The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-15
Randolph-Macon Charter


sir,-As one Of those interested in the settlement
Of the questions which have arisen concerning the
ownership and control of Randolph Macon College.
wish to express my thanks to Or. r. E. Blackwell
Richmond Enquirer OF $780, giving some particulars
as to the discussion concerning the granting OF the
charter OF Randolph Macon College This record
bears out the contention of many OF
three points Among other things:
established by the Virginia Methodist Annual Confer
ence, and therefore the creator and owner of the
that the conference scured the AsserA-
bly, of Virginia the best charter it could under
the existing conditions. that the General Assembly
would not have given a charter. which specifically
and In terms recognized the ownership and control
of the church.
2. We insisted that the charter can lie
changed at the request of the conference the creator
ana owner of the college and that 1t has been
changed in essential matters.
Both OF these points established by the record
of the debate as given In the Enquirer Messrs
Goode and Garland. who indicated in the record
as advocates of the charter, both declared that
Jority Of the trustees were Methodsts and insisted
that those who contributed the funds surely
right to wish that they might be permitted to have
the principal management OF Its concerns. Mr. Gar
land asked who has the best right OF select
tees those who had never contributed one cent to
this institution those who had given money
it" He said that these people have contributed
their money to literary institution without having
any desire of teaching religion not squirting at
theology and therefore had the right expect to
administer its concerns but If the Legislature
apprehensive OF It's running into theological ins-
tuition, why could they provide that it's charter
made?"
It fully understood. therefore, by the General
Assembly that the college to be established to
be Methodist college that the Methodists had
trbuted their money to it, and the Methodists had
therefore the right to select the
frankly admitted that majority named in the bill
action admitted that it reasonable that those
who had given the money should select the
ana direct the affairs of the college. But the
era Assembly was violently opposed to anything that
would in any way smack of union of church and
nj hay tad rho oh
provided that the trustees should be elected by
bers of the Methodist church. This would have been
considered as binding together in measure the
great was laid by Messrs Goode and Garland
upon the fact that the charter did require the
fact they themselves named in the charter as
trustees, and they were not Methodiss
But evident all that this charter was
intended to establish Methodist college although
no mention OF the church found In the charter
that the delegate from Pttsylvana called the bill
"a snake in the grass" and Mr.. Garland met this
objection by declaring that the citizens who asked
for charter for college for literary purposes
entitled it 1t though majority them were Meth
odsts" And he hinged his argument upon fact
that these Methodists asking for partcu-
lar privileges in their church character. 1t is evil
dent from this that had the charter mentioned the
Methodist church in any way 1t would have been
feated and that our fathers secured the only
charter that they could have secured that time
And this position Is made absolutely certain by
the fact that not only there no mention of the
Methodist church in the charter, and therefore no
positive recognition of the church but the charter
could not have been secured unless the friends OF
the charter in the Legislature had to accent
an amendment or Ryder" as it is called in the
port which, as section Is, provided that nothing
time to authorize the establishment OF theological
professorship in said college," But for this posi-
defeated. In the view of the General Assembly
therefore the important matter was not that the
that the State should in 10 shape, form or manner
be connected with the church. and section Is
essential feature of the charter of 1890 without
which 1t could not have been obtained.
1t seems evident. from the above facts that the
| luch
sired. for it did not desire prohibition of theo-
logical teaching. But 1t took such charter the
Legislature would give H. So much for our first
point
Now as to the second point MANY Of ne insist
that the charter has been amended essential mat
ters and 1t can be amended again 1870 the board
General Assembly for change in the charter allow
ing the college to be removed from Boydton Ash
lishment of theological professorshp In the char
ter of 1870 section Il is changed entirely, now
reads: "A acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
this act are hereby repealed.
In asking for this change of charter the committee
OF the Randolph Macon board appealed to the Legs-
lature to ratify the change college from Boyd
ton to Ashland on the that the Virginia Con
committee said the conference is the creator Of
the college" and the college $ in moral law and
justice the property Of the conference" The vir-
gina Legislature admitted the OF this plea and
although there We're prominent and influential cti-
zens OF Mecklenburg county opposing the charter
change it made. because the Legislature recog-
nized the Virginia Conference the creator and
owner of the college
And the Legislature struck out the Ryder. con-
corning theological professorshps, which was SO
sential part OF the original charter that without
that Ryder" the charter would not have been
granted The Legislature of 1870 therefore, on the
petitions OF the trustees. granted an amendment to
the charter essential point
This record therefore proves what many OF us
have held to he true that the charter has been
amended In essential points the ground that the
creator and owner of the coege.-the Virginia
ference-voted for the amendment That same con-
ference is asking for amendpents to-day which are
not any more essential than those which have al
ready been granted
DR. Blackwell has rendered real service in hunt