The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-06-17
". C. DENNIS
CONTINUED From Page one.1

should say a word in his behalf, be-
ginning by saying that neither he nor
my father, Prof D. w. Dennis, who are
now attending to their college duties,
at the commencement exercises, have
the slightest idea that l am going to
make any statement at all.
Il note that your anonymous infor
mant tells you that the alumni meet
ing was overwhelmingly pro Russell;
that resolution expressing apprecia-
ton of Prof. Russell was adopted with
great enthusiasm and that when he
arose with the class of "a, he was the
recipient Of a remarkable ovation.
These statements seems to me some
what highly colored. 1t was generally
understood, and appeared in the pa
pers, that certain of Prot. Russell's
supporters had threatened to introduce
resolutions censuring Pres. Kelly and
the administration of the college at
the annual meeting of the alumni. In
response to this, it was indicated pri-
vately that any such resolutions would,
of course, be most vigorously opposed
but that everyone would be most will
ing to have suitable resolutions pass
ed appreciative of Prof. Russell on his
leave-taking. The resolutions, as ac-
tually drawn up, were SO worded that
while many judicious persons wished
them differently phrased for every
hody's sake, nevertheless it would
have seemed ungracious to discuss or
amend them and so they were let go
through in absolute and complete ST.
lence, not one man venturing to say a
word in their behalf except few per.
functory words by its mover, and COM
paratively few people voting at all.
Several of those who did vote, voted in
a very loud tone of voice and this may
have misled your informant.
Regrets Incident.
1T is most unfortunate and regretta-
BILE that anyone not approaching the
forbearance shown by those who suf-
fered these resolutions, worded as
they were, to pass in silence rather
than to take the ungracious attitude of
opposing them and introducing mar
ring note into the commencement fes-
tivities, should seek to make capital
out of the circumstance. 1t is likewise
regrettable that it should be sought to
make capital out of the neutral and
cordial expressions of good will to
Prof. Russell at his parting at the
Alumni banquet. Prof. Russell was
leaving the college after Is years con-
nection with the institution, after rem
dering services of which (barring very
recent events) we are all justly proud.
1t would seem that in the eyes Of your
informant when the alumni of all
shades of opinion extended to him the
ordinary courtesies of life, they were
making an attack upon President
Kelly.
What does your informant expect?
Does he expect others to show his
own bad manners?
"The statement so ia: as it concerns
Mr.. Barrett's candidacy, is even worse.
The facts in regard to that candidacy
are briefly these 1t was discussed by
a few of Mr.. Barrett's personal friends
long before there was even any breath
of any Russell-Kelly controversy. OF
those who took any active interest in
this candidacy at this early time, l
am, so far as l know, the only person
who even by the standards which GER
tain of Prof. Russell's supporters seem
to have adopted, has now become en-
titled to be called pro-Kelly man.
Needless to say, in favoring Mr.. Bar
rett's candidacy, we were not taking
SlueS Will 1eSPcCC W CoAI1ONcASy
which had not arisen and which we
knew absolutely nothing about Mr..
Barrett was nominated at a meeting
in New York at which l was not pres
ent. 1t was absolutely non-partisan in
character and it is safe to say that as
then advised most of the persons there
present synpathized with Prof. Rus
sell. Mr.. Barrett had been friend Of
both Prof. Russell and President Kelly
for years and had been for several
years one Of the leading contributors
to fund to enable the college to in
crease Prof Russell's salary so as to
retain him at Earlham
Nevertheless, what was our aston
ishment to find after the nominations
had been made and just before the
ballot went out, that not only had GER
tain of Prof Russell's supporters been