The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-18
The sons INVESTIGATION.
Review Of The Circumstances NadlOS
Up 10 the Enquiry.
THE FAMOUS MASSEY RESOLUTION
Followed Closely on the hceIs Oh the
Times Publication of Prof. George W.
Miles Criticisms The Discussion in
the sons of Veterans Camp.

Miles Criticisms The Discussion in
the sons Of Veterans Camp.
In view OF the great interest which this
Investigation has created over the entire
city. IL may not be amiss TO briefly re-
view the circumstances which led up 20
th, creation of the Confederate CAMPS
Investigating Committees
On August I'd The Times published tie
following communication from professor
George w. Miles. OF st. Aibdn $ school;
Editor of The Times.
Sir;-One of the Summer Normal Inst-
tutes for the State Teachers WAS Ee d IN
Radford this past July a Mr.. FRANK ..
Payne. OF Glen Cove, Long lslanl' VAS
employed by superintendent Aidsaey as
one OF the instruction. teacler ior
teachers. This Mr.. Payne, N whiting
back home 10 his own paper, J.'e jlen
Cove Harbor Lights. in a letter da,ed
East Radford. July 10, 1891, made this re-
markable statement among other re-
markable statements:
Nowhere have / seen any picture or
JEFF Davis, and the history lecturer here
told me that JEFF Davis is coming 10 bc
considered a man OF the type OF Aaron
Burr and Benedict Arnold. Time IS
great sitter of men and regulations
lie then injccts further down the go
freshing information that lunch II cat'"
down here smack" And so you nave
the size and the orbit OF this provincial
purblind instructor of the Virginia teach
ers. And he informs us that i'm ans
same Normal there were some more "l
them from Connecticut New York. Ma
Illinois and New j
sey.'
/ think Mr. Massey and his Norm"
are fit subject for another investig itiJn
by our Legislature. But. for my part.
should prefer superintendent that never
needed AN investigation Of any Kind.
GrJr.'t' NILES.
Radford. Va. August 10, 1877.
l.. S.-Tnis sam, .-,n. &C ulu-
ner table here that % diploma nom t"t
University II Virginia was worth nothih-
because everybody cheated on eNamln'
ton there. q. w. ".
At that time Mir r. w. Mahocd' ~,
chairman OF the History Committee. oil
the Sons Of Confederate Veterans. hal
already prepared his resolutions. Whlc"
afterwards became famous as the Massey
resolutions" but the publication Of Pro-
fessor Miles communication induced n'iu
10 make the language far mo"
ed and severe. At the meeting or the
Sons of Veterans Ou -iu-... ...'
resolutions were introduced by him "hh
appeared exclusively in The Times me
following morning: .o.
THE MASSEY RESOLUTIONS.
whereas by resolutions passed August
- 1896 the camp expressed us lh'ehi'"'
10 use its utmost endeavor 10 have all
untrue and biased histories expelled from
use as text books i'm the public schools
of this State and ,.,.,
whereas. bon the issue or the hl'hii""I
Times Of August -. 1897. there appeared
"A letter from Professor g. w. Mics s'''
fns, that tho instructor Of history ~ inr
summer Normal for state teachers he'd
M Radford i'm July. had told one OF ms
colleagues. a citizen Of New YORK, th-t
left Davis is coming % % consiie,td
man Of the type Of Aaron ''tri OF 81 -
dict Arnold. Time is greater sitter OF
men and regulations and otner 'en''IN
able statements I'm regard 10 history 'ni
Whereas. I'm the issro of the same Dr.
nor of August Goth. there aipearei - ui.-
rlain,or from Mr.. John T. Massey Wh'ch
1.ri.s the responsibility OF ,hc As ihorl-
Ties for employing such ietrhef'' 'h''e-
fore. be it, 80
"Resilved. That p. J., lee camp 20 j.
G. Y. I'm pursuance cf rs pohry ca az
handing only true history laNtnl ~
public schools. nere2y an'.I't il,..,''.,
fha above utterance of the sald hl7'oi'
trscber 90 as false and himself as UNI
vrorfhv to teach history TO Nirginiahs'
and clio
"Resolved. That Notwithstanding lhe
disclaimer OF Mr. Massey. We cehsui'.
Inc mn, NAL authorities one and all TOT
the selection of said history teacher
feeling assured that this instance d"'a
not constitute the only case OF DIS
version of fact and history ana tha'
therefore the authorities could have sat
isded Themselves beyond doubt OF hl"
dtness 10 teach Virginia teachers 'he
truths Of history.
ANATHEM ATIIING HIM
"Ne anathematize the policy or sud
authorities. and especially Of Mr. Massey
i'm sending 10 Connecticut, New 1orN
Massachusetts. Kansas. Illinois ana New
Jersey for teachers fer these Normals as
totally unnecessary. assured as we are
that there exist enough teachers I'D VII
ginia 10 teach Nrginians. and that TINS
policy is calculated 10 and does harm the
public schools of cur state.
THAT we anathematize the policy OF
selecting text books for public schools OF
fnlS state now III vogue a. h'iAN t+''''
bound autocratic and ont OF date. Civ
inc our scholars some books which are
not up 10 the latest ideas of thought and
science and shutting the doors Of our
schools % an entrance OF such advanced
books.
THAT we hereby reiterate our opposi-
ton II untrue and biased histories being
used i'm our public schools as being put
upon the list OF textbooks, and hereby
announce orr intention Of fighting
against a continuance Of past policies in
The selection OF such books. or OF fight
ing against any one who favors such pol
icics or books.
THAT we consider It better for our
youth 10 remain I'm ignorance Of history
than that they should be taught the UNI
truth and learn 20 despise the memories
Of their fathers.
THAT We again endorse the list OF his
tories examined and approved by the
History Committee OF the United Con-
federate Veterans and respectfully call
the attention OF the Board OF Public IN
struction 70 such histories.
UNFIT FOR OFFICE
That. although not a political organ
ization. we hereby censure the Hon. John
+. Massey. as head Of the public schools
Of this State. as being totally unit for
his Office. knowing, as We do. his action