The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-18
Mr.. Light to Mr.. CLARK.

Editor OF Tho Times-DiSpatch:
sir,-As your readers are most familiar
with Rev. W. NJ, Clarks written state
ment in The Times Dispatch OF the 9Th
instant, shall make that the basis Of
my reply, with such reference to add
ttonal matter in the Churchman as may
seem worthy of notice.
Your readers Will notice that have
pal Church" in It's organized capacity
or by formal. Official action OF .rts
councils" has exercised control over the
State schools. The only place In which
mentioned the church as such Is In
the statement that 1t had no 'lnstitu-
and In what was to me, and Is yet, an
entirely legitimate deduction from that
fact + did not offer a criticism Of the
TACT I think 1t quite natural that Epis-
copal parents should consider the Uni
versity their school," and that they
without incurring any blame. am Ia
miliar also with the historical basis I'm.
DERIVING the present situation.
did say that our State institutions
are practically" Episcopal schools. And
tho admittedly entirely disproportionnte
management and faculties OF those in
stitutions but confirms me IN my con-
viction on that point and seems to me
to justify the statement. When the
editor Of The Times Dispatch examined
the roster Of the University he found
hundred and twenty thousand white
members Of that church In Virginia An
examination OF tho official list of the
Virginia Military Institute will not show
even one Methodist or one Baptist
The e,s stock answer is the lack Of ut men
when higher institutions are looking
for professors they necessarily get a
large percentage OF them from among
Eplscopalians." When Lord Nelson was
commanding ship In the battle Of
Copenhagen-I think It was that battle,
Tho flagship is signaling retreat"
He inmepiately took his spy glass and
put 1t to his blind eye and answered: IT
see no signal to retreat" A blind eye is
a very convenient thing sometimes. And
Baptist horlz6n for 1T professors, he he
very naturally uses his defective optic.
The educational statistics may be- in.
vokcd to bear their testimony; but the
idea that other churches do not produce
men capable of the management Of and
the qualification to teach in. our State
schools is pure presumption. II the
Methodist Church can produce one such
man as Its honored representative now
In the University faculty, it Is fair to
presume that other ht men Of that Der.
suation are to be found II search were
made for Them or proper encouragement
were given then, to offer themselves
There Is no law against getting the
best" But that the ''best" is con-
fined almost exclusively to the Episcopal
Church, or that equally competent men
IN sufficient numbers cannot be found in
other churches may be questioned. The
proposition remains to be put to the
actual test. 1t Is convenient platltude
to say that UNCONVENTIONAL considera-
lions ought not count. But In a State
where all tho. people pay taxes to sup
port those schools. and furnish patron
age. to, some extent at least. common
equity, in practical exercise, would seem
to accord to each a proportionate rem
resentation. Fitness Is the ultimate
test But that there are not enough fit
men in the Methodist or Baptist churches
Of positions that would naturally fail to
them under an equitable allotment, is
a proposition that cannot be maintained
until fair and impartial test has been
made. 80
The elaborate appeal to the integrity
pointed by him is more ingenious than
ingenious. 1t is adroit, but lacks frank.
ness. There are various ways by which
these officials may be, and are, inhu.
enced In their action, without any renec.
ton on their honesty or their ability. It
IS easy for them to be imposed upon by
the very convenient fiction that the "bestn
professors are necessarily Episcopal
ians-a fiction that is all tho moro i'm
posing for the modlcum of truth there
| is In 1t.
\. Again, and far moro to the point. thew
must Judge Of men. to nil vacanoIes
largely BY the good opinions and en-
dorsement of those already In of1cal
position In tho institution. The hoard
would scarcely feel Itself 1ustined ~
elocting men to Office In the Y. nj T.
for example, who had not already re,
ceived the sanction Of the ofllcers al
| ready In position In that school. And n
| the absence OF 9 settled policy 10 the
contrary, 1t becomes Virtually possibis
Tor any body Of men to shut themselves
into q closed corporation and keen o,,t
any who may not be congenlil or a.,
cordIng to their standards mt. 1ritneas
Is q relative term 1t Is relative to ia
man who thinks as we'll as to the mnn
thought about,
Mr.. Clark's very courteous and coeent
argument, drawn FROM the supposed
mental inhrmftles Of Ithe editor and
writer In tho Christian Advocate, Is, g" Of
course unanswerable, or like irrcfuta.
Bile order Is his appealing and lachry-
NOSE reference to "perseolltIor,i' There
| Is no arguing against tears. And tho CIV
Of ''persecutionn Is the last resort Of
hysterlcal controversy. We are re-.
orlsln on sex, Mr. Clarks facetious ref-
erence to ''Insane- Asylums' in the
churchman is better Wit than argument MI
I would not however, be consider ss' m
ri, hin, t,! hoya thot ~ 7x.,tii