The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-09-27
POINTED INQUIRY.
Chairman ofthe House Commit
tee on Finance Interested.
Mansfield Wants to Know few Things
He Addresses Some very Pointed
Question to DR.. Raymond-Seme Of
the outrageous Things that Have
Been Done-Time to Call Halt
Hottest Roast of the Season.
Charleston Gazette.

Charleston Gazette.
In the olden times it was thought
the proper thing for councils to
transact State business behind
closed doors, but no oDe would sup
pose that in these dsys a body of
men transacting business which
concerns the people of whole State
would adopt these star chamber meth
DDS. Yet it is charged that the Board
which is entrusted with the manage
ment of one of the most important
institutions of the State. the State
University, is now following these
secret session methods. In the past
it has had its executive sessions,
but its general policy has been to
transact its business in open meet
ing At its last three meetings the
University Board not only went into
strict executive session, but barred
out Its own secretary, who is mem
Der of the faculty. Afterwards the
minutes were handed to the secreta-
ry for recording, having been pre-
pared by some member of the Board
or the President of the University.
Such methods would at once
arouse suspicion and when the do
ings of the Board became known it
is made clear why secret meetings
are held. There are summary deal
ings with matters and men such as
are known in no other court or coun
ell. The minutes of the meetings
are not open to inspection to any
who might want to consult them,
but safe in the strict custody of the
President Of the University. After
each meeting of the Board items are
given out for publication, but the
custodian of the records gives out
such items and in such form as
may seem best to himself.
After the Parkersburg meeting of
the Board the President of the Uni
versity gave out to the press state
ment of what was done, specially re
serving the items referring to the
dismissal of Prof Barton and the
abolishing of the vice presidency.
There may yet be other things on
record which have not been made
public. since there has yet been no
occasion to call them forth.
AS might be expected, these meth
DDS of procedure are just in keeping
with the summary methods of deal
ing with business coming before the
board. At the June meeting there
was an attempt to raise the salary of
one of the special proteges of the
President and it failed because there
was full meeting of the Board and
not such good chance of getting
through pet measures. But meet
ing was called at Parkerburg in
August at which there were only 81 K
members of the Board present, five
of whom have always stood ready to
pass any measure presented to them.
Indeed, it is charged that almost
all, if not all, of the measures passed
were formulated and typewritten by
the President OF the University be.
fore the meeting of the Board. At
this meeting the measure mentioned
above was easily passed, though
they could hardly have forgotten
that full Board rejected it.
The case of Prof. Barton is good
example of summary and arbitrary
proceedings. In June Prof. Barton
was Endorsed by increasing his sala-
ry This was done on the recon
mendation of the President of the
University. At the Parkersburg
meeting in August Prof. Barton was
removed on the recommendation of
the same official. There were abso-
lutely no charges against Prof. Bar
toms work. The same knowledge
of and acquaintance with his work
which gave him an increase of sala-
ry in June allowed his dismissal in
August.
Mr.. Barton was not notified that
any attempt would be made to re-
move him; he was not notified that
any charges would be preferred
against him; he took the increase in
salary as an Endorsement of his work
and surely has grounds for some
sort of action against the Board.
/ If the affairs of one of our public
institutions are managed in this un-
lust way; if it's records are kept
sealed from the public; if the meet.
lings of it's directors are secret; if ii
dismisses professors without Motif
cation, without warning, without
cause, at the within of the President;
if it's business is done at the dicta-
ton of man who is VIGOROUSLY un-
fair in his treatment of the faculty
if they follow the directions of man
whom they know to be guilty of mis-
representation, if not of straightout
falsehood--and all these things are
charged through the papers Of the
State-it is time to call halt on
such proceedings.
Why He Didn't Accept.
Charleston il-Tribune.