Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-15
The Right Sort Of q President.

The letter of Paul A. Chadbourne to the
trustees of the Massachusetts Agricultural
College, in reply to their request that he
would accept the presidency of that institu-
tion, is very frank and out spoken docu-
ment. Mr.. Chadbourne says
I am a citizen, and exercise my rights and ex-
press my convictions on politics and religion in
all places, and no official position must interfere
with my full freedom in this respect While
am receiving pay from any institution never
again wish to solicit funds for it, except far as
can do 1t by commencing the institution by Its
efficiency, and showing 1t to be worthy of help
do not wish to become an annual solicitor Of
funds from the legislature or individuals. can
never again become connected with an institution
in which trustees or patrons insist that young
men should be kept to be reformed, or that they
are to be tolerated in rowdyism and lawlessness.
No man should enter college till he is old enough
TO know what he goes there for, and he should
| not be kept there single day after he forgets his
duty as a citizen Of the commonwealth that is ed
ucating him, or fails to profit by the adyantag
| given him. ! do not believe in toleratng or ig-
| norng the follies and vices Of young men. have
| been compelled TO do this to some extent in the
| past in Difference to custom. will have no hand
| In tolerating such evils in time TO come wher-
ever my lot may be cast. Order and quiet
sacred regard for every penny OF property and
all the rights OF others should be required OF every
student of every college, especially Of one belong
| ing to the state which has reform schools In other
| places. | should want an advance all along the
line especially an attempt made to secure stu
dent-a picked man and pledged farmer-from
every agricultural society in the state, student
aided in part from the fund given by the state to
| the society. Let each society give yearly pre-
MUM for man, for the best young farmer.
The greatest evil in our colleges is that
they are filled up with rich mems rowdy
sons, who are allowed by the managers to
misbehave themselves in all sorts of shame
ful ways, to impose upon other students
who are there ON business, and to lead away
into mischief and sin the sons of men who
are depriving themselves of comforts in
their old age that these sons may be edu-
Gated. II is considered drawing card by
most of the colleges that rich men send theil
sons there, and as these gilded youths pre-
fer the colleges which will permit them t.
study little and misconduct themselves
much, there is competition between tn,
college authorities in the matter of lenit,
where severity should exist. Another evi
thing about our colleges is that the NOR
richly they are endowed the more it costs h
get an education there. The poor college
give the best education for the least money
as rule. 1t seems to us that free college
controlled by the state must in time tax
tho place Of the old-fashioned institutions,
few Of which may be preserved as curios
b ties and for the use of the aristocracy of ou
= democratic republic. 1t is now about O
much as poor boys life is worth 10 go I
1 one of these leading colleges" Within
i few months one boys eyes were put out
a hazing party And more recently sewers
q students were absolutely abducted and ca
J ried away by party of their mates. II
almost daily matter to see reports of I'll
l. rowdyism and ruilianism of college student
y aud this seems especially true of easter
o colleges. Therefore Mr. Chadbourne's lie
!. ter comes like a Whit of clear air across
. mephitic swamp. We will all pray for mol
g like it,