The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-06
MILLEDGEvILLE'S SENSATION.
GOV. ATKINSON GIVES HIS SIDE OF
THE STORY.

DiscipIining the Girl. but the Pun
fshment Prescribed Declared Too
severe.
Atlanta, Ca. June 5.-Gov. Atkinson
returned from NHIedgeville to-day and
late this afternoon gave ont the follow
ing statement in regard 20 the sensation
al Incident AZ the commencement exer-
cizes Of the girls Normal and Industrial
College on yesterday: There have been
so many misstatements made by reports
appearing in various papers. all OF which
bear the ear-marks OF having the same
author. that 1 do not care to attempt TO
correct them all. The public have too
often heretofore read bitter attacks upon.
and partisan statements. about myself
which were subsequently, discovered 10
be incorrect that they will probably take
with considerable allowance all that has
been said upon this question. and wiI
doubtless await a statement OF the facts.
! do not care to go into a fun statement,
Of the facts about the matter because il
is not necessary. have only to call At
tention to one or two things which show
the character Of the reports Of the Incl
dents which have been furnished the
people from MiHedgeviue.
in the first place ! was not even
present when the board passed upon the
case. but after a fun conference on the
facts on my arrival l fully concurred in
what they did and now readily and gladly
assume my full share of the responsible
ity for their action. In view Of what has
been said, the public perhaps will be a
little bit surprised to know this 10 be true.
The statements made In some OF the pub
lished interviews that on arriving at Mil
ledgeville l had a conference with Prof.
Chappell, in which I expressed myself as
fully agreeing with the faculty in their
decision is entirely erroneous. on the con
trary, just as soon as the facts were stated
10 me. l stated that the faculty had done
right in disciplining the young lady but
that the penalty was entirely too severe
and that I thought her entitled to her
diploma. II would be useless for me to go
through the reports to make the correc-
tions. ! simply refer those who desire
the truth to the interview of Mr.. du-
Bignon.
THE board Of trustees can have no mo-
tive for doing anything but justice in this
case. No one who has never heretofore
taken charge of an institution in its in
ception TO seek to build 1t up can appre-
ciate the amount of work this board of
trustees has done free of charge, for we
receive no compensation whatever for
our services. In order TO bring up this
institution to its present high standard
we have selected a faculty for the insti-
tuition and we pay them liberal compensa-
ton for their services. and so long as
~HsN.
management Of the institution we shall
expect the members of the faculty to
comply with the rules prescribed by those
to whom the people of the state have
entrusted the care of this college
"As to the case that brought on this
trouble the trustees did not question the
sincerity or honesty of the faculty We
believe that they acted conscIentiously,
but after "A thorough investigation OF
tho facts, upon which the faculty were
fully heard, we came to the conclusion
that while the faculty was right in in
ficting punishment that the penalty was
too severe for the offense.
The young lady involved was a father
less girl. She had been put on trial with
out notice to her half brother
whose generosity had enabled her to Sc
cure an education that she might carry
out her purpose of earning her own living
as a teacher in the common schools of
Georgia.
THE charge was that of
cheating in an examination In
other words, the charge was that known
in common college parlance as peeping.
The faculty had passed a resolution eX
pelling her and had sent her home. The
board of trustees thought the passage of
this resolution, the sending of the young
lady home under this charge and allow
ing her class to graduate without her
presence on the stage. was sufficient pun
ishment for the offense charged. The
faculty themselves admitted that the
young lady had already earned her di-
ploma and that she had paid for it, that
it was made out and had been signed by
the president. and that If she had failed
entirely on that examination that on her
scholarship she would be entitled to her
diploma and this offense of peeping stood
between her and the diploma. Under all
these facts ] do not think there can be
much difference of opinion to whether
or not the trustees acted properly.
while the trustees could not for a
moment approve of the action of the
faculty in protesting against it's action IN
that way, it certainly could notsfeel that
it was doing its duty to the patrons who
had entrusted their daughters to their
charge at this institution committed to
them by the state to sit quietly by and
hear the name of these daughters called
out before the public on commencement
in this condemnatory manner. When the
name was given in public as il was, the
trustees not only felt 1t was a violation of
college laws for the faculty 10 do this. but
they felt that they were doing an irrepar-
able wrong to the young lady who had been
committed to their charge, and that they
owed it to the parents of the children who
were at present patronizing the institution
and would patronize it in the future. in
so far as possible to protect the girl and
TO condemn the act, l have never in all
my life heard OF a young man being ex-
PEELED from college and having his name
read out before the audience on COM
mencement day, and il that treatment is
too severe for boys, certainly the trustees
would not approve of it as just treatment
for young lady.
The statement made to the effect that
there was any kissing or laughing in the
college hail, is incorrect. There was none
during the remarks of either Mr.. duBignon
or myself. When l turned 10 the faculty
and Informed them that they had no right
to protest against the trustees action now.
If they ever had it, as their term of Office
had expired and they were no longer Of
tioers of the institution, The young ladies
understood that l was dismissing the pres
ident and faculty from the institution The