1858-03-01 Trustee Committee Minority Report on B. F. Wyeth Memorial, 2021.004.061

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The minority of the Committee to whom was referred the memorial of M^r Wyeth, dissenting from the conclusion to which the majority has arrived, and deeming it proper to give the reasons for his dissent, asks leave to submit the following - Report:

The undersigned regrets the necessity of offering views in opposition to his colleagues upon the Committee, who are gentlemen of so much larger experience, and so much his seniors in age, wisdom and learning - and he would premise that he does so with much diffidence - nevertheless he would not on that account shrink from the performance of what he deems to be a plain and simple duty - nor fail to uphold what he believes to be the cause of justice although it may be the unpopular side. He therefore respectfully asks the Board to examine the statements before arriving at their final conclusion. -

This matter is considered by some persons as of very little consequence and that it is unwise, nay improper - to pursue it any further; and have even insinuated that improper motives have an influence in regard to it.

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I suppose it is hardly necessary for me in the outset to discliam having_{being actuated by} any motives except the desire of having equal and exact justice done to a poor and humbel individual, a stranger to me, except in the short and casual acquaintance which I have had with him officially^priorand subsequent to his removal, in my capacity of Trustee; - and a desire as one of the members of the Board, to be able to present a clean record to our Constituents and the public. And this I am sure is the sentiment of the whole Board.

To the Trustees and the Proprietors the change of one Gatekeeper for another, if the new appointed be competent to the duties, is a matter of very little moment - it can be done by a vote, and theforgotten immediately afterwards; - to the individiual it has perhaps a vital importance the extent of which we hardly realize. - Not only the loss of pecuniary emolument - but that of reputation, the jewel which all men should prize, may be involved in it - and can it therefore be considered in any light a small matter for a large Corporation, and particularly one of the sacred chracter of ours, to do any acthoweverof injustice to an individual however humble?

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M^rWyeth was appointed by an unanimous vote, Gatekeeper and superintendent's Clerk. He performed the duties faithfully and was apparently a superior man for the position - possessing a more than ordinary knowledge and capacity for the performance of the duties of that position. - No complaint was made to the Board of want of faithfulness or improper conduct. - So far as it came under my own observation he was at his post at proper times - courteous to strangers - and always evinced a desire to facilitate any improvements in his department. - Such was the position of affairs up to the first meeting of the Trustees in February 1857. - At that meeting after the Treasurer, Secretary and Superintendent had been elected and the Board were about to proceed to the election of Gatekeeper, it was moved by one of the Trustees, that the appointment of that Officer be laid upon the table. He was asked for what reason. - He replied for two; one was that M^rWyeth had been engaged in obtaining proxies[?] to be used at the annual election of Trustees which had been held a short time before, for the purpose of electing new members in place of some of the previous incumbents, and the other was, that we could get a better man for

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less pay. The motion very properly prevailed, that time might be given to the gentleman who made the charge, to produce evidence of the fact; the Board of course reserving to itself to judge afterwards whether the charge if true, should be deemed sufficient cause for so summary a punishment, or whether they would pursue the more magnanimous course of admonishing the offender that a repetition of the offence must be deemed sufficient ground for his discharge. - The matter was accordingly passed over to the next meeting of the Board.

Desirous of obtaining light so tht I could act intelligently and properly at the next meeting, I took steps to ascertain whether the ony charge made against M^rWyeth was true. - He told me that it was entirely groundless - that he had not obtained a single proxy - nor made any effort to obtain one - and that he was entirely innocent of anyt thing of the kind. -

At the succeeding meeting of the Trustees, I supposed tht some evidence would be brought to substantiate the charge; but the gentleman who had the election postponed for that reason, then stated that he had not

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been able to procure any proof. - Thus the only charge was dropped - and it remained for the Trustees to determine whether the other suggestion, to wit: that teh sercies of another man could be procured at a less price, should determine the Board to dismiss M^r Wyeth and appoint that other man in his pace, and that too without allowing the former the option of retaining the office at the reduced salary. -

It was rather an objectionable feature to some of the Board in regard to the personb proposed to supercede MrWyeth, that he should endeavor to obtain the situation b offering to perform the duties at a less price than the Corporation were paying at the t ime, or at least