The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-18
Chicago University Directors
Explain Prot. Bemis's Case.
Deny That He Was Discharged
for His Doctrines.
WAS NOT RESTRAINED.
They Say Freedom of Teaching
Wasn't Involved.
President Harper's "Shut Up"
Letter Explained.

CHICAGO, Oct 18-Albion w. Small,
the head professor of sociology and
Nathaniel Butler, director of the Univer-
sity Extension Bureau. of the University
of Chicago, with the concurrence of Presl-
dent Harper, have replied in a lengthy
letter to the statement made by Prof
Edward Bemis, relative to his dismissal
from the university.
They say that from the first Professor
Bemis's position was that of university
extension professor and that his services
were never needed in the university
proper.
The number of lectures delivered by
the professor are cited, and it is said that
the attendance constantly decreased
His actual earnings are given as 1000 a
year while his salary was $4,000.
Regarding Prof Harper's letter to
Prof. Bemis, it is said: "The letter Of
Prof. Harper to Mr. Bemis in
reference to his remarks in the
First Presbyterian church was
written ct time when the citizens of
Chicago were in great anxiety because
of the disturbed condition of affairs.
at should be noted that President Har
per's request that Dir. Bemis should ex-
made with reference to any utterances
which Mr.. Bemis was making in univer-
sity work or in university extension lee
lures, but in an outside capacity before d
promiscuOus audience.
"This was as already intimated at
time when agitation of any kind was I'M
iversally regarded as imprudent L
should also be noted that President Har-
per did not even then take issue with Mr..
Bemis, on any doctrine but that he re-
quested him 10 be careful about making
untimely aud immature statements.
''Soon after Mr.. Bemis was informed,
more than a year ago. sgs the letter,
SHAT his services were no fonger desired
by the university, one of the sign
ers of this paper was notified
by a friend of Mr. Bemis, fl S.
by letter. and afterward YER
bally, that If Prof. Bemis is not re-
tanned a newspaper agitation will be be-
gun, from which the university will not
recover in a generation The reply was
that if this was intended as a threat no
more direct means could be taken to
hasten the termination of Mr.. Bemis'
connection with the university.
TO summarize, Mr. Bemis has com
PEELED US to advertise both his incompe-
tency as a university extension lecturer
and also the opinion of those most closely
associated with him, that he is not quail
fed to fill q university position. We
wish to make the most emphatic
and unreserved assertion which
words can convey that the
freedom of teaching has never been in
volved in the case The case of Dir.
Bemis would have been precisely the
same if his subject had been Sanskrit or
psychology or mathematics.
AS final evidence that the univer-
sity had no quarrel with Mr. Bemis'
doctrines, we add that the university
offered to continue to announce Prof.
Bemis' extension courses in the univer-
sity lists, and 10 give him all possible as
sistance to make lecture engagements.
Mr.. Bemis to retain all of the fees with
out the customary deduction for office ex-
penses.
The offer was to hold good until Jan
uary 10, 1896, and Mr.. Bemis did not de-
cline it until August, 1895. Had he not
chosen to represent himself as a martyr,
he might have been lecturing today un-
der the auspices of the university, al
though on his own financial RESPONSE
bility."