The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-06

| sculptor as General Baden-POWeil, VIII
| be most gratefully received by the people
| of this Commonwealth.
| / am, sir. your obedient servant,
w. GORDON McCABE.
Richmond. Va, March 2, 1906.
Reply to Judge Christian.
Editor of The Times Dispatch:
slr,-As the father OF three sons who
have enjoyed the privilege of pursuing
their education at tho v. p. l. under
! the auspices OF It's present able president
| and worthy of its present faculty, and
who. with one exception compelled by
his health to abandon study during his
! junior year-are now graduates OF that
institution. ! will ask you to allow ne to
| nection with the action Judge Christian
has seen 1T to take. conseuuent on his
| son and others being refused the privilege
| of matriculating there last September,
owing to their being involved in case OF
| hazing. For the reason given have felt
| much interest In this, and all other mat
tiers affecting the fortunes of the V. +. l..
and have read carefully the different pro-
nunciamentos that have been published
| on both sides of the case. except the
last-that recently placed on the desks
| of members OF the Legislature by Judge
| Christian. for which ! have to depend
| on summaries In the current newspapers.
The main contention OF Judge Chris
| tan is that he was denied hearing for
| himself and Senator Daniel at Blacks
burg. On examination, however, we find
| that 1t was only the particular mode of
| hearing which he demanded that was
| by the president and two leading pro-
| fessors, and was invited, IL he had any
new evidence to bring forward or reasons
| to allege why the action Of the faculty
should be modified to submit them in
| writing to the faculty in accordance
| with academic custom. and they would
receive all due consideration
|. But. no! This would not suit: II is
| nothing to him that six hundred students
are waiting to be organized for the work
| of new session and the professors
deeply engrossed with this work OF or
| ganizaton; 1t is nothing that the regular
course of academic procedure has been
| pointed out to him; he must be the dc
tator of the mode of hearing. and the
pr ofessors must defer theIy present
duties. however pressing. and resolve
speeches from him and Senator Daniel
on a matter in which. however distin-
| guished these gentlemen may be In other
lines. the faculty were presumably better
Suppose DIR. McBrydc had case be-
fore the Court OF Appeals. which Judge
| ChriiAian Is so fond of quoting. what re-
| cept Il II would he meet with if he should
demand that IN trying his case the court
| should first organize itself on academic
lines? 1T is natural that lawyers should
| magnify their own forms but college
rules may he allowed similar privilege.
Both Judge Christian and Senator
Daniel treat us to long Trades about
Star chamber methods. etc. This Is
| simply abusive and means nothing.
| There Is no parallel between the cases.
| If my memory of history serves me
| right. the star chamber" court derived
| its unsavory reputation from the fact that
| in those good old times II was used by
the party in power TO issue bills of at
ltainder. sentences of banishment. DEGREES
| for the confscation of property and for
condemnation to death for the benefit
of their opponents! As we'll raise the
cry of "star chamber when the illus
trious body of which Senator Daniel is a
! member closes its doors and goes into
| executive session.
| Any one conversant with college life
| knows that 1t is sometimes essential for
the executive body to meet behind closed
doors. not that they have anything to
| life and government Here there is no
oppression. no tyrant The interests of
the college. Of the professors. Of the stu
dents are idential. The reputation of the
college and the reputation OF the profess
sors depend on their proficiency in dis
| ciplne. the advancement of the students
In their studies and their general popu-
larity. The best indication OF satisfaction
is.the numbers in attendance; to secure
all of this the faculty will certainly in
cline to leniency as far as the Tainte--
nance of discipline will possibly allow.
and will only resort to such extreme
mea sures as expulsion or denial of mas
circulation, when such are shown to be
absolutely necessary. The tribunal is GER
tainly competent. and ,al its interests
Incline to an: an excess ,'e on the side OF
AS to the fear of n stigma being cast
ON young Christians character, the APP
prehenson is groundless. No moral tur-
pitude is involved. and II he has no more
uorr,, y LAT on, ha ~ latn ar
concerned ina hazing scrape i'm his young
days he will be able to rank with Sir
Galahad and join in his quest for the
Holy Grail.
this matter is most unfortunate. and the
"hypercritical,'' with whose opinion Sena-
tor Daniel does not concern himself. will
be numerous Senator Daniel says II
am the sole Judge of my conduct as u
gentleman. Doubtless MS far as deter
mining what that conduct shall be-, but
others will Judge how far the conduct
COMFORTS With the sharaster. Bnt here
duct as a gentleman, but Of the proprety
of his conduct as the most influential fac
tor in the politics of his native State.
has been Of service his friends at
West Point and Annapolis before officials
of the United States, This was all very
VOL and very meritorious and no I'M
rearance before tho University of North
Carolina. IN these cases there was no
danger Of misapprehension hut whether
the, proprictles were duly observed IN this
college discipline in ~ state college of
Virginia. where his simple interference
necessarily carried with y reserved
nrennce, is,a very different matter.
When Judge Christian preferred hssre-
quest 10 the faculty. and introduced Sem
intor Daniel into the affair. his action
made i,sa demand md said, ms plainly
.Ntt1r u a NSr,n
lyo,, 5larer And i admire the grit OF thn
faculty. who showed Thy their action that
thew were no resnecter OF persons. They
were in an emloar,'assln position, fnr
even IL they had seen cause to modify
l4thair original position thew would have
laid themselves omen to the susnlc'on ~
hnvir~ yielded. not on Tho fmerits'o ne TIE
question. hut TO he nost'on of their an,
nlcants " Is n case which rests nurelv
~, 8tarthorty. not on its mar't 8. and IT.
Enlnin Ichn Sn,ith aud his friend Petera