Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-04-10
FRATERNITY THREATENS PROF.
MORRISON WITH INJUNCTION.
COUNCIL OF WAR is HELD
YOUNG MEN ARE FIRMLY DETER.
MINED TO RESIST EXPULSION.
Parents of the Boys VIII Back Them
Up-Meetfng at the Coates
House-Resoiutions Adopt
ed and n Committee
Appointed.

II Professor G. B. Morrison, principal of
the Manual Training School, attempts to
expel the six members of the Phi Lambda
Epsilon fraternity, they will in all proba-
billty apply to the courts for an injunction.
This declaration was openly made at a
meeting of the alumni and the active men,
bers of the fraternity at the Coates House
last night. Professor Morrison has no
charge to make against the young men. He
is simply opposed to fraternities and wishes
TO break this one up.
The parents of the young men are be-
coming interested in the controversy. Sew
eral of the boys are sons OF prominent law
yers- They stated last night that their
fathers had advised them of their rights
and that if expulsion should be resorted to
they were prepared to go into the circuit
court and obtain either restraining order
preventing Professor Morrison from inter-
fering with the fraternity or mandamus
10 compel him to allow it to continue.
Some action Is expected from Professor
Morrison and the faculty not later than
Wednesday. If the decision should be that
the fraternity must disband, the board OF
education will be appealed to first and in
the event that II does not interfere then
the injunction will be resorted to.
A Business-Like Meeting.
A very determined stand was taken by
About forty were present. r. NJ. Brockett
called the meeting to order and stated that
fits purpose was to consider the situation.
He apologized for holding the meeting on
Sunday. saying that the emergency re-
auired it and that it was necessary to form
some plan Of procedure for to-day.
A. P. Hunt. an alumnus from Leland
Stanford university. was elected chairman
and all these preliminaries having been ar
ranged in a brisk. business-like way,
the discussion began.
Pfttsburg & Gulf railroad. and a Central
high school alumnus, acted as secre-
tary. and opened the discussion.
We ought to continue to pursue the
= course that We have been pursuing" said
Mr.: McCarty. We should firmly refuse to
disband. We have done nothing wrong and
nothing to be ashamed of. It's question
of personal rights. Professor Morrison has
no ground to stand on. as there is no law
70 prevent any six members of the Manual
Training school from banding together as
We have. 1t is an infringement of per-
sonal rights and privileges for Professor
Morrison to try to interfere"
Mr.. mccarthy explained that Professor
Morrison's suggestions always had great
influence with the faculty and school board
and had done more than anyone else to
build 1t Up. But he said that the faculty,
whether through coercion or otherwise.
thought this was due largely to the fact
that Professor Morrison had explained the
evils Of fraternities to his faculty and had
not allowed the boys chance to explain
their side. One of the teachers. he said,
confessed that she didn't know what a
Maternity Maternity W., was. and. although Professor
one. he attempted to explain 1t.
Resolution In Adopted.
After considerable discussion of the same
tenor. the following resolution was unani-
mously adopted:
Whereas, a chapter of the Phi Lambda
Epsilon Greek letter fraternity exists and
PTlGfa6 xaa rc . 1,
pupils OF the Manual Training high school,
Whereas, This fraternity has for its OBJ
3ect only that of promoting the friendship
of its members and welfare of the school,
whereas, The young men who are mem
bers of the chapter among the students
of the Manual Training high school are
young men who stand well in their classes
and whose honor and integrity have never
been questioned, and whose parents are
Lambda Epsilon fraternity, and uphold
whereas, The principal of the Manual
Training high school has announced his
intention of suppressing the spirit of fra
ternalism in the Manual Training high
school and has enlisted the sympathies Of
the teachers Of the school. even against
Whereas, Principal Morrison not only
knows nothing of the spirit of fraternalism
but obstinately refuses to learn and has
only ridicude for it, one of the grandest
whereas, The members Of the alumni
chapter who are no longer school boys
are of the opinion that Mr.. Morrison is
pursuit pursuit of his object and is exceeding the
limits Of his authority as principal Of the
Resolved. That the members of the al
nmni chapter of the Phi lambda Epsilon
fraternity Of Kansas City in mi, the presence
fraternity in the. Manual! Training high
sR e
which he has prosecuted the members in
the school of which he is the head, and
Resolved. That the alumni chapter of
this fraternity. whose membership includes
Kansas City. will aid in the struggle which
IS being made for the existence of the fra
ternity and that they enlist the aid of
designs of one who is attempting to cast
the good name of the fraternity into ridi-
Guile and ignominy."
Committee I'm Charge.
A committee composed of James N. Rus
sell. member of the Theta chapter of the
Manual Training high school; Bryant
Cromer. member of the Zeta chapter of
the Central high school; and A. p Hunt
and Paul Baylor. alumni. was selected and
empowered with authority to act for the
fraternity in its struggle.
The active members of the Manual Train
fne high school chapter are: C. Lee StaIey,
Dwight w. Parsons, Dwight L. Frost,
Richard ID. MeriWether, James N. Russell.
Paul r. Kirtley.
Among these and the 100 alumni In the
city are the sons of many of the most
prominent and wealthiest of Kansas City's
citizens. They, of course, are in sympathy
with their sons and feel that it is persacu-
tion on the part of Professor Morrison
VIII l.. Todd, former member of the fra
ternity, said that plans had been formed to
consult ]. Med. Trimble and other leading
lawyers. in case it should be necessary TO
go to law.
Mr.. Todd spoke of Professor Morrison as
being a man OF one idea and as an Illus