The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-27

say what they please upon any topic.
There is but one objectionable sin, and
that is to speak or write words that en-
danger the permanence of present racial
conditions in the South. The man who
predicts equality and enforces it by an in
cendiary article, hostile in warp ana
wool to everything the South holds dear
and must protect-the man who does that
will not be permitted to teach Southern
youths any more than a professor would
be tolerated at Harvard who despised and
rejected the cherished traditions and
principles upon which the safety of the
commonwealth depends.
The writer then enlightens US upon a
portion of the story that has not been
publicly told The faculty and trustees
would have resigned and the students
would have gone away, so we are told,
bat that fake has already been publicly
told. But to this has been added what
| is "the milk in the cocoanut," t0-wit: the
trustees would HAVE LOST THE
, BENEFACTORS OF THE COLLEGE"
and it is added in sarcastic vein: what
would have happened then is now sub-
ject of jocular speculation" Here it is
straight If the trustees had repudiated
Bassetts incendiary and anti-Southern
teaching, they "WOULD HAVE LOST
THE BENEFACTORS OF THE COL
LEGE." That can mean nothing but this:
Unless the Dukes can control the instruc-
ton in the college, they will give nothing
to it, And experience has shown that
since they have given large sums to it,
the head of the college has publicly defend
ed or apologized for the Cigarette Trust.
its publications have contained advertise
ments "Smoke Dukes Cigarettes, nd
ivccates of bimetalism have been Genounced
ment has dominated the college. If the
Dukes demand that this be continued, tn" t
Bassett be retained and Kilgoism be ap-
proved-if that is the price of Dukes
donations, then ten thousand times we
say, let them close their purse strings.
Better a "backwoods' college with free
dom and independence than gilded pal
ace dominated by the trust influence!
More young men were graduated in the
college course at Trinity in the back
woods than at the new location. Hun.
dreds OF men who honor the State were
educated there and the college had the
North Carolina spirit. We make bold to
say that unless a North Carolina col
lege has the North Carolina spirit it
may as well be bodily removed from the
State. More than that: Better return to
poverty than to permit riches to steal
j away the spirit of independence that does
not bend the pregnant hinges of the
knee that thrift may follow fawning."
This is not the first intimation given to
the public that it was the intention of
the management and donors of Trinity
College to cut loose from old fashioned
OF the Cigarette Trust, in its issue of May
18th, 1901, contained report of an adj
dress dehvered at Greensboro by DR.. Kilgo.
From the report we quote:
"He spoke of the high ideal that had
been set before Trinity-freedom of action
and independence OF thought, the seeking
of the truth as it exists being the object
of the instruction given there. Southern
colleges, he said, had been controlled by
two interests, the State and the church.
| The State institution was the ward of
| politics and the church college the ward
of conference. a convention or a synod.
The institutions were surrounded by such
an atmosphere of provincialsm that it
was impossible for them to expand and
develop as they should. If, perchance a
spirit Of independence began to assert it
self, the wrath of a dominant political
party might be invoked and Legislature
would threaten tie withdrawal of an APP
preparation. If an instructor stood up for
| the truth as he saw it and advanced a
new idea, he had his mouth closed before
the young citizens in an example of free
speech suppressed. THE SAME CONDI-
TIONS HAVE EXISTED IN THE
CHURCH INSTITUTIONS, and out of
that atmosphere the world, the church
and society have gotten timid men. men
untitled for leadership in a world of ac-
| ton. The CHURCH COLLEGE," said
DR.. Kilgo, 'HAS BEEN A SLAVE TO
IT'S CONSTITUENCY AS A RESULT OF
ITS POVERTY"
This paper has never imputed any I'M
worthy motive to Mr.. Duke for his large
donations. At first it was our belief that
love of his church and a desire to help
poor boys alone animated him. If DR..
Kllgo Is correct, Mr.. Duke had another
motive rather than the good of his church.
| 1t was TO make the church college he
endowed independent of its constituency
and dependent upon its donors. The re-
port Of DR.. Kilgo's speech continues
Speaking of the Dukes donations of
over $500, 0G0 to Trinity, DR.. Kilgo said it
took him eighteen months to induce Mr..
Washington Duke to do anything for the
college He found that the only idea with
which Mr. Duke ever had any sympathy
was A FREE INSTITUTION an institu-