The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-05-31

In last weeks issue of the Globe an
article appeared relative to the presi-
dency and other matters pertaining
to Turner Normal College in Shelby
vile, Tenn. 1t was stated in the ar
ticle that there was some opposition
TO the school remaining in Shelby
vile, due chiefly to the mob that out
rageously shot to death three Negroes
IN that town a few months ago. DIR.
Jones, President of the college. takes
issue with the Globe and gives his
reasons for so doing in the following
communication:
Mr.. Editor:
| am quite sure that Won are only
100 willing to publish any correction
or a mistake which may appear in
the columns of your excellent paper.
In your issue of he oath, there are
two or three things said which
wish to call attention to.
First, it was said in your local
columns that the matter of whether
or not the trustees would proceed n
erect the new building on the grounds
OF Turner Normal would come up
before the next meeting of the
Board. This statement is mislead-
ing, and is calculated to do consid-
cradle harm, as it will serve to create
a state of unrest among the. parents
ana students. The facts in the
case are, that work has already prac-
tlcally begun on the new building
Ground has been broken for the foun.
dation, and workmen are engaged to
proceed with the construction of the
same
second, | see that mention is made
also of the Outrageous lvnching
that occurred in Shelbyville a few
nontns ago.. 1t was further said
tnat no one seems willing to send
thelr children to a town where sucb
norrHylng outrages are perpetrated"
Ihls statement is both untrue and
damaging. The truth is, that mob
OF outlaws, who assaulted those thrae
Negroes, were imported from Nash.
vile; in other words. they slipned
INTO town, and took the advantage Of
the nonsuspecting, lawabiding citi-
zens OF Shelbyville, and did thei,
dirty work before it was barely pos
slble to prevent it. It's occurrence
did not cause scarcely a ripple nm
the wave of the social order between
the races that day We all knew
that it was some of your Nashville
outlaws, and there was more excite
ment outside of Shelbyville than
there was here. Newspapers ALWAYS
color things to suit themselves. To
give an idea of the temper of the
situation, | wish to say that I attend
ed lecture that same night at the
Auditorium within less than four
hours after the whole thing was over.
was the only colored person pres
ent and was there by special invita-
ton of a white citizen. The mob
did not cause the slightest excite
ment among the students, and thev
had no reason to become excited. It
happened just about the time that
school was dismissed, and as MANY
as fifty students went quietly and un-
molested, right straight through town
as they always did
If any parents have ever, from that
day to this, expressed themselves as
being apprehensive of sending their
children back to ShelbyviIe, have
never heard of it. And | think that
they would be as apt to tell me as
they would to tell the reporter of
the Globe. / do know, however, that
scores of the students voluntarily eX-
pressed themselves to me before leav-
ing, as intending to return next fall
Third, mention was made of the
election of the president for Turner
Normal at the next meeting of the
Board There will be no election
at the next meeting, unless for some
cause, the present incumbent sees fit
to resign, or for some cause the
Board sees fit to declare the office
vacant, The present incumbent was
elected for two years at the last meet
ing, and is proceeding to discharge
his duties in the usual way.
| think it is due to the students,
many of whose return, according to
their statement is contingent upon
my continuation as president, that
they should know that have no in
tention of resigning for the present
term,
Now allow me to say, by way Of
parenthesis, thank you very kindly
for the pleasant things you have said
about me, as to my candidacy for
the editorship of the Southern Chris
tian Recoder. But 1t is generally
known that l was brought out" by
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