The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-04-20

lSeVeral months ago l, as a BaptSt,
called the attention of the Negro
Baptists of Tennessee to the status
of Roger Williams University. Hav.
ing no friends to favor OF enemies
to punish, but as president of the
Missionary Baptist State Convention
of Tennessee, while Investigating our
educational institutions preparatory
to the recommendations, | desired to
make at the annual session, | dis
, covered that the Negro Baptists did
not own Roger Williams University,
and wrote under the caption, who
Owns Roger Williams? The Bumpers
May Not, but the Incorporated Mis-
sionary and Educational Convention
Does Not and Cannot" And now
with the elaborate and exhaustive
document before me, with the names
of the following members OF the
Trustee Board of Roger Williams at
tached:
VIM. Haynes, G. H. Bandy, Peter
Vertrees, A. D. Hurt, A. o. Kenney,
H. M. Green, A. M. Townsend, P. j.
Carr, Rufus w. Weaver, w T. High
tower, E. M. Lawrence, D. A. Town
send, A. B. Hill.
/ confess that the revelations
therein are startling, therefore | am
firmer in my belief and stronger in
nv contention that the Negro Bap-
lists of Tennessee do not own the
institution, and the trustees not be-
ing ignorant are guilty OF gross neg
lect and jugglery. a"
In my article of January IL, 1917,
treated the matter as "blunder
by pointing out a few legal techni-
calities." On January 20, 1917,
wrote in the same suggestive mood
without making any charge against
any one. If blunders were all we
we're to discuss now, this article
would give me bit Of joy, but the
trustees in their laborious reply have
made statements that have startled
the most conservative and will en-
barass their most ardent admirers
and humiliate their friends.
Dear Rev. Haynes would have the
people think that he was placed on
the sacrificial altar when he was ap'
pointed financial agent to collect
$1,000, out of which he was entitled
to from 10 to 20 per cent commits
sion, beside nice commission for
making the sale for Mr.. ]. o. Kirk.
patrick and Son. Did he get any.
thing? He can speak for himself
Notice the trustees say:
We. are prepared to prove that
Roger Williams has, from the begin
. ming of the new institution, aid now
does belong to the Baptists Of Ten
nessee.
We will show that this provision
was made from the start.
The above statement is lame for
the want of facts to support it, foI
will show later that the only
genuine attempt to make it appear
that the property belonged to the
Negro Baptists was made eight years
and five months after the property
was purchased by the Home Mission
Society of New York, and sixty days
after my article of January IL, 1917
and yet that attempt fails through
negligence and lack of sincerity
They say
Third-there was no necessity 70,
a change of charter nor to make al
amendment thereto since the Trustees
under this charter transferred all thei
rights and so on to Board o
Trustees elected by the Missionar!
and Educational Convention Of Ten
nessee, which we show later.
Pure deception. They could mo-
and cannot transfer their corporal,
rights to an unincorporated body
Here is the plain law and it is II
their charter and they know it:
UAW-The members may at an.
time voluntarily dissolve the corpora
ton by a conveyance of its asset!
and property to any other corpora
ton holding a charter from the stat,
for the purposes not Of individual
profit, first, providing for corporate
debts"
The trustees know they did no
df solve Roger Williams at the be
ginning or in the year CT 1907. VIII,
FOOL THE PEOPLE? The fol
lowing Is what the trustees would
have us believe to be transfer mad,
October 20, 1907:
Secretary of State.
The following is the action Of tn
Trustee Board in the transfer to tn
new Board as found in the minutes O
meeting held at the rooms of tn
Southern Baptist Sunday Schoc
Board, Nashville, Tennessee, Octobe
26, 1907.
Motion OF A. B. Hill, that the 70
lowing persons selected by the Exc
cutive Board Of the Baptist Mission
airy and Educational Convention G
Tennessee be elected to fill the plac
of the present board to take .effec
when this action is approved by tn
Corresponding Secretary Of the Amel