The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-06-23
LINCOLN INSTITUTE THREAT.
ENED.

first thought when discharged
from service was to establish in
Missouri a school where their chill
dren could obtain a useful educa-
ton. In 1880 the institution was
transferred to the state and since
then it has been generously pro-
vided for by the state Legislature.
That President Allen is held in
high estee mby the leading white
citizens of the state as well as by
the Colored citizens is evidenced
from the following letter appear
ing in the Daily Capital of Jeffer-
son City of the issue of June 10Th
from ole of the most distinguish
ed educators in the state:
Editor Capital News:
The announcement was made in one
of our local papers last Saturday that
the board of regents of Lincoln In
stitute had not so far been able to
elect a faculty and that politicians had
succeeded in deferring the reelection
of President B. +. Allen. | confess
tn announcement awakened not only
my surprise, but something more
something bordering On indignation.
Reading further we learned that a
Negro politician at Kansas City has
been active in opposing President AL
len on the ground that he is a Repub-
lican. Any ground of opposition more
preposterous than that can not well
be conceived, and IN more effective
way to utterly wreck the good name
and the good work of this successful
and valuable institution has not yet
made appearance. If pretty and per-
nicious politics are henceforth to
dominate in the management of this
highly important institution no more
serious harm can befall it, and the
hopes of it's best friends will surely
suffer disastrous eclipse. The truth is,
a school of advanced learning is no
place for the incompetent and meddle-
some politician-let him confine him
self to the congenial sphere of ward
politics.
l am highly pleased to say that for
one and twenty years have known
President Allen more or less intimate
ly. | have during all these years Wis
tied the Institute from time to time.
Ny own long experience as a college
president and my present position as
a trustee in two of the leading col
leges of Missouri qualities me, l
think, to speak with judgment on col
lege work and college efficiency. |
venture, therefore, to say that all the
work done under the eye and hand of
President Allen is good work, and well
merits the highest approval.
| always take pleasure in attending
the commencement and similar eXer-
cises of Lincoln Institute, and l do
not hesitate to say thSy they compare
favorably in this regard with the aver
age high school AMI college of the
present day.
If these statements are true, and
this beneficient institution has for
years, under President Aliens admin
istration, been accomplishing such
pTaiseworthy results, is it the wise
and just thing now to take from him
his insignia of office, strip him of all
authority and send him like a dis
graced commander to the rear? In
the name of justice and fair play, I
a longtime citizen of Missouri pro-
test. The old Latin words are always
timely; Fiat Justitia ruat coslum."
Very respectfully yours,
JOHN FENTON HENDY.
The Sun has no axes to grind
nor selfish interests to serve when
it solemnly asserts that it believes
the best interests of the school,
the state and the Negroes of the
state of Missouri will be sub
served by the retention of Benja-
min Franklin Allen in the presi-
dency Of this historic institution
and that politics may no more be
permitted to dwarf and disfigure
the usefulness of this much need
ed institution any more than it
would the magnificent institution
located at Columbia for the edu-
cation of the white youth Of this
great commonwealth. The Sun
regrets that this vicious and I'M
warranted fight upon this institu-
ton emanated from Kansas City
and assures the Board of Regents
and the Governor that not fifty
Colored men in Missouri can be
found who will endorse the
charges (if they be called
charges), placed against Presi-
dent Allen by an unwise polite
ian with over-weening ambitions,
Let President Allen remain!
Chicago, m.-The trial of Oscar De
Priest, former Alderman of the Sec