The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-05-04
We have carefully read the report

We have carefully read the report OF
Hon. j. I'll. Shannon, president OF the
board of regents to the governor, con-
corning his action in the recent Brook
ings Agricultural college rebellion and
must admit that it is minute In detail,
pleasing in it's philosophy as far as APP
Piled, and it was applied with wonderful
acumen in that address OF his to the
rebellious students, and easy OF dlctlon.
Bro. Shannon is an adept in pleasing
oratory. The graceful way in which
these 100 and more students were dis
missed from the school, without a hear
ing of their grievances from either the
faculty with which they had the diff
Guilty or from the governing boards to
which they had the right Of appeal, must
have served to cheaper their estimate of
their own Importance In the world, and
also their respect for education, so-called
educated men and that educational in
stitutlon in particular. Mr.. Shannon,
according to his view OF the situation,
did his part well, gives a good account
without entering into the original cause
of the difficulty which were what the
taxpayers OF the state were more deslr-
Gus of knowing, secured the dismissal
of the one hundred or more students and
with what are left, one hundred and
five, has the institution running in a
more harmonious and satisfactory way
than aver before in it's history. This,
certainly, is gratifying news and its
continuance earnestly desired. No blame
attaches to the management OF the in
stitution. That has gone with the dis
missed students. They we're entirely
in the wrong.
That is the conclusion one
reaches on reading President Shan
ron's excellent report of the students
revolt. But to one who has passed
through such a crisis in student life, he
naturally asks with a solicitous interest,
has the treatment OF these rebellious
boys and girls been manly and was their
dismissal worth the cost? President
Shannon spoke enthusiast C ally
of the $5,O00,O00 endowment OF the
college and the income therefrom to be
devoted to the education of the loo
students or less who would remain, but
refused t grant the right of appeal to
100 or more students who felt hurt, in
iured, %wronged; because it would cost
the paltry sum of $500 in expenses. We
cannot see the wisdom OF this. But we
can see loo young men and women go.
lng forth into the world for life with
resentment for ~unrequited wrongs rank.
ling in their breast, a sense OF unjust
treatment from those whom they had
right to expect would exercise all the
virtues of manhood, culture n charity
The position of these students may have
been wrong throughout, but their treat
meut has not been such as to eradicate
error or to give them a very high esti
mate of the moral government of oul
public institution, and the people a
large will very much snare in their con
illusions. We entertain the highes
esteem for President Shannon. He
a man of kindest heart and purity O
life, scholarly and ~well-meanIng, bu
from his own statement we must co..
clude that the treatment OF the revolt
ing students was iniudicious under tn
mistaken idea that it was decisive an
economical. Justice should never b
sacrificed to expediency.