Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1899-08-24
The Peabody Normal school.

The committee OF the State board of
education, to whom was referred the
Peabody Normal scandal, has acted wise
ly in asking for further time in which
to make its report Gov. McMillin has
acted with equal probity in granting
all the time necessary. The questions
involved are not such as can be inyesti-
gated and dispensed with in an oiThand-
ed manner, il justice is done, and JUS
tioe is what the peOple want.
There is much more in the case than
has ever been given to the public, and
the Legislative committee that investi-
gated the institution Is we'll aware that
it was prevented from going beyond the
fringe of the evils existing. Aside
from the moral atmosphere" so much
talked about and which is said to so
bad the the widest junior "would never
care to wander from his own freside,
the management has been simply talk
ing possession Of and appropriating to
its own use by family a public insti-
tuition. Tho chancellor draws salary
OF "a, 500 per aHnnm for his services.
Then he receives, through some process
OF ledgerdemain $500 for being chan
cellor, together with house, fuel and
a number of other things. He has a
private secretary at 81, 500 his son act
ing in this capacity until run to cover
by the investigating committee of the
last legislature. Then his sons wife
signed the pay roll while her husband
really retained his place.
Payne, Jr., is most enterprising in
dividual. He is manager of the Pea
body Book Store, quoted in the mercan-
tile books at 81, 900, 900, and be arranged
it so that the State bore " large share
of the expense of conducting the enter
prise. He was a an officer in bank in
which he kept large doposite Of tho
schools money, while the people were
paying interest on money borrowed to
pay the running expenses of the school.
and failed on one for $4,000 at least.
i He bulldosed the students into deposit
ing what money they had in his bank,
/ and compelled them to purchase books
from his store. Payne, Jr., had SO many
irons in the fire that one would think
he might be champion chess player.
| kH honn ~
the language of the street would de-
nominate 1.-The whole thing" and there
is no way of telling how many kinds OF
business he was engaged in. He seems
to be "Sam'l of Posen" in most things
The elder Payne is more aesthetic and
contents himself with enjoying life
drawing his salary and porquisites and
adorning the institution over which ht
presides, at the expense of the State
with the works of favored and favorinl
artists
The Peabody Normal is bonanza O.
luscious lemon for the Payne family
and their management of 1t has beer
the gossip of the vulgar for long time
, In polite society such Grass subjects arc
not mentioned except in boudoir conf
dences. 1t is not considered good form
Now that the committee has bee
given full time there is some hope tha
the truth or falsity of these persistcn
rumors shall be discovered The mist
! and miasmatic clouds should he cleare
away so that people can send their son
and daugh ters without the present tca
Of having them encounter imprope
: surroundings, The committee shoul
= be particularly careful in making it an
alysis of the moral atmosphere" {
which we hear so much, and il theI
are elements of the impure and unclea
. in the institution moral fOrmaldehyd
:. should be used to drive them out.
:, Gov. MuMilliu has expressed himse
~ as feeling confident that every mem b.
of the board of education desires fu
:, and thorough investigation Of the ma
> ter. Perhaps so; but the member wi
. :, accepted one of the positions made v
20 cant by the dismissal of the three teac
ers will be acting against his own int
al ests.
or one thing there need be no dout
- the press and public will know whet
is er the investigation is thorough or nj
N Memphis Commercial Appeal,