The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-25
MR. eRAY.s SIDE.
He States the Reasons for the Criticism
of the President of the University.


not 10 say amused, at the impression
Doctor Winston sought to leave with
the public by his card, printed in your
paper Of last Saturday. / ask you for
sufficient space TO reply to several in
situations, meant beyond doubt for
myself, and to give a true and com
plete statement of the facts in the en-
tire Winston-Thomas matter, the most
important Of which Mr. Winston Gin
tentionally or Internationally sup
pressed in his so-called statement of
the facts
1t is we'll known here in Raleigh
that it was | who wrote the article in
the Press-Visitor giving the news of
Or. Winston's use Of Mr. Thomas name
and commenting thereon. In his card
DR. Winston states that he has been
grossly misrepresented and in his
closing paragraph calls on those who
have Intentionally or Internationally
impeached my character in this mat
ter, to make such amends as are due
from men who value character either
in themselves or in others"
certainly fatter myself that | have
regard at least for my own character,
and for that reason / must emphati-
cally refuse to make any amends what
soever for what / have said in the mat
ter The implied charge that | have
misrepresented him, or that ] have at
tempted to impeaeh his character (un-
less the facts constitute a just inn
pcachment) is untrue The Press
Visitor has contained no misrepresen-
4
lished, as they were obtained by me as
a reporter and confirmed by Mr..
Thomas; and they have never been
denied by any one, not even Doctor
Winston himself. The statement that
he has been charged with forgery is
also untrue, if it was intended to refer
to the Press-Visitor, as a look through
that papers files will show. The COM
ments made in the article were based
upon the facts, and I still believe them
to have been just.
The facts in the case, without
abridgement or suppression, are as fol
lows.
After the Virginia game the stu
dent body decided to present to coach
Trenchard q watch, as a token Of es-
TEEN Mr. John S. Thomas was chosen
to order the testimonial, and did so.
The Christmas holidays came along
and Mr. Thomas left Chapel Hill.
When ne returned a letter from the
ieNeler informed him that work on
the testimonial had been stopped.
Mr.. Thomas had an interview with
DR.. Winston i'm which the fact was
disclosed that the latter had counter
manded the order i'm Mr.. Thomas
name. without his consent and in his
absence. DIR. Winston stated as his
reason for stopping work on the
watch that he had learned that
Trenchard had been a leader of the
fast set and had been guilty of
drinking and gambling while acting as
coach
A few days after this the students
held another meeting, ordered Mr..
Thomas to renew the order for the
watch and appointed a committee with
Mr.. Thomas as chairman, to draw
up resolutions in regard to the action
Of the president. These resolutions
were strongly worded, and stated in
substance, whereas, the charges az
gainst Mr.. Trenchard were grossly eX-
aggerated and in some instances who'll
ly false, be it resolved, that the action
of DR.. Winston in countermanding the
order was an undue and unauthor-
lied assumption OF authority"
This condemnation from the stu
dents concerned il the very vital point
which Dr. Winston and correspondent
Olds have all along carefully avoided.
Was it frank in DR. Winston 10 have
fhus eliminated this very weighty
fact? Ia taking the public into his
confidence and asking it's judgment,
should be not have been entirely
frank?
After the publication Of my article,
DR.. Winston spoke to the students in
defense of himself and, / am reliably
informed. took occasion to make many
sarcastic illusions to myself The
same day on which he made his speech
a meeting Of the students was held,
presided over by a member Of the facul-
ty, and that meeting appointed a COM
mittee which drew up resolutions en-
dorsing DR.. Winston. Mr.. Thomas also
published an equiVocal statement to
the effect that personally he approved
DR. Winston's act. but acting as the
instrument Of the student body, he had
no power to approve or disapprOye.
This same Mr.. Thomas, however, was
chairman Of the committee which de-
nounced DR.. Winston, and when here
emphatically stated that he did not
approve the use of his name
There is an old principle that a sub
seguent endorsement or ratification Of
an unauthorized act justifies the ac-
ton. But it must be borne in mind
that Mr. Thomas, after having receiv-
cd DIR. Winston's explanation not only
did not endorse the use of his name
but was chairman Of a committee
which strongly denounced it, The
public can easily imagine what inAu-
1aa. eA .9. .as.