The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-20
EDIT 0 RIAL
A Grave Blunder.

gina POLYTECHNIC Institute, The Nlrgnian befleves
that they have made very grave blunder They
are doubtless entirely conscientious in the report
which they have made, dismissing the charges
against Dr. Barringer but in judgment they
are greatly mistaken in their position that the
charges are trivial, Ill advised and unsustained.
The report of the majority signed by r. j. Noel and
Leslie D. Kline, which is printed elsewhere in this
paper contains statements purportlng to be facts
which are not trivial" by any means, but if they
are facts they indicate very clearly to any un-
prejudieed who has had no part in the con-
froyersy, that the management of the institution
I has net been what it should be. Moreover, we be-
heve that when the parents of Virginia read this
minority report they will make up their minds
that the V. T. l. is not the place to send their
SONS unless the Board of Visitors prove to the
! satisfaction OF the appropriated general public
that the statements made by the minority members
of the Board not correct We do not care to
enter into particulars at any great length but the
fourteenth and fifteenth statements which the min
ority report declares to be 'undisputed facts"
of themselves of sufficient gravity to parents
TO doubt exceedingly whether the present admin
istration at Blackburg lays sufficient stress upon
moral considerations and training. The MINORITY
report makes a positive statement that the ath-
court of giving intoxicating liquor to State stud
sents and minors, and that he stored this liquor in
the house of disreputable negro woman in which
house q number of the students were found by
the officers This was appealed to the circuit
court where the conviction was affirmed, and the
trainer put under $500 bond. And yet this
trainer is still employed at the college and is
brought into the most intimate association with the
student body. This would seem to indicate that
the athletic training is considered of more I'M
portance than moral training by the present man
agement of the V. p. /.
The fourteenth statement which contains a reply
Of DR.. Barringer to the ministers conference OF
Blacksburg is not calculated to convince doubling
parents of the suitability of Dr. Barrnger to be in
charge of the training of hundred of boys and
young Certainly the ministes of the town OF
Blacksburg have no desire to inJure that IN
stitution and if they presented protest to the
President concerning abuses in the social life Of
the v. F. L. and calling attention TO the minimizing
Of the literary features during the session and at
the commencement, it must have been from de-
sire to advance the best interests of the school.
We agree with the minority report that the tone
and the matter of Dr. Barringer's reply indicate
that he has not displayed those qualities which fit
him to cooperate with the ministers of the COM
munity in the moral training OF the great student
body. This question of moral training Is funda-
mental not only in the home but In the school,
and is of even greater Importance than the sending
out of diseased cattle and choera-infected hogs
and milk from tuberculous cows which the min
ority members of the committee declare to be nm
disputed facts.
The Virginian insists that the majority OF the
Board of Visitors have made great mistake in
dismissing these charges trivial, and i'll adj
yised'' II these statements in the minority re-
art true Is IA change
the administration Of the V. T.. l., for no iuseit.
fion can have the hearty support of the people OF
Virginia when such statements these are print
n ed as ..undisputed facts If these statements are
not true the Board of Visitors should take them
up seriatim, and prove to the satisfaction OF the
public that they are false. The Board made a
great blnder In not giving the fullest scope to the
Investigation while it being made Nothing
but the whole truth will be satisfactory to the tax
payers and the parents of the State.
The Yirginian does not insist that DIR. Barrlnger
shall resign, but it does insist that the Board OF
Visitors should recognize that the people want to
know whether the majority of the board agree that
4 the statements of the minority report "un-
disputed faets,, whether they can prove that
B they are incorrect statements. Ii the majority
admit that they are stundsputed facts they will
find that there are thousands of people IN Virginia
who will not agree that they can be brushed aside
ais trivial as furnishing no just ground for
criticism against DR.. Barringer, but who will IN
gist that the best interests Of the " P. L. viii be
promoted by change in administration
Gentlemen, the people will not be satisfied, and
the school will suffer damage, until these undis-
puted facts are shown to be incorrect until
there is change in administration.
Reflections for Election Day.
E,anvnoud 10 vary busy nitv--hu than