The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-15
WHAT TRINITY NOW NEEDS
Tha Great Majority Of the Methodist la,msn
Think the Tims Has Come for D.. XII
go 10 Retire With Or. Bassstt for
Ths Good of the College.

goto Retire With Or. Bassstt for
Tia Good ofthe College.
s.What position will the trustees of Trim
ity College take as to Prof. Bassett?"
is question that is on every tongue.
They are as dumb-for publication-as
oysters If you approach one, If you
know him well, he will say: II don't
mind telling you what think, but have
no opinion for 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 story of an attempt
to get a meeting that l heard on the train
last night. 1t was by accident that / met
up with prominent Methodist of Eastern
North Carolina, and he thus unbosomed
himself:
What do you think will be done with
Or. BaSSett! he asked.
81 do not KNOW" l answered. II have
not talked with any of the trustees"
And then he proceeded to tell the situa-
ton as it had come to him, substantially
as follows:
There is deep dissatisfaction among
the Methodists in Eastern.North Carolina
about the management of Trinity College.
That dissatisfaction has been growing for
years. An overwhelming majority of the
laymen 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 IN 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
sumed 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
lege. They wish the college to be. upon
a larger and broader plan, made possible
by better equipment, what it was before
Dr. Kilgo became its president. AS said,
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 emanate
from Trinity College,. They do not hold
the college responsible for the silly ex-
pressions in Prof. Bassett's article, but
they do hold DR.. Kilgo's policy Of hostili-
ty to 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-
mination 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 this
alien spirit carry him into an obscure
declaration. His foolishness shows his un-
fitness to teach history, however much
knowledge he may have. But he is the
logical freak product of Il spirit that
has put modern Trinity College out of
ideas and ambitions.
''I think you are right I said, "but
/ see no movement even looking to an eX-
preston of disapproval of DR.. Bassett's
position Is anything going to be done?"
He paused a moment and then contin-
ued:
"Yes: something will be done if three
trustees who met in an Eastern town this
week can have any influence. They are
three of the leading preachers in the con-
ferenee-warm friends of Trinity College
who have stuck to it through thick and
thin do not know how they happened
to get together, but the three did meet
and discuss the situation. They agreed
that it was necessary for the trustees of
the college to meet shortly and get rid
of Prof. Bassett. And so one OF them,
speaking for the three trustees, wrote
letter to the chairman of the board OF
trustees telling of the injury DR.. Bassetts
article had done to Trinity College, and
suggesting or requesting an early meet
ing OF the trustees that responsibility for
his utterances might be disavowed, and his
service IN the faculty dispensed with. The
letter was mailed last Monday, I think.
understand that an answer was received
Exactly what it was I cannot learn. but
] hear that it contained the suggestion
that, instead of a meeting of The board
OF trustees to secure the retirement of
DR.. Bassett, it was deemed at Durham
sufficient for the faculty and the executive