Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-06-22
Plea for the University.

The troubles at the State university
eliminating in the resignation of Pres
ident Cbamberlin show us again one
of the outcomes of our present state
politics. 1t is not the work of the peo-
pie, nor necessarily of the Democratic
party as a whole, but that of few
leaders. 1t ought to soon become clear
what these certain few are working for.
They have gone so far as to lay bold of
the best the state has to make it serve
their selfish ends.
Here is state institution, the peo-
pies own, where they may send the3r
sons and daughters to gain an educa-
ton which may better fit them to sue
ceed in life. At its head is man with
executive ability second to none, with
heart devoted to the work of making
the Institution one of the best in the
country. Who will doubt this? Look
at only one of it's departments, that OF
engineering. 1t was President Cham
berlin who secured the best men he
could find, men with modern methods:
had they not been such President Jor
dan, of the Leland Stanford, Jr., uni
versity, would not have tried his best
to enlist these men into his services.
He succeeded, not only because he
could offer higher salaries, but the in
ffuence on them of our state politics,
the criticisms as to methods and sal
aries, induced them to yield readily
and accept the positions offered them.
The rumors of the intended resigna-
ton of the president led the students
to try their best to retain him. En- a
mass meeting assembled they drew up
resolutions endorsing the presidents
policy and petition signed by the stu
dents was submitted urging him to re-
main. But other forces were too
strongly at work overbalancing the eff
forts made. He did not resign because
be received the tempting offer from
Chicago, for he had had a standing
offer from elsewhere for two years even
better than the one mentioned; but
the constant criticism and interference
experienced, the sources of which are
by this time well known, made it too
hard to contiue.
Is it not shame that the machinery
of politics of a state should 60 SO far,
destroying one of it's best institutions?
For what else can it mean? Read the
papers and you will see how one pro-
fessor after the other has accepted posi-
tons with other institutions. Will
others come to take their places under
these conditions? Will the best men
leave their positions and place them
selves under the indirect influence of
a gang of politicians?
1t is indeed high time for the people
of the state to make a clean sweep az
soon as convenient. The effects of the
present reign are obvious. If educa-
ton is power let us foster all of our
institutions of learning, the crown of
which is our unive rsity standing at the
peoples service, the pride of the state
and the center of its best influence.
Sustain her, encourage her work, that
there may go forth from her walls men
and women who may become true
leaders of the people, not petty dema-
gogues, or bosses at the head of a cor
rupt system; men and women who may
become blessing to the country, living
examples of truth and right, not speci-
mems filled with desire to gain mere
political power, making use of anything
right or wrong, preferring crooked to
a straight path if it only leads to the
desired goal.
Again, let us use our power and put
down the mean trickery of these few.
For we must go onward and upward;
only a straight path will do. With vir-
tue and justice, the aim of true educa-
ton, as the ideal before us, we will rise
to a higher plane, approaching more
and more the true destiny of man,
coming more and more into harmony
with the truth at once supreme, infinite
and eternal. STUDENT q. w.