Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-24
L. j. Mather, L. Pugh,
W. Johnson, Frank NJ. Kerr,
Louis w. Bartlett, +. P. Stewart,
Louis j. Leche, Sam Fitzhugh,
D. w. Brosman, w. Keplinger,
B. RutledgeT Tebault, G. u Hawkins,
E. N. Cullom, Jr.
AN ANSWER TO THE ALUMNI.

| ~. N. CuA1VN}V VI
AN ANSWER TO THEAlUMN1.
Asone Of the six Supervisors of th'
Louisiana State University and A. and NJ
College, who, at the last meeting of th'
Board, voted for reorganization of til,
Faculty and officers of the institution
we deemed it sufficient to publish tht
proceedings, to convince the public thai
the decisive measures adopted were
necessary, if manifest failure in the
past, was to be turned into successful
results in the future.
We had no desire to expose in detail
the many causes that had prevented
the Successful establishment of a Uni.
versity and Agricultural and Mechanical
College in Louisiana, and did not ex.
pect that any attempt would be made
from any quarter to prefer the grave
charge, that without good reasons, with
out any investigation or hearing, such
gentlemen as Senator George L. Walton,
Of Concordia State Superintendent Of
Public Education, Hon. Z. H. Fay e.;
Hon w. H. Pipes, of East Feliciana;
Major Rene T. Beauregard, of Plaque
mine: John Dolhonde, Esq, of New
Orleans, besides our humble self, had
arbitrarily superseded Col. Boyd and
decided to declare vacant the Chairs of
the Faculty.
We were mistaken, however, in our
expectations, as will be seen by the
preceding Protest of the Alumni" gen.
tlemen who are but the graduates of the
old Louisiana University, an institution
whose very name in this community,
is SYNONYMOUS with stupendous fail.
ure, with outstanding liabilities amount
ing to the huge sum of one hundred and
ten thousand dollars, to whose "able
and seli-sacri6cing President" they
say "the State of Louisiana is indebted
for its preservation ~ to-day. Bold
assertions indeed in the face of the fact
that its beneficiary cadets and gradu-
ates did not receive their maintenance
at this institution from either the Pres.
ident or the State of Louisiana, but
really, from a 6rm of butchers, of this
city, who alone furnished S., 800 in meat,
not to speak of, the Bakers, Milkmen,
Gardeners, Grocers, Tailors, Dry Goods
Merchants, Gas Filters, Book Sellers,
dealers in paintings, vendors Of stuffed
animals, ETC., whose bills, amounting to
the aggregate sum named in the above,
are stiH unpaid and unprorided for, while
many of these unfortunate claimants
have been reduced to poverty and want,
and no serious effort, that ace know of, MADE
to COME to their relief by either the
State or the Alumni or ex-cadets, who
to-day raise the voice of condemnation
upon gentlemen who are endeavoring
to prevent the total ruin of the Agri.
cultural and Mechanical College, whose
specific branches hare not been putin opcr-
alton since its consolidation with their
bankrupt University, whose revenues pro.
per do not amount to more than six or
seven thousand dollars per annum.
If we oue those Alumni and the pub.
lie an explanation for the course adopt
ed by the Supervisors in question, we
will furnish it as far as our memory will
serve us:
Most cheerfuly do we state that we
believe Col. D. F, Boyd, the President
Of the Faculty, to be incapable of doing
q dishonest act; but We feel convinced
that he does not possess those peculiar
qualifications which are necessary to
the successful conduct of what was in
tended to be great free institution of
learning.
Now to the point:
Prior to the meeting Of the Board of
Supervisors, we learned that Col. Boyd |
had written letters to Senator Walton
and Others, telling them that he did
not believe a full quorum would be
present on the regular stated day, des.
pite the fact that due notice had been
given.
Why did he think so? Surely such !
letters could not but contribute to this
result
Although now Board had been ap.
and announced fully six weeks
before the date of the meeting, giving
him ample time to prepare full state
nent of the financial condition of the
College, and he certainly should have
that such statement would
'e called for. Col. Boyd, when asked to
urnlsh it by the Board, was unprepared
20 do so, and the Supervisors reluctant
y compelled to give him time TO nre-