The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-08
BASSETT COMMITTED THE UN-
PERDOkABLE SIN.

vicious terms to the attitude OF those
newspapers hat have expressed them
selves in opposition to the policy pursued
by himself, Bassett and others who hold
IKE views. He made an elaborate argu-
ment in favor Of the retention Of Bassett.
After he had nearly concluded, Dr.. Kilgo
used as the climax of his argument four
editorials from the Raleigh News and
Observer-a paper that he would do well
to quote more frequently If he wishes
to get right and stay right. In reading
these editorials DR.. Kilgo was on solid
ground for once.
The editorials quoted were sound when
written. They are sound now. They en-
unciated eternal principles-good yesterday
today, tomorrow, forever. They were
written about the time that President T..
Benjamin Andrews was driven from the
presidency of Brown University because
he was IN favor of bimetalism. The trus-
tees of that institution, if our recollec-
ton is correct, gave him the grand
booASS NS"US WY
Brother Rockefeller, the rich Baptist head
Of the Standard Oil trust. They said
they wanted a man for president who
would hold and advocate views accept
able to the men who could give big money
to the institution. Inasmuch as Presl-
dent Andrews would not on Bonded knee
ask Mr.. Rockefeller, please, O., Mighty
Trust Magnate, may l think that BIZ
he was forced out of the presidency of
that institution. At Trinity college the
complaint OF thousands OF the friends
of that institution is that the president
nit their opinions to be shaped by rich
Methodist trust magnates, and to defend
CT apologize for or overlook illegal an6
wrong methods of the cigarette trust be-
the college.
There is no analogy between DR.. E.
DR.. Kilgo and Prof. Bassett on the other.
Andrews had the Anticipated notion
that a college president ought to think
as he pleased and to instruct his pupils
millionaire desired him TO think. That
was very old fashioned. Has anybody
ever heard of DR.. Kilgo and Or. Bassett
having an opinion that FLASHED with the
of the head of the tobacco trust?
If they ever have any such opinions,
they have been careful to conceal them
SO that nobody could suspect them of the
crime.
President Andrews was kicked out be-
cause he refused to do what he trus-
tees thought necessary to get donations
from the standar oil trust m~agnates.
President Kilgo and Dr.. Bassett re
tanned, in defiance of Bassett's inexcusa-
BILE article and Kilgo's championship of
his cause. because it is believed their
retention will secure increased donations
to Trinity college from the tobacco trust
1nagnates and their expulsion would mean
a lean treasury?
DR.. Kilgo sought to show an analogy
between the expulsion of President An
drews from Brown University and the
for the resignation Of DR.. Bias.
sett. Let US examine them both and see
if there is any analogy. President An
drews wrote an article favoring bi-metal-
ism. His advocacy of it could not affect
the mudsills of civilization in Rhode
Island or New England. Good men were
divided there upon the relative merits
of monometallsm and bi-metalism. 1t
was purely a financial question, not
touching at the very existence of society.
For that sin President Andrews was viz
tually expelled at the behest of the over
bearing owners of dishonest wealth. In
North Carolina college and univer-
sites, In the campaign of 1896, professors
who had always been democrats, favored
and voted for Mckinley because they be-
lieved in monometalism. II the trustees
of a North Carolina college. for the advo-
cacy of monometalism, had demanded the
.feSlSnatlOn or any professor, they
would lave been guilty of the same crime
for which this paper criticized the trustees
of Brown University. 1t would have been
a crime against independent thought and
action and would have deserved the very
criticism which this paper made of the
trustees of Brown University.
Only last week a man asked this writer:
why didn't you favor demanding the
resignation of Prof. Kat Chapel Hill
who voted for Mckinley? Wouldn't that
be like asking for the resignation of Bas-
sett now?' The answer is easy. A man
has a right to his own political views.
The News and Observer believes ia the
right of every man and think and vote
as he p~leases. 1t has never criticized a
Trinity or Chapel Hill or Wake Forest
professor for his political views. much
less sought to secure his resignation from
the faculty. Men in all these institutions
in North Carolina favored monometalism