The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-01
BASSETT MATTER
IN CONF ERENCE
Some Refuse to Pay
Trinity Assessments.
DR.. kILG0 SPEAKS.
He Rises to a Question of Persona!
Privilege and Then Proceeds to
Roast the Newspapers,
Especially One OF
Them.


Them.
There were two events in the Methodist
Conference at Goldsboro yesterday morn
They came all unexpected and consumed
but little time.
One preacher was giving in his report
of his years work and reported all assess
ments paid in full except for education
fund That fund goes to help pay ex
penses of Trinity College. He said that
assessment was short.
The Bishop asked the reason.
He replied: THE Bassett letter. The
people would pay nothing on the educa-
tional assessment. Furthermore the peo-
pie will not pay this assessment unless
the matter is settled satisfactorily"
The Bishop said THE people should
not allow the faults of individuals to
cause them not to do their duty. There are
some stingy folks who would give the
Bassett letter as an excuse for not pay
ing
That was all that was said The preach
er was not making any argument and
wasn't IAN enemy of Trinity College" He
was simply explaining why he hadn't col
lected the full amount assessed on his
churches for Trinity College. That assess
ment was levied on the church before the
magnificent endowment was given. 1t is
continued and is paid by all the churches.
For some time there has been feeling
that, with the large endowment at Trim
ity College, it should be discontinued
and given to the Orphanage or Domestic
Missions. If the Bassett matter and the
Kilgo matter are not settled satisfactorily
there are other Methodists who say they
will decline to pay the assessments for
Trinity College. One of the most distin-
guished graduates of Trinity College said
yesterday: GAS a matter of principle, if
the trustees stand by Bassett and other
alien things at Trinity, 1 will never pay
another cent of assessment for Trinity
College. 1 will decline solely as mat
ter OF principle
The second was an explosion by DR..
Kilgo, president of Trinity College. The
routine business was going on under ques-
ton twenty, and the preachers on the
Durham district were giving in their
reports. They showed progress general
ly-collections in full and the like DR..
Kilgo took this occasion to make
speech, saying he arose to a question OF
personal privilege He was dramatic and
sensational in his pose as is his wont and
waited for attention before he began, and
he commenced by telling the Bishop that
he was ready to go to Cuba or anywhere
else, but that he was tired of being
bounded in the pulpit, in Trinity Col
lege and in the social precincts of his own
home by certain newspapers OF the State.
He said that certain representatives IN the
newspapers, or one newspaper in partic-
ular, Che did not name the certain paper)
were false, unkind and intended to create
suspicition that would encompass his
ruin. He declared that any insinuatlon
that Trinity College or its president IS
less than true to the church is false. And
he had more to say in that strain. When
he had finished his speech, Bishop Cand-
Ter said This conference will make a
mistake not to stand by DR.. Kilgo," and
then some OF Kilgos friends in loud tones
said amen.
This wasn't the only speech about him
self that DR.. Kilgo has made during this
session of conference. Without anybody
thinking about it, a Kilgo partisan on
the first day of conference secured the
election of Kilgo as a member of the Com
mittee on Education. 1t was extraordi-
nary to increase the committee, but those
who dlu not like it land 1 heard several
preachers criticize it privately did not
oppose it. At the meeting of the Educa-
tional Committee on Friday afternoon, DR..
Turrentine presented the request of the
Western Conference that both conferences
should take Greensboro Female College
under their care. In his brief statement
he said he thought both Trinity and Green's
boro ought to enjoy the full support OF
both conferences When he had finish
ed DR.. Kilgo, without any provocation,
made speech in strident tone, in which
he went on to tell how he had been per-
secuted and the like, and entered into a
trade of denunciation of his critics that
astounded those who were present. cit
was the most uncalled for thing I ever
heard in my life," said gentleman pres
ent, and if 1 had been presiding 1 would
have called him down and told him he was
out OF order
Again he delivered an address or speech
on education on Friday night. 1t was
strenuous arraignment against putting a
money value on education-clearly intend
ed to counteract the general belief that
o spirit of eommercialism exists at Trim
ity College that puts the Dollar above the
Man In that address, as in all others, he.
Of course branched off into some absurd
and silly, if not blasphemous sayings. Re-