The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-17
WHAT TRINITY NOW NEEDS+
The Great M jGi;y Of the Ms,hodist La;men
Think the lime Has Come far D.. XII
coto Retire With Or. 6assatt for
III Good oftha College.
III Good oftha College.

III Good oftha College.
what position Will the trustees of Trim
-v College take as to Prof. Bassett?"
question that is on every tongue.
They aye as dumb-for publication-as
oysters. If You approach one, if you
know him well, he will say: 81 don't
mind telling you what I think, but have
40 opinion 1or publication" And then he
viii proceed to tell you his views, but OF
course such conversation must be held
confidential.
But some Of the trustees are talking
among themselves and some of them are
seeking to secure a meeting OF the board
Of trustees. Here is a story OF an attempt
TO get a meeting that | heard on the tram
last night. 1t was by accident that l met
nd uIta a prominent Methodist OF Eastern
North Carolina, and he thus unbosomeo
himself:
What DO YOU think will be done with
Dr.. Bassett?'' he asked.
Il do not know l answered. 4 have
not talked with any of the trustees"
And then he proceeded to tell the sjtua-
ton as it had come to him, substantially
as follows:
There is deep dissatisfaction among
the M~ethodists in Eastern North Carolina
about the management OF Trinity College.
That dissatisfaction has been growing for
years. An overwhelming majority of the
iayneR believe that the good of the
church demands the retirement OF Presi-
dent Kilgo. The number Of preachers,
who hold the same opinion, has grown
steadily, too. But most of them, either
because they didn't want to figure III a
church trouble or because they hated to
air church differences in public, have
been silent. But they have for two years
been growing more and more FESTIVE. They
do not like the spirit of intolerance as
~umed by President kilgo, but more than
that they do not like the spirit Of mate
rialism and commercialism that seems to
be the very life and breath OF the col
Iaee. They wish the college to be, upon
Il larger and broader plan, made possible
by better equipment, what It was before
Dr. kiIgo became its president. AS sad,
that feeling has grown steadily, and the
unrest was growing every day before the
Bassett incident. That was the last straw
that broke the camel's back with many.
They were outraged by it and indignant
that such an utterance should ~CInanatc
from Trinity College. They do not hold
the college responsible for the silly eH-
prezsi0us in Prof. Bassett'S article, but
they do hold Dr.. KiIg0's policy Of hostilI-
trt, the best thought and traditions OF the
State and his antagonisms and unsound
and sensational expressions as in a large
sense responsible for the tone and tenn
per OF the article. They say it Is the cul-
miu9tlon OF the notion that prevails too
largely at Trinity College that the only
way to be broad and liberal minded is
to be different from the best thought OF
North Carolina. and to be alien TO its
hopes and aspirations. Dr.. Bassett didn't
have any better sense than to let tins
#aau spirit carry him into an obscure
declaration. His fo~olishness shows his un-
fitness 10 teach history, however much
knowledge he may have. But he IS the
logical freak product Of a spirit that
Ha- put modern Trinity College out of
Touch with old fashioned North Carolina
Ideas and ambitions.
II think you arc right I said, "but
see no movement even looking to an eN-
preston OF ~disapproVal OF DIR. Bassett S
position. Is anything going to be donc:'
He paused a moment and then cOntin-
ued.
Yes: something will be done if three
trustees who met in an Eastern town this
the. Of os4 the I' 1ead amy p 3n,s,fpps' in the con,
tareDno-warm friends of Trinity College
Who have stuck to it through thick and
laul. ] do not know how they happened
10 got together, but the three did meet
o4a discuss the situation. They agreed
that it, was necessary for the trustees Of
the college to meet shortly and get rid
Of Prof. Ras~o,t And so one of them,
Speaking for the three trustees. wrote a
letter 70 the chairman Of the board of
trustees telling of the iniu,v DIR. Bassctt's
article had done to Trinity COLLEGE. and
suggest ny or renucstinc an carly meet
inc al .ho +r,, - ati4,. for