The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-07-04
PROF. GARY DOWN AND OUT.
Board of Trustees Of AIcOrn College
Fire FOraker's Negro.

Ic0fn a. ana M. COIleg0 nave
summarily discharged Prof. d.
w. Gary, of Brookhaven notorie-
lty, on account of his officious,
| political activities on various oc-
oasions in this State and at the
Chicago Convention. Gary. it
will be remembered, is the dudish-
looking negro who lit down in
Brookhaven the morning the dist
rict Republican Convention was
to meet and was soon ordered to
leave town on the first train as
meddIesome Forakerite, which be
afterward proved conclusively to
be. During the Republican State
Convention at jackson and the
Chicago Convention, he was con-
spicuously in the lime light and
seemed to enjoy the notoriety very
greatly as he posed alternately as
a champion of Foraker and
martyr to his political conyic-
tions, suffering wrong alike at the
hands of Democrats and white
Taft Republicans.
The Daily News says that at
jackson. attired in a high silk
hat, patent leather shoes, light
trousers, Write vest and Prince
Albert coat, he made a very pro-
found impression among a few of
the ignorant blacks, and, even
after turned down by the state
convention, and denied admission
to the assembly hall, he went to
Chicago for the purpose of con-
testing the delegation chosen by
the regular organization. Ac-
cording to the Chicago papers, he
attempted to draw a pistol on W.
E. Milloson, well-known ViGks-
burg negro, and one Windy City
paper allowed him a column or so
of space in which to air his griev-
ances.
All of this information, and
more to the same effect, was plac-
ed before the board of trustees
last Wednesday and Gary went
down and out In short order.
During the sitting of the board
charges Of political activity were
preferred against two other mem
bers of the faculty, but the eyi-
dence was not sufficiently strong
to warrant their discharge. A
stern warning was given, how
ever, that conduct similar to
Gary's will not be tolerated, and
resolution to this effect was
adopted and spread on the minutes
as follows:
Resolved. That the newspaper
reports of the conduct of Prof. d.
W. Gary in political way is in
furious to the best interests of the
AIcorn A. and M. College. As
constituted at present the support
for this college comes from the
United States Government and
the State of Mississippi, and
should be exclusively devoted to
agricultural, mechanical and in
dustrial training of the young
coIored people Of the state. Any
partisan politics amongst the fac
ulty tends to destroy the objects
above named. the pupils attend
ing this school should be required
to devote their energy along in
dustrial and agricultural lines so
that they may share in and con-
tribute to the development most
needed by the state; and it is in
tended that every effort of the fac
ulty should be in so training the
minds of fthe students as to make
them engage in the pursuits of
agriculture anG industrial profes-
sion to the exclusion of politics.
The conduct of Prof. Gary at sew
eral political gatherings attracted
general attention and has brought
criticism upon this college by rea-
son of his connection with it.
We believe that general discus
sion of the part played by Prof.
Gary among st the colored people
naturally occasions feelings either
for or against him and would
eventually lead to factions among
the students and faculty. Believ
ling this, we, the board of trus-
tees, dismiss him from connection
with the faculty, and request the
president to see that in future
members of the faculty devote
themselves to their duties con-
nected with the college and ex-
clude any prominence in politics. =
i A member of the board of trus-
tees expressed the sentiments of
the hoard and the white people
generally of Mississippi in the
concrete, when be said to re-
lporter of the Jackson News:
I'VE desire it to be known that
when instructors are employed
| for the college they are expected
to devote their time and attention
to the advancement of the mater
ial interests Of their race, and not
to act as political missionaries.
/ It teachers like Gary were
permitted TO have their way the
| college would be converted into a
i breeding place for negro pnliti-
lcians, and we will not tolerate
| political activity of any sort
Iamong the faculty members. If
they desire to hold their jobs they
must attend strictly to the busi-
ness for which they were employ
ed.
i Gov. Noel has issued his procla-
mation offering reward Of $100
/ for arrest and conviction of the