Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-08-07
PROTEST..

fs tf I'll
IN the Homo, lille Presidentand Members of the
Board of Supervisors Of The Louisiana State
University and Agricultural and Mechanical
College
We, the undersigned alumni and ex-
cadets Of the Louisiana State univer-
sity and Agricultural and Mechanical
College, residing in and near tie city OF
Baton Rouge, where the college is now
located, beg leave to submit to the clti-
zens of the State of Louisiana orr s0ls
emn and respectful protest against the
hasty and ill-advised action OF six mem.
bers of the recently appointed Board OF
Supervisors in dismissinS, without a
sufficient or satisfactory cause or hear
ing, the entire faculty, including the
President, Col. d. L. Boyd, who has so
long, so indefatigably, so generously
and so nobly devoted his time and en-
ergy to the well-being and best interest
of our Alma Mater.
We protest.
I. Because we have an inherent right
to do so--a right recognized by the
whole civilized world, that right sacred
to the alumni of any college to guard
zcalously it's well 7being,. and to raise
their voices insits defense whenever it
is threatened with danger of dcstruc-
ton.
9. Because we think the action Of the
six members above mentioned prema-
ture and unprecedented, calculated to
disorganizeand cripple our State Uni
vcrsity and lose to the youth of o'rState
the chances of home education.
We think their action premature, be-
cause these six members Scarcely more
than third of the entire boardD were
entirely unacquaintcd with the organi-
cation of the school, many Of them hav-
ing no experience whatever in such
matters until their meeting in Baton
Rouge and in four days could not posi-
bly, have gained sufficient information
upon which to base such radical and
extreme action as the adoption of Mr..
Walton's resolution dismissng the whole
facnlty without any specific charges
against tRlem, placing u stigma upon
each and every member Of. the faculty,
unwarrantcd and without even being
heard. FkEk# gkE kEE q
Sd. We think it unprecedented, be-
cause, Notwithstanding the fact that it
was impossible for Col. Boyd, the Prcsi-
dent, to give his entire time and atten-
ton to the board then--it being the
commencement week, the busiest period
insthe whole Academic year-the board
were relentless in requiring Of him facts
that the old board We're familiar with,
and which would have taken several
days of his undivided attention to COM
pile-the onerous duties of the College
at that time, making it impossible for
him to comply Immediately with their
demands; and, Notwithstanding that
he asked for further time, stating ths
reasons above set forth, they, the six
members, passed Mr.. Walton's resoln
ton, without granting the request, at
the very time that the audience were
gathering for the purpose Of witnessing
the closing exercises of the school. The
school was left at this juncturc in q de-
Siderable predcament the closing cxer-
cises to be conducted, certificates of
distinction and proficiency to be award
ed, and no one authorized to cvAduct
them: and had it not been for the gen
crosby of Col. Boyd, the expelled Pres
idont, the school would have been dis
banded in the utmost confusion. In fAc
of all this, Col. Boyd, with thatssamc
sclf.sacriicing devotion, disregarding
the injustice that had been done him,
performed these duties without the as
sistance orpresence of single member
of the BOard-a fact never before oc-
curing in the history of the school.
These are facts that cannot be denied.
1t is with the deepest 0gret that W,
record the fact that the great good done
for the school by Col. Boyd, to whom il
owes its existence to-day, and to whom
the citizens of the State and the alumni
owe debt of gratitude whicllahey car
never pay, has been entirely ignored by
the six members of the Board, while the
y defects of his administration, passed
upon so rigidly by them, have beer
swelled into stupendous enormities. Ant
right here we assert, having investigated
the matter, we find the school to be in :
good financial condition: only five thou
sand Of the twenty-!our thousand five
hundred and fifty dollars appropriated
for. the use of the school this year ha