The Tupelo journal., 1908-08-07
THE A. & M. INVESTIGATION
Statement of Hon. ]. M. Normept,
Member of the College Board.

Starkville, Miss, July 25.-The fol-
lowing signed statement was issued to-
day by Hon. J. w. Norment, a member
of the board Of trustees of the A, g. M.
College:
ST | am to be understood or consid-
cred as having endorsed the article in
the public press of the Goth of July,
signed Board of Trustees with refer
ence to conditions at our A. & NJ. Col
lege, | var to say that | never saw
said article or declaration until after
it was published in the daily press, and
that, in many respects, | do not and
cannot accept or adopt the same as my
opinion of the conditions here. Among
other statements purporting to come
from the board as a whole, those to
which | especially object to being made
a party to, or of subscribing to, are,
to-wit:
Il. The statement that the result
has been that only one side of the col
lege trouble has been presented, and
it has been so grossly misrepreSented
and magniied: that the board feels that
the people of the state should have the
facts in the case. | do o wish to be
understood as having said that only
one side has been presented or that it
was so grossly misrepresented and
magnitied,' but l would so much like
for the people to have the facts in the
case, and all of them. After a full and
absolutely fair and impartial investiga-
ton toward all concerned, the board,
by a vote of 10 to t, voted to retain Mr..
Hardy as president of the institution,
every member of the board being pres
cnt and voting, and the four members
whose votes were recorded against him
pledged him their loyal support in his
future administration" | will not say,
nor do | think, it was q full and abso-
lutely fair and impartial investigation
toward all concerned. AS to what my
position was or would be as to the
future relation to President Hardy's
administration | will explain later, and
in answer to certain matters pertaining
directly to Mr.. Hardy's position and
attitude, as | understand it. AS for
the statement that men who have served
the college as members of its faculty
and teaching force for so many years,
whose relations with the president were
strained, the trustees preferred to take
nc radical action, believing that conf
dence in the president had been and
would be speedily restored, and that all
would be in absolute harmony and
sympathy in the future for the good of
the school, | did not and do not believe
that as to certain members of the fac
ulty their confidence in the president
can be speedily restored and that all
will work in absolute harmony and
sympathy. 1t is too unnatural a condi-
ton for my mind to conceive in view of
SO much sworn testimony from SO many
high-class men. That the trustees be-
lieye that the trouble has been finally
and amicably settled, and that the great
college will no longer be subjected to
criticism on the part of the state, but
will resume without interruption its
great work in behalf of the young men
OF Mississippi, is a situation devoutly
to be desired, and n hat / sincerely
wish for, but l did not and do not be-
lleve 1T can be done under existing con-
ditions. | do not wish to be under
stood as %impugning the motives or OF
otherwise rejecting on any member or
members OF the board of trustees who
do not agree with me. They have the
sane right to their opinions and con-
victions that | claim for myself. | have
acted in accordance with my convic-
tions in the matter and am willing to
stand for what | have done and said,
but | do not endorse and will not en-
dorse that which does not represent my
words, conduct, conviction and duty as
| understand and believe the same to
be.
II have delayed writing the above in
the hope that my position in the prem
ises might be satisfactorily explained
by others responsible therefor, but
since such has 10 been done, | feel i'm
BSAASo W. IN "oo'o do w
President Hardy's conduct. After the
members of the board of trustees had
discussed the situation a vote was taken
and the vote stood 10 to 4 for President
Hardy's retention. 1t was afterwards
decided to send for President Hardy
and inform him of the result and coun-
sci with him as to the future. | was
undecided as to just what my duty in
the premises was, and in my remarks
had intimated that | was not in accord
or sympathy with the situation as some
others saw it, and that [ might resign.
| afterward concluded not to entertain
further thought of resigning from the
board, and in no uncertain terms told
my fellow associates on the board, in
effect, that would do my duty to the
college and the administration, as [ saw
it, but that | would be Judge as to what
[ conceived to be my duty and best in
terests of the institution. 1t was agreed,
as | understood it, that we all turn
away from and try to forgive and to for
get the past troubles as best we could;
that President Hardy was to recognize
the absolute necessity for conciliatory
methods, and that the restoration of
good feeling with everybody and every
thing was to be the order Of the day,
but that if anyone was not inclined to
accept his situation under the circum-
stances. and Oiye the administration