dy 50 uoui5
they will be able 10 straisnten ous .no
tangled threads OF this confused anu uis,
irgenous article. But L must @dd WoId
or two. -. ..,,,.o
members OF the faculty felt constralIed
TO resign their chairs, ard tuef IeS'sid-
tiCrs were accepted, Win many assui
ances OF respect TINS statement Is
made Immediately after and ~ connection
With the action OF the trustees OF May
Atm whilst the trIth is tnat the laos
here related occurred at diiieteh- times
ard under dinerent creams lahtes ~
friend, Professor Harris. MA alteany zen
I Ctr,d In January, his -eSls l"sioH OF tftc
| chair OF Greek, which the trustees TOOK
/ from the table and accepted on May yyeh.
Nv friend Professor furyedf, on May
/ sDth refused TO answer the commute
J question as TO his intentions, anu lll NO.
u.
arnual meeting, June le'h, anu
his resignation was not accepted
until June ZUth. The many as
/ surances Of respect had NOT YET 'M@s
| sOthD been sent In the case OF the latter,
| or even thought OF. Bus the course Oh
! raese gentlemen is here brought tose-
/ Their with my case 10 snow now p'l-
| sistcntly Wiiul and obstinate professor
| Harrison was. / submit TINS is ulslh-
genuous. for / did, on May Syth ana June
-. give answers which all can leau
and weigh IN their proper relations Nile
| my card. .s...
Again Or. Hatcher says: Three times
| the trustees sought 20 evoke nom fio-
| lessor Edmund Harrison a frank decldia-
! ton of his purpose to yield a cordial sup
| port 10 the changed pJlcy OF the poaiu
! Yes. three tines that Is SO: Inc ~ y
| time on the afternoon or May ovth'
| through their committee OF three, ny
whom I returned my response, the SECOND
time by a cOndemnatory resolution PAST"
on TIE night OF May @th, Whlch was re-
| pliei to by me IN my letter OF June 81,
and the third time by the resolution OF
June 18th. calling me before the trustees
when / replied IN person
ON all these occasions ! gave FRANK
reply. meaning, in all the fulness OF
! nrofessional relations every word that
said And just here ! may stop 70 say
| that a colleague OF mine, VINO remains
| i'm the college, tells me that ne Woulo
| not have answered the categorical ques
1
a trustee he would resign before ne "ou4'
| ans wer such question
| Or. Hatcher says, again: w men, there
fore. the board assembled for It's annua
meeting last week, attention was callet
10 the fact that Professor Harrison nae
| not given any assurance Of his purpose q
| cooperate with the new administration
| After much conference II was determine.
| to invite him 10 a friendly conference II
| order that he might have the best oppol
| tunity Of uttering his mind distinctly OF
| this subject lie appeared before th
board. and while he spoke freely am
| quite at length he stead lastly refused Z
make any statement on the particula
point on which the board was so anNiou
to hear him speak" one would lnfe
from the when, therefore, that UNI
was a fourth time when effort was mad
TO evoke &c" No, this Is one OF IN
"three times" but displaced for effect
This is the third time. when oc
Cured seventeen days after my letter o
.une 30 had been received, Inter prett !
and accepted upon the motion or Dr. "
T.. Hatcher as satisfactory.
But attention was called, &c. n
| called attention to that factt W ny wa
attention called to 1t so so many DAYS Am siee
| caucus been held in the interval bet"ee
, | the called meeting and me "annua
| meeting" OF the trustees Had any on
, | said that no compromise Would De SUI
Again DR.. Hatcher writes: THE boar
readily recognized his right 10 Withhold
such statement If he could not Ia goo
conscience make it," He seems not ON
10 be concerned about my frankness. Dl
I | also TO have o tender regard Tor M
right" of a good conscience IN IN
. | matter Well, we do need TO take car
/ OF our consciences. but my good COZ
y science" does not seem 10 have had an
influence. when the integrity ana sll
e cerity of my letter Of June 5rd were ul
j der discussion. IN enabling the Doc,'
S and Others 10 believe that ! intend'
, to discharge my full duty 10 Rlchmol
y | College when l wrote that dld ~
purpose to resign the chair OF Latin, p'
, seemed rather to sharpen tht 9iA''ai d.
3 | which was TO cut OF my ntad
+ AT this point conscience. MS, not MN
G made "the path OF duty so pam ,
y IL was impossible 10 falter.' Alas. ana
= | for such a conscience.
I, Finally. Dr Hatcher speaks OF the pc
| sonnet Of the trustees, as from Failol
!, sections Of the state. OF nigh inteSirli
y | incapable of sinister motives etc. WI
I, | assailed the character or the trustee
!. Did l. or did the simple recital OF II
Z facts In my statement force from q
:, Doctor this defence? II they are u
u elect (and many OF them arel, was "
: elect OF the elect, and as such M
{. served them without complaint INVENT
; nine years. and should. therefore, ma
: been accredited with clear ana III
- knowledge of the proprleties ana du,l
II which appertain 20 the position IN u
q | College which / informed them tnat
q had determined % retain. Ny acquai
r. lance with such duties and everything :
iating 10 a professors position in an
@ stitution OF learning was certainly
q greater than theirs could possibly ma
70 been.
"a But again who welded the axe N
> did the bloody work. How many OF [
=, trustees were present ana from wn
- portions" Of the State did they com
~ ] think know. About fifteen or siNte
~ men voted for my decapitation, a
- about nine voted against. or the (sa
p sixteen, all but three live IN Richmo
.e and vicinity. and belong 10 a certa
= party in this affair. Even one OF the
% had resisted the inquisitOrial process
r wrong. but said he must 20 with {
" trustees in their final vote. The rest
10 the members were. absent. some SIC
" | some kept away by business engaa
ments. and others disheartened had i
the meeting.
II the appeal Is TO the personnel Of I
trustees. why not let the whole vo
te names and all. come 10 the light;
he Very truly,
y EDMUND HARRISON,
A. EX-PrOfessOr Latin.