Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-11
asliseellaneous Rsaaina.
Or. JOHNSON AND DR.. MITCHELL

Or. JOHNSON AND DR.. MITCHELL
Row Between College Presidents Over
Distribution OF f>.hedy Fund.
Columbia State, Saturday.
u am charged with q certain i'm
preston made on the mind Of the gov
ernor by Dr.. D. B, Johnson Of Win
throp college," declared DR.. 8. G. Nit
chell Of the University Of South Caro-
lima speaking In his own behalf yes
terday afternoon to investigate the dis
tribution Of the Peabody fund In South
Carolina, to which reference was made
by the governor In his inaugural ad-
dress.
DR.. Wickliffe Rose, of Nashville, gen.
eral agent for the Peabody educational
fund, appeared before the committee
and made an extended explanation OF
the policies the trustees of the fund
had followed In making endowments
and aiding educational movements. He
stated that under the terms by which
George Peabody had placed the fund
In trust, a portion Of 1t must Of neces-
sity be used for the education Of ne
groes, and that the communication to
the board, signed by eight representa-
tives Of southern universities, DR.. Nit
chell among them. referred to In the
inaugural address Of the governor, had
no bearing on the final distribution OF
the fund as It affected either Winthrop
college or the cause of negro education.
DR.. Mitchell spoke briefly, but, with
feeling during the session OF the COM
mittee. H
What Is the charge against me?"
asked DR.. Mitchell, after he had read
the extract from the inaugural address
which caused the investigations and
in which the governor made the state
ment Il have the word Of Prof. D. B.
Johnson, the able and distinguished
president OF Winthrop. that this is
true"
DIR. Mitchell declared that by his own
admission DR.. Johnson had refuted the
assertion that he had kept Winthrop
from getting 100000,
"Dr. Johnson went to the governor
Of this state and poured all this poison
into his mind for what motives, do
not know" said DR.. Mitchell. "Dr.
Johnson invited me to come to, this
state, and have always tried to CO.
operate with him In every way. But
when he makes the assertion that
there Is no fight / cannot reconcile 1t
with the governors statement, have
the word of Prof. D. B. Johnson, who
must be held responsible for these
charges, since he alone Is quoted by the
governor.
In reply DR.. Johnson said that he
had gone in to see the governor about
signing an invitation to the general
assembly to visit Winthrop, and that
the governor had referred to the letter
written by F. H. McMaster in 1911. DR..
I'll ha hod r.
ter because he considered that 1t had
taken him to task for something for
which he was not responsible. He said
he had also resented the communica-
ton to the trustees Of the Peabody
fund sent to them In 1909, proposing
that when the fund was finally distrib-
uted 100000 should go to each Of the
state universities in the south and that
the rest be used for negro education.
DR.. Mitchell declared that the COM
munication to the board Of trustees Of
the fund which he signed was written
openly at an educational conference In
Atlanta in 1909, and that there was
nothing underhand about It..
DR. Johnson revived this communi-
cation, went to the governor and whis-
pered the negro clause in his ear" said
DR.. Mitchell.
THAT is not true" replied DR., john
son.
At this juncture DR., Rose explained
the presentation of the communication
from the eight universities to the trus.
tees of the fund, He said that II was
one of a large number OF similar pett-
tions, and that he doubted whether or
not any member OF the board had ever
seen. the original, The gist OF II had
been given them along with the context
of numerous other communications.
DR.. Johnson stated that the "insin-
uations Of DR.. Mitchell ought to be be-
meath notice" The letter written to
him by Mr., MoMaster in 1911 had taken
him to task. He had resented the COM
munication emanating from the educa-
tional conference In Atlanta In 1909,
but forbore from commenting on 1t, as
he had no wish to stir up trouble.
Policy Of Trustees.
DR.. Wickliffe Rose, the general agent
for the Peabody board, was the first
witness before the committee. He told
of the establishment Of the Peabody
fund in 1857, how 1t had first cooper
ated with the authorities in establish
ing public schools in the south at GEN.
tres Of population, later aiding In form
ing state systems of public schools.
About 1875 the board turned its atten-
mand for teachers in the public schools.
This policy was continued up until 1907
when reports began to come in that the
states were able to support the normal
schools
DR.. Rose said that the policy Of the
board had been to bolster up the weak
places in the educational system Of the
south, dropping one line Of endeavor,
as soon as II found that 1t had gone
far enough to flourish alone and un-
aided. In carrying out this policy the
board had withdrawn aid from the state
normal schools and begun to help ru-
raj schools.
The principle from which the Pea
body fund was obtained was first bro
ken, said DR.. Rose, by a gift of $1,000
900 to establish the Peabody college for
Teachers In Nashville. This action was
the result of the decision Of special
committee that the board must dissolve
and distribute the principal the thirty
years Of its Stewardship having expir-
ed.
Give to Universities
There still remains after the gift to
Peabody college about $1,300,000 In the
hands of the board. AS to the best
method Of distributing this amount, DR..
Rose made a report to the board rec
ommending that $500,000 be given as
an additional endowment to Peabody
college, that $4,000 go to each Of the
state universities in the south and that
$500 be. placed in trust with the
James fund for the negro rural schools
of the south.
DR.. Rose said he was moved to make
this recommendation because he be-