About this time happened one of the those mysterious things which may always be counted upon to happen when you are dealing with the Helen Ghouls and the Shepard’s Crooks. Somehow or other the news of the affair gets to the capitalist press; somehow the capitalist press comes into possession of the complete documents—of one side of the case! This time it was the New York “World” which learned that a committee of the National Civic Federation was preparing a report on Bolshevism at St. Stephen’s, and the “World” published this report upon its front page. Dr. Carstensen, who in the meantime had visited St. Stephen’s, wrote to President Bell that he had refused to sign the report. He added that the report was about to be issued officially by the National Civic Federation; to which President Bell replied, expressing doubt that the report would be officially issued. The publication in the New York “World” had raised a storm among the supporters of St. Stephen’s; and, said President Bell, “Easley is not fond of making charges the responsibility for which he cannot easily disavow, when he discovers that he has done something unpopular.”
Sure enough, when one of the trustees of the National Civic Federation came out in the “World” supporting President Bell, Mr. Easley suddenly stepped from under! He publicly denied that he had anything to do with the attack on St. Stephen’s, and declared that the committee had no connection with the National Civic Federation, but that the members of the committee alone were responsible for what they had done! Imagine, if you can, the chagrin of poor Mr. Eighty-two-year-old Everett P. Wheeler! Mr. Wheeler wrote to President Bell to explain that he had nothing to do with the publication, that he had protested against it to the New York “World,” and that he considered it “a shameful abuse by a great newspaper.” The purpose of the committee, said Mr. Wheeler, had been to act toward President Bell “as Christian brethren, and to give you every opportunity to explain your position. We are not without hope that we may convince you that you have erred.”
So you can see what has happened; poor Mr. Wheeler blames the New York “World,” but his aged mind does not go back to the question of who supplied the “World” with the data of which it made use. Who was it, do you think? Was it the Shepard’s Crook, employing the name and reputation of an aged dotard, once a vigorous reformer, as a means to assail a liberal teacher and clergyman? Telling Mr. Wheeler that he is serving on a committee of the National Civic Federation, and that the purpose of this committee is to prepare an appeal to President Bell, in the hope of convincing him that he has erred; and then secretly permitting this confidential material to reach the New York “World”; and finally when he sees that his charges have overshot the mark, disavowing his aged tool, and leaving him exposed to public contempt!
I conclude with President Bell’s summary of what this story shows about Mr. Ralph M. Easley:
1. His willingness to attack an institution and a person because of personal bias, and to involve the National Civic Federation in the task of pulling his personal chestnuts out of the fire.
2. The absurdity of his contention that his society has never attacked individuals.
3. His absolute lack of courtesy in correspondence.
4. His willingness to circulate sub rosa information about people whom he does not like, and when caught at it to deny responsibility in the name of himself and of his Federation.
5. His using of other people for his purposes, telling them only what he wishes of the controversies in which he seeks to engage their aid. This is especially plain in his refusal to tell the committee headed by Mr. Wheeler that this college was welcoming investigation and that it had invited him to investigate for himself or send others to investigate. If Mr. Wheeler had known all this it would have thrown an entirely different emphasis upon the whole situation.