Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-08-30
is ELY DANGEROUS.
STATE SUPT. WELLS THINKS
HE Is.
HIS TEACHINGS CALCULATED TO
CAUSE Discomfort.
But the Accuser Declines 10 Try. TO
Prove His Charges Before a Uni
versity Regents Committee-Afraid
That He Won't Have Fair Play
A Sensation CollapSeS.

! Madison, Wis, Aug. pa large
! thrOng gathered at the senior lecture
room in the law building this evening
to listen to the Ely-Wells economic
| controversy. Regent ChynoWeth an
! nOunced that Supt. Wells refused to
appear for the reason that the eX-
| animation was not to be conducted ac-
| cOrding TO the instruction of the
| board. The investigation was adj
! journed until 7:20 p. ~. Tuesday.
| Although refusing to appear in per-
son State Supt. Wells handed in a list
of written charges in substance as
| follows: Mr.. Wells stated that the
| board saw fit to investigate only Ely's
| teachings in class, whereas he thought
ElyS opinions and teachings could
! only be arrived at by taking into con-
sideration all of his books and his
past teachings. That a good many of
his books were in the university Ii
| brary and also in the state historical
library and were used almost eX-
clusively by students on whom they
must make great impression. That
| the trend of Prof. Ely's influence is
shown in the fact that year after
! his coming a joint debate was held
upon the question of Municipal Own
erShip of Lighting and Street Rail
ways, and later on Government Own
ership of Railroads. Mr.. Wells quoted
from Prof. Ely's books showing that
the latters sympathy was with labor
ing men only. That the law of 1879
in Illinois which forbade unauthorized
bodies of armed men was directed
against WOrkingmen. That he crit
cises Judge Barrett of New York for
sentencing five boycotters to Sing
Sing, terming it an error of judgment.
Mr.. Wells contended that the only
effective method of judging Prof.
Ely's books is by judging them as
a whole; by their influence upon ar
dent iupreSsiOnable young men.
Judged by this they convey the i'm
preston that law and authority are
organized oppression. Their teach
ingS must be regarded as ''utOpian, i'm
practicable and perniciOuS.
In conclusion Mr.. Wells said that
the committee had undertaken an in
vestigation unauthorized by the board
and excluded the only evidence that
could be furnished to support his
charges, and that Prof. Ely could
offer such parts of his lectures as
he pleased, where none could refute.
He therefore refused to appear until
! such time as an examination could be
conducted according to the direction
Of the board.
Prof. Ely requested in writing a
full investigation of his writings as
we'll as the attack made upon him
personally.
The committee sent communication
to MI. Wells requesting him to be
! present at the meeting Tuesday.
Madison, Wis, Aug. 21.-The Investi-
CATION of Dr.. Richard T. Ely. for al
legged heresy in his economic teach
ings, and on kindred charges. pre-
ferred by state superintendent q. E.
Wells, was resumed before the uni
versity regents committee this even
ing. Col. George w. Bird, one of the
ableSt attorneys of the Wisconsin bar,
was present to represent Prof. Wells.
Attorney B. W. Jones represented
Dr. Ely.
A long discussion occurred over the
question as to whether the investiga-
ton should be limited to the specific
charges as to the alleged misconduct
of Dr. Ely during a local printers
strike, or to his teachings as repre-
serted in his writings. Col. Bird in
sisted on going into Ely's books, while
the opposition combated the PROPOSE
tiOn. The committee was disposed to
let in a little of the book evidence,
but decided first to proceed with the
specific charges.
w. A. Tracy, Of the local printing
him, SO Tracy testified, that boyc otis
testified that Dr. Ely had urged him
to make his office a union office rather
than to have a strike, and unless he
did so he ely might have to take
his printing elsewhere, as the Chris
tan Social union, for which he was
having it done, might insist on his
doing SO. DR.. Ely also admitted to
IT'LL. 81 lucu, ludL
seemed necessary, sometimes, to en-
able strikers to win. Ely withdrew
printing from Tracy three months aft
er the strike in the office occurred,
but Tracy could not say what the
reason was. A striking printer testi-
fed that Ely entertained a walking
delegate during the strike, but others
had since told him it was not Ely at
all.
Madison, Wis, Aug. 23.-The Ely
inquiry was concluded tonight. Chair
man Chynoweth at the outset an
nounced that he had received, for the
committee, communication from Su-
perintendent o. E. Wells. In the
opening this said: Upon request of
your committee, but against the ad-
vice of friends and counsel, l attended
the meeting of the Dist inst. and took
part in the inquiry then pending be-
fore the committee. The demonstra-
tons that occurred and the sentiments
Of approval and disapproval expressed
dTIriDO tho SitfiDO as we'll aS tho Iir0i-