The Indianapolis journal., 1885-05-03

Iowa, and o chimericaf one in Mis-
souri,, only to work without heart or hope until
in less than four years he died; as those who
knew him best believed, of broken heart at
the early age of forty-three.
This remniscence would be incomplete Il |
did not add that the trustees and visitors lived
to regret the step so hastily taken, and they
would gladly have retraced it If that
had been possible. He was succeeded by
DIR. Daniel Curry, whose scholarship was prob
ably more mature but not more varied, but who
as preacher was not equal to DR.. Berry, espe-
cially before Western audience. His discipline
was along the same line of that taken by DR..
Berry. He believed in absolute obedience, and
it was soon said of him that in the matters
which gave offense under DIR. Berry, his little
finger was greater than Dr. Berry's loins. This
fact was hardly developed before, encouraged by
their success in removing DIR. Berry, the same
element of insubordination plotted to remove
him also, and it took such form, that at the
third annual meeting of the board he too was
virtually asked to resign, and the University was
so nearly in the hands of insubordinate students
that the entire senior class left before gradua-
ting. and almost absolute anarchy prevailed. 1t
was an early crop of the whirlwind which so
surely comes from sowing wind. 1t was the le.
gitiment sequence of yielding the Judgment OF
men to the demand of untamed young America.
And now will you indulge an old mana friend
of the University from its beginning, a cheerful
contributor when dollar was harder to get by a
Methodist preacher than ten are now, and at
different times sustaining official relation to 1t in
the capacity of agent, trustee and vlsltor-to
say that in looking back over the half century OF
its history now almost completed, am of the
opinion that the greatest mistake made by the
board Of trustees has been the listening to the
camors bordering on the dctations of the stu
dents, and in most cases led by the more juvenile
classes at that. More than once this has re-
moved some of the best teachers ever employed;
and this has not been limited to the years be-
yond the food, for within this decade it has
done much mischief. And may l also suggest
what seemed to me the cause OF all thlss Other
elements may enter into 1t, but to my MIND the
chief weakness Of the institution is the failure to
tie her children to her There is absolutely no
bond between the alumni and the University,
that I know of. In these forty-five years in
which she has furnished representative men in
the legislative, judicial and executive depart
ments of the State and the Nation, and in all
professions and in commerce, she has never ap-
pealed to her alumni for advice or aid, except
that. at the annual commencements, some spe-
cifc collection has so uniformly been pressed
that many an alumnus has staid away of neces-
sity. After the first few years after graduation
and soon lose all interest In all these years
less than half dozen alumni from among her
eminent laymen have ever been on the board,
and these were not elected by the alumni to rep
resent them nor because they were the al
umni. The board has been composed of good
preachers and good farmers and the Ike vet at
no time has one-half of them been graduates of
any college.
Please allown further, to indulge in a pleas
ant romini5cence. In 1856 I declined the re-
election to the trusteeship which my brethren
kindly rendered me, and suggested as my sue
cessor Washington G. DePauw, who has con-
tnued ever SINCE with results that are we'll
known. BY securing him | not only obtained
o man who has given literally to the fund of the
institution, but who has, in the last ten years,
and especially in the last two years, devoted
more time and thought to the details of business
than all the other trustees put together, so that
it is pardonable to say that he generally has his
own way, for the others defer to his knowledge
more than to his money. Yet it is due to him
to say that some of the late removals
Of very worthy men from tho faculty
werc contrary to his advice and
over his opposition My information
Is that he gives attention to the most minute de-
tail of building and other expenditures of
money. and can but hope that he will be able
to control those who are clamorng for change
in the present faculty, IL the whisperings Of that
bird that carries gossip are to be credited, es-
pecially If that change must strike down some
who are in the prime of life, and have devoted
so many years to this work that it will be i'm
possible to take up any other when this is laid
down.
FRANKFORT, Ind. i -UA4s