The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-19
DISMISS CHARGES
AND SCORE PR|DDY
M ambers of v. P. /. Visiting
Board Exonerate DR.. Barr
niger of all Blame
SCORES COMPLAINANTS
FOR THEIR ACTS
Majority Report Approved by
Vote of S-2-Praises Presi-
dents Admistration-Min-
ort Report Read.

DIR. Paul b. Barringer. president
Of the Virginia Holyteohnic inst
tute. was formally exonerated Of the
-charges fffed xxstnst him by Tho WEI
fare committees OF the institution ny
the board OF visitors Tuesday. when
a vote OF s TO on q majority re-
port made By Attorney IL n. Smith.
President II. L. e. Johnson. OF tins
NORFOLK and Western ratiresd,- aiaa
Mr.. Charles Kixer was taken.
Immediately after the vote was
taken on the majority report wnicn
not only gave DE- Barringer ciean
bin OF health, but severely rebuked
Lawrence Prtddy and the other MEM
beers OF the welfare committee, Mr.
L. d. Kline. who. with Mr.. r. J.
NOEL, voted against IL, arose and
read a minority report, in which ne
said the charges had been sustained
and that the best interests Of the ".
p. I. demanded that BF. BarriHserss
resignation be called for. The board
voted the same way against Mr..
Kiine's report as 1t did for the ma
1ority report
Flags President Priddy.
The majority report fayed Presi-
dent Priddy, OF the Alumni Assocfa-
ton, and his henchmen for work
ing up the charges" and for publish /.
ing the allegations against DR.. Bar
ringer and disseminating them be-
fore the investigation was held at
Blackshurg on March IS. The report
also called attention sharply TO the
fact that the charges were flied mot
for the good of the institution, but to
get at DIR. Baliinger.. Attention was
81 A. "A fa hof hn
Welfare Committee members had the
best interests OF the institution at
heart they would not have hled the
charges. The allegations are styled
trivial and tnconseauentiai. and a
revamping of old matters which had
previously been investigatedss.5s
Before taking up the charges. the
following comment II made. The
board must deplore the fact that MIR.
Prfddy and his associates save ut to
have the charges printed and widely
circulated before any inquiry by the
board, and even before an answer was
submitted by DIR. Barringer, especial
ly as there was a distinct agreement
that such should not be done. II
there Is any spirit of unrest or anx-
due to this course. We eanno1 but
reach the conclusion that a deter
mined effort was made to force pub
lie opinion and adverse comment
upon the institute before the inyestf-
cation was held
1T viii take time and patience ID
live this down, but II is hoped and
believed that the institution will
emerge from the investigation strong
er and more useful"
The majority report was signed by
Rector. Carringer. Messersnith, XII
Ger, Barker. Musgrave, st. Clair and
Egg
BarTingcr Exonerated.
The portion of the report which ex-
onerates DR.. Barringer follows:
There are seven main charges, sub
divided into some forty-five specitica-
tions. The language used In defining
the charges Is of the sexerest nature.
Assuming that the committee believed
that this language was a fair state
rsnt Of the real facts, the zeal dis
played by them can be understood.
for then the president would cease to
possess any qualifications whatsoever
for the once he fills. II IL manifest.
however. upon reading the spectfica-
tons OF alleged facts upon which the
charges are based. that the lanEuage
OF the charges Is harsh and unwar-
ranted. IN some Of them inaccuracy
y apparent. In Others ordinary inves-
tigation would have discovered the
truth. Some OF them were finally with
drawn: others are nero differences OF
opinion; many Of them are trivial;
and to q large extent they were based
upon statements Of persons who had
formerly been connected with the ".
r. !. but who had been discharged.
while aimed avowediy 1t the presi-
dent only. the published charges at
tack the moral character OF the stu
dents, the ekIiciency or the college, and
the good faith. II NOT the intelligence,
OF the board Of visitoFs.
It y impractioabie and needless ia
comment upon the specifications IN de-
tail, but the charges Themselves will
BE- reviewed, except such ~ had al
ready been fully investigated by the
board and conclusions reached from
which tia board sees no reason 70 re-
cede.
r. involving . ousstisp n Accuracy
Or vsraeity, e. 4eth.
Nothing has been developed IN thie
Investigation or In our knowledge
while Walters of this insfifnfl0n. 81
otherWise. on which any question - ID
the yeracity and good faith Of N,
Barr1ngeu could be bAaed.
On thA subject Of ACCURACY; there
Appear two inaccuracies III figure
FUSED In publications issued from The
Inat1tutes One was an unofncial. nm
aligned editorial In tbs Alumni BuIlc.
tttn. containing SURVIVES ~ to tho pysp.
EbAhaa eject which cAAA1o In .re1pec,
70 entrnnue requirements would nays
upon the number Of ntudeu4n 9Thers
tnguros wore not compiled ~ Dr. HAr-
ringer, but had been pFonafed FOL
him by 3 subordinate ana he used