The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-08-26
The Situation at the A. & N. College.

in the recent Investigations at this
institution, and knows something
of the evidence on both sides Of the
controversy. But it is not with
the evidence submitted that the
Baptist Record feels at liberty tc
deal. Nor is it in the interest Of
any individual that it would ven.
ture to express itself before the
public. But it would deal with q
more vital feature Of the situation.
| It's appeal is to the citizens of the
commonwealth Of Mississippi for
loyalty to the constituted authority
I of the college, as lodged in the
Board of Trustees of this institu-
ton. This board is composed Of
fourteen substantial men, whose
integrity and wisdom entitle them
to the serious consideration of the
citizens of Mississippi, and place
them at least on a parity with
those gentlemen in the State who
are striving to discredit both their
wisdom and integrity. These men
are, to put it conseryatively, aver
age men of our citizenship. If we
cannot trust them, whom can we
trust? Whatever ones opinion was
as to the merits of the claim of
either side, since this board has
given seven days and largely seven
nights to a careful sitting of the
facts, it seems that the most sensi-
bic thing to do is to accept their
findings and uphold their actions.
To look at the matter coolly, what
reason has any one for charging
that these men were PARTISAN
There are good reasons why the
board would not have been so near
ly unanimous, if the evidence had
not been convincing. At least two
of these men have the endorsement
of three administrations Longino,
Vardaman and Noel-leaving only
three that could be supposed to be
pets of the present administration.
The president of the college has
appeared before four tribunals, and
has been exonerated by every one
of them. The first was the Board
of Trustees, under Governor Var
daman; the second was the Legisla-
tive Committee; the third the In
spector General of the War Depart
ment; and the fourth the Board of
Trustees, under Governor Noel.
It appears to the Baptist Record
that there is nothing left for law
abiding Mississippians to do but to
stand by the doings of the Board of
Trustees, or displace them by some
process, and put in a wiser set of
men to attend to this part of the
business.
All that is being said now in the
papers or otherwise, however
meant, is really said against the
Board of Trustees, as they are
standing by the president and
against his critics.
The course taken by those who
are fighting the board, if carried
to its legitimate consequence,
would decapitate every head of
power in the State and throw the
States interests into state of an
archy.
And, besides, those who are in
terested in this wholesale con-
demnation of the board would i'm
press one that such an uprising of
students in college had never
been heard of before; or, if heard
of, had never failed to ruin the
college. As matter of fact, every
college of any age has been called
on to go through just such an or
deal as our own A. & M. College is
going through now. In fact, it
has itself once before gone throu gh
similar trial, and still it's useful
ness, not only continued, but in
creased.
Some men may lose their places,
but others will be found to fill
them. The Record is personally
acquainted with over half of the
trustees, and consider them, to put
it mildly, average men. In the
light Of the findings of four tri-
bunals, all substantially agreeing,
it is almosta settled question that
those who are vet vigorously fioht-
ing the board, and insisting that
they are doing 50 in the interest Of
the college, are really hurting the
college much more than those who,
though disappointed in the verdict
Eof the board, are standing Loyalty
to its decision.
The Record conscientiously, and
|it thinks consistently, holds the