The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-06-21

ALUMNI MEET
System Of Election Of Trustees
Of Brown Discussed.
ATTENDANCE WAS NOT LARGE
Judge Silness Made Speech In Which he
Said Most Of The Selections Made
By Alumni Were Elected.

The associated alumni OF Brown uni
versity held its annual meeting yesterday
afternoon In Manning hall
The meeting was presided over by Hon.
James Tininghast and was not very
largely attended. as many OF the grads
will not arrive until today
The routine business was completed
in a short time. The report OF the treas
urer showed a balance on hand OF NOi2.o.
Rev. A. H. Plumb. Rev William j.
Bait and III. r. Peavar spoke in behalf
OF the class of 1855.
The following is a list OF the officers
elected for the year: President. ]. w. c.
Ely. NJ. D.. Of Providence; vice presi-
dents. s c. Easton of Concord n. H..
Arthur L. Brown OF Providence; secre-
tary, George c. Wilson. Ph. d; treasurer,
Col Robert w. Taft: executive commit
tee Horace L. Miller. NJ. D.. Hon. VIII
liam H. Sweetland Hon. a. A. Baker
c. Edwards, Edward II. Rathbun.
The report OF the executive committee
was read by Or. F. p. Capron and fol-
lows:
Your committee recommends that the
presen: system OF nominating candidates
for vacancies in the board OF trustees
should receive consideration. The pres
ent method OF nomination is as follows:
"On May / OF each year the secretary
OF the associated alumni calls upon the
alumni for informal nominations. In June
he issues a circular giving the names OF
those persons who have received 10 nomi-
nations and upward. Next the alumni are
requested 10 make from the list their
formal nomina tions, either sending their
ballots by mail or deposlting them, on the
morning OF commencement Gay with the
tellers I'm the university library. At the
commencement dinner the result OF the
formal nominations Is announced. The
corporation gives careful consideration 10
these nominations but does not agree 10
elect the person having the largest num-
Der OF formal nominations.
system OF nomination, the number or
the alumni has greatly increased. In the
November 1904. Bulletin OF Brown Uni
versity, the advisory and executive com
mittee OF the University Corporation
states that The main reason why the
vote OF the alumni cannot in every case
be followed is that the vote has been,
sometimes, so scattering. so indecisive or
so small as really not 90 represent the
great body Of our graduates. on some oc-
casons the alumni have on the first bal
lot voted for GO or 20 different persons. on
the second alumni ballot. the leading can
didate may have less than 200 votes out or
a possible 300
I'm the same Bulletin the advisory and
executive committee also states that the
corporation is opposed 10 any change IN
the fundamental rights and privileges of
the university, and also as follows:
" But without incurring any such dan
gers, the way is open for the alumni 10
continue nominations and render
them II possible, stil more effective. The
corporation would be glad 70 confer at
any time regarding the whole subject with
any committee the alumni may appoint.
Every step taken by the alumni TO Sc
cure larger and more representative
nominating vote will be welcomed by the
corporation. While reserving the rights
and obligations imposed by charter. the
corporation hopes 10 see the alumni eXer
else an ever-growing influence in the af-
fairs OF the university and feel an ever
! deepening responsibility for its welfare
"In view OF the above statement your
committee therefore recommends that the
Associated Alumni name a committee 10
confer with a committee from the corpor-
alton of the university In accordance with
the above suggestion"
The following resolution was adopted by
the alumni yesterday:
Resolved. That a committee be APP
pointed 10 corfer with a committee from
the corporation OF the university relative
To the nomination OF trustees and report
To the next meeting OF the Associated
Alumni. and that such committee have
power 10 act for the alumni relative TO
method OF nominations for the year 1906"
Judge Stiness spoke on the -innthea-ef
election OF the trustees OF the university.
He said: Much Of the dissatisfaction be-
tween the alumni and corporation is due
in a great measure he believed, TO n gross
misapprehension Of the facts on the part
OF the alumni II the policy which the
corporation followed for the last 30 years
was thoroughly understood much OF the
hostile feeling would disappear
Since 1874 he said. the corporation
has elected ca trustees. and out Of this
number over 80 have been appointed as
a result OF the plurality vote Of the alum
nj Whenever IL has happened that
trustee has been elected who did not have
as high an alumnus vote as another can
ddate the corporation has had special rea-
sons IN which the welfare OF the univer-
sty was considered. f"r, acting as IL did.
But. as n matter OF fact. the corpora ton
has uniformly followed the plurality vote
OF the alumni II has followed your nomi-
nations In all but n very few cases."
The meeting adjourned at AIS.