The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-29
WERE OPPOSED TO THE DISFRAN'

4 dDuStS Vi Il man Va
nalism in this State has not sunk so low
for thirty years. The impression was
produced that DR.. Bassett favored 'socla-
equality of the races and wished to al
NIT negro pupils at Trinlty-thoughts thal
never entered his head.
The white supremacy" politicians
lthen, were the MAIN INSTIGATORS OF
THE MOVEMENT FOR HIS EXPUL
SION.
There is another element in Southern
life that these men knew admirably how
to use-the country clergy. THE METH
lODIST PREACHERS ARE THE PRE-
iSERVERS OF EVERY OLD IDEA.
TIMID TO THE POINT OF COWARDICE'
THEY CAN BE DRIVEN TO ANY CRUEL
ACTION if they are made TO think that
the pillars of society are about to De
pulled down. There are a number of
these men on the Board of Trustees.
When white supremacy" was cried and
when it was predicted that men would
take their sons from college if DR.. Bas-
sett was retained, THE PREACHERS
WE'RE SIMPLY SCARED INTO SUB
MISSION.
The seven men in the board who voted
to accept his resignation were the political
boss, Simmons, and five preachers and
one layman.
The eighteen who voted for FAIR
PLAY and acdemic freedom were IN the
main ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS laymen, who
are succeeding as business men and pro
fessional men.
The significance of the incident is many
sided. First, it showed admirably that
artificial and vicious character OF the
"white supremacy try. OF course there
is and there always will be white suprem-
acy in North Carolina. That is not IN
danger. No man of common sense thinks
that it is. THE CRY MEANS SIMPLY
THIS: KEEP US IN OFFICE y IN
AUTHORITY. If you don't We'll scare
you to death by yelling Negro supre-
macy!" The TIMID FOLK, preachers and
laymen have heard this cry. and OBEY
ED MANY A TIME. But this board OF
directors heard it and they did not obey.
The cry has henceforth lost much OF It's
power to brighten IN North Carolina. An
/ important centre of intellectual life has
: refused to be stampeded. This Is the far
reaching meaning of the victory. 1t may
turn out that Senator Slmmons was right
when he said that he went there to lead
/ the last fight on the THEORY
/ OF FRIGHTENING MEN.
The other fact of far-reaching conse-
quence is the clear light that the incident
threw on the character of the clergy
They are good" men. BUT THEY
STAND AND HAVE LONG STOOD IN
THE WAY OF ALL PROGRESS IN
THOUGHT IN THE SOUTH. THEY
HAVE BEEN USED BY THE POLITI-
CLANS AND THEY USE THE CHURCH
ES TO STIFLE REAL FREEDOM. To
say this in the South is to call down on
ones head the curse of the Church. But
his Bassett case has caused many a man,
who never thought of it before, to see
how large a part of the SOUTH is REAL
LY CHURCH-RIDDEN.
There is a part of the story that has not
been publicly told here. If the board had
voted to accept DR.. Bassett's resignation,
a large part OF the members would have
resigned instantly. Every member of the
faculty would have resigned. A large body
Of the students would have gone away.
All these facts have gradually come out
during the week since the meeting. The
r~eactionary politicians and preachers
would have had a college with a half a
board, without students; and THEY
WOULD HAVE LOST THE BENEFAC-
TORS OF THE COLLEGE. What would
have happened then is now a subject OF
OCULAR SPECULATION.
But these facts show how very much in
earnest the friends Of academic freedom
and of freedom of speech are-what an ad-
mirable spirit p%ervades the institution.
It seems incredible now, but / am assur-
ed by everybody that the vote of the
board to retain DR.. Bassett was a general
surprise. Public opinion throughout the
State had made up its mind that he would
be forced to resign. Two members Of
the board who came to Durham deter
mined to prevent his resignation lave told
me that they each expected to be in a
hopeless minority. The public had 50 long
seen the Church surrender to conservatism
and had SO long seen the white supre-
macy" trick prevail that they had no
idea that a combination Of the ecclesias-
teal and the political forces could be
beaten.
Every independent man in North Caro-
lima NOW BREATHES MORE FREELY.
But so abject was public opinion that
before the board met NOT A MEMBER
OF THE FACULTY OF ANY OTHER
COLLEGE IN THE STATE DARED TO
WRITE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE
TRINITY FACULTY AN EXPRESSION
OF SYMPATHY OR HOPE OF VICTORY.
But letters came every day-sometimes by
the score-from teachers in colleges else
where, from alumni of the college and
" OoI ilIui lNNlotiiI III tIItI
States.
But since the board met and stood
squarely for the freedom of the college and
issued a ringing declaration of independ-
cnce hundreds of letters and kilograms
have been received from ell parts of the
country. Men express congratulations on
the saving of the college to freedom Of
speech, ON SAVING THE STATE FROM
THE BULLYING OF THE lace
HATRED PARTY, on upholding a man
who is disposed to be fair to the Negro
every man interprets the incident by the
light Of what he regards as its most char
acteristic quality. 1t does mean all these
things.
DR.. Bassett's South Atlantic Quarterly,
which has led a modest existence, seems
likely to become, for q time at least, a
magazine with d national circulation. The
demand Tor the number that contained the
offending article far outran the supply.
You cannot now buy a copy. And sub
scrIptIons are coming to it from every
part OF the country. Men write: That
periodical must be maintained"