The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-17
CHARGE
CONCERNING /. | LETTER
Rev. DR.. Lipsconlb 1ssues State
n1ent as to Controversy Over
Occurrence at Conference.
ADMITS HE WAS MISTAKEN
Convinced by Testimony .
Others That Paper Must
Have Been Read.

In statement. which. It is believed,
will effectually set the matter at rest,
the Rev. DR.. Bernard f. Lipscomb. pre-.
siding elder OF the Methodist Church
/ for Richmond Districts who was SO Sc.
yercly criticized by the board OF Ran
dolph- Macon College for some express.
sions used on the floor of the Virginia
Conference recently in regard to the
, discussion OF the relation of the Ran.
dolph- Macon Woman's College to the
Carnegie Foundation, practically with
draws his charge that the much-d.s-
cussed Pritchett lettertwas suppressed.
DR.. Ltpscomb still asserts that he has
no recollection of the reading OF the
letter. and in this Is supported by two
members OF the board: but since a
large number OF other members have
signed statements asserting that he Is
mistaken. DR.. Lipscomb has consented
I to withdraw the charge. The letter
Pr. Lipscomb says, may have been read
with running explanatory comments,
which put the matter In u light differ
entt from that shown by the selections
printed In an unfrendly manner In
the report OF the Carnegie board.
The Final Word.
AS the question has been thoroughly
discussed in print, DR.. Lipscomb has
addressed the following self-explana.
tory letter to The Times-Dlspatch:
Replying to a very surprising CONF
munication in to-day's issue of your
paper from the executive C ,mittee
OF the Randolph Macon Won1aas Col.
lese. which committee has gone out
OF Its way to make an attack upon me-
wish to deny most emphaticaily that
have 'recklessly assaled the official
record Of the board or made a grave
charge against its chief executive otH-
GER, On the contrary. my speech st
conference was In support OF the
minority report OF the special commit
tee charged with the consideration Of
the subject which report has as one
of its items this: That by this request
no censure Is attached to any action
OF the present board OF trustees or tn
the administration OF any institution
within the Randolph-Macoti system
Had I believed Or. Smith guilty OF
any dishonorable conduct, certainly
could not have spoken and voted for
this report l made no accusation
against DR.. Smith. with whom l have
always been upon the most friendly
terms; did not say that the letter was
suppressed, or CARRIED. or otherwise
dishonorably dealt with. l confined
myself to the simple statement that to
the best of my knowledge and belief
the letter printed In the Carnegie
pamphlet had not been read in my
hearing, and that If 1t had been I
could not have voted as I did; tyhy 1t
was not read / did not undertake to
say. was not attacking anybody. but
simply endeavoring to explain my vote
as one of the trustees In attendance
upon the August meeting of the board
what / said in an interview with
your reporter over the phone on sat
urday night, 18th OF December. was
that l saw no reason to recede from the
position had taken at conference. j
did not know. and did not inquire.
what certificates, or how many, had
been sent to the paper by DR.. Smith.
With me it WAS not question OF
what other trustees could recall. but
simply as to my own recollection of
the matter.
Letter TO DIR. Smith.
con Thursday last I had a letter from
DR.. Smith. inclosing copy of the
entire letter OF Dr. Pritchett. por-
ton only of which was printed In the
Carnegie report that was read and
discussed at conference. After reading
this letter very carefully, and discuss
ing its contents with DIR. BLACKWELL.
who refreshed my memory concerning
some points as to which was in
doubt / became satisfied that was
| mistaken as to the reading OF the
letter, though still unable to recall
the objectionable portion OF It.
! then wrote DR.. Smith as follows:
Richmond, Va. Dec. ID, 1907
! Dear MI. Smith, have your
letter of the 9th instant, inclos-
ing a copy OF DIR. Pritchett's letter
of August s., 1906. relative to the
placing Of Randolph Macon Wo-
mans College upon the Carnegie
Foundation. Il thank you for at
fording me this opportunity to ex-
anime the letter in Its entirety l-@
have read 1t carefully. and am cons
WINGED that the entire letter must
have been read to the board OF
trustees ut the August meeting IN
| Richmond, though cannot even
now recall that portion of 1T that
b has provoked SO much discussion.
1t la certainly true, as YOU say that
| '.when the letter is taken out Of
| tho Objectionable connection in
which it was placed by DIR. Prltch-
cit in his tentative report It has \
very different aspect"
Regrettipg that there should
4 have been any misunderstanding
about the matter. am with kind (
regards Yours sincerely.
B. II. L1PSCONIB.
| To-day ] am in receipt OF tele-
gram from DR.. Smith thanking me for
this letter.
SIN short, my connection with the
matter Is this: Speaking upon the floor
OF the conference made what fully
believed to be statement OF fact:
| when convinced by later inflammation