The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-20
PROF. ELY'S TRIAL.
The Noted Educator Accused of
Being a Socialist.
Is Called Before the Wisconsin
Board of Regents
TO UNDERGO TRIAL
For His Views on the Sociolog-
} UNDERGO TRIAL
For His Views on the Sociolog-
ical Problem.
Prof. Ely Sided With Union
Labor Against NOn-U Union.

MADISON. Wis. Aug. 2O-All the prelim-
inaries for the trial of Prof. Richard 7. Ely,
of the University of Wisconsin, which
commences this afternoon, have been COM
pleted The case is one without parallel
and will attract attention in university
and college circles throughout the world.
The judges are committee Of the board
Of regents, and Superintendent Of Pub
lie instruction .. l. Wells is accuser and
prosecutor. Prof. Ely is dean of the
school of economics, political science
and history. He conducts his own de-
Tense. There is a large array OF wit
nesses on both sides.
The charges ageinst Professor Ely are
outlined in the following letter written
to the New York Nation by Superinten-
dent Wells about month ago:
''Your statement in the last Nation to
the effect that there is a sort of moral
justification for the attacks upon life and
property based upon a theory which
comes from the colleges. libraries and
lecture rooms, and latterly from the
churches, is supported by the teaching
and the practice of the University of
Wisconsin. Somewhat more than year
ago a strike occurred in the Office OF the
Democratic Printing company, the state
printers. An agitatar or a walking dele
gate came from Kansas City to counsel
aud assist the strikers.
He was entertained at Professor Ely's
with him. A little later a strike occurred
in another printing house in the city in
which Professor Ely. was also an abet-
tor and counselor. He also demanded Of
the proprietor that their Office
should be made a union Office,
threatening to take his printing
away if they did not comply. Upon their
refusal of his repeated demands, Profess
sor Ely withdrew his printing, informing
them that he had always been in the
habit Of dealing with union offices. In
conversation with one of the proprietOr5
he said that where skilled workman was
needed a dirty, dissipated, unmarried,
and unskilied tramp Of union man
should be employed in preference to the
industrious, skillful. trust worthy non
union man, who is a head of family.
He also stated that the latter would
have no ground for complaint, as he
could easily remove the objections to
him by joining the union, and that con-
scientious scruples against joining the
union would prove the individual to be
crank"
The prominence of Professor Ely as an
enunciator of and instructor in the theO-
ries of socialism and political economy
and the directness of the charges against
him have attracted wide spread atten-
tiOn all over the country. Professor Ely
came to Wisconsin from John Hopkins
university two years ago and in tho en-
suing winter he delivered a series of six
lectures in Plymouth church. on .1Social-
ism," drawing large audiences. The
lectures were under the auspices
Of the Milwaukee Peoples Institute
tute, and the proceeds were to be devOt-
ed to the establishment OF fellowship
at the university in the school of political
science. DR.. Ely also gave the course at
St. Paul during the same season. At one
of the lectures Prof Ely stated that his
talks were not intended to indorse the
various theories of the German and
French socialism which he expounded.
The lectures were considered the most
able of the kind ever delivered, and the
audiences included some OF the most in
tellectual people in Milwaukee