Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-12-23
REFUTES THE CHARGS.
President Adams Says the TRADE
Against Him is Not Worthy
of Consideration.

Madison, Wis, Dec. 19.-[Speciall-
The charges of School Superintendent
Peterson of Winnebago county against
the Wisconsin university and President
Adams has created great stir in educa-
tional circles. At meeting of the board
of state university visitors it was de-
cided to appoint a committee to investi-
gate the charges against the university
and President G.. K Adams. Gen. Luz
cius Fairchild, president of the board,
has appointed the following committee:
Prof. r. III. Halsey, Oshkosh, chairman;
Horace Rublee, Milwaukee; Mrs. Mary
Walmsley, Eau Claire; B. X. Miller,
Milwaukee; Prof. George w. Beck,
Platteville.
President Adams gives an entirely diff
| ferent view of the case. In an inter-
view Mr.. Adams says:
Il have not seen MIR. PederSOn's
charges against the university and it's
| management, and [ have made only a
cursOry examination of the report of his
statements published in the papers AS
| yet | am not prepared to say whether
or not | will reply, but if his charges
warrant my making any statement | will
Mr.. Pederson's acquaintance and have
| never seen him, and to the best of my
! knowledge he has never seen me.
'From what / know of the matter
| thus far | am convinced that the charges
| do not deserve more than passing atten-
| ton. It is surely evident from all the
| facts in the case that his attack was
| caused by purely malicious motives. He
| came to Madison last week, not to gath
| err facts about the university, but to col
| lect material to aid him in venting a
! petty spite. He did not come to me for
any data, nor did he converse with any
of the university professors or officers,
| as far as l have been able to learn.
| he spent the greater part of his time
| In visiting offices in the state capitol,
and talked, it appears. with several uni
| verslty students, whose opinions about
the management of the institution were
| hnal, as far as his purposes We're con-
| cerned.
If he had taken the trouble to come
| to the office of the board of regents here
or to myself he would have been able to
! gather some facts about the university.
His attack is one mass Of extravaganza
| statements without any foundation
| whatever. 1t is so widely inaccurate,
unjust and unfair that comment is I'M
necessary. Since | came to Wisconsin
the policy of the university has remained
| unchanged. We have endeayored to
| carry on the work of education along
| the line laid down by previous admins
| trations, and the result is that the uni
| verslty has grown and prospered, and
| was never in better condition every way
| than 1t is at the present time.
MIR. Pederson's statement as regards
| the increase in fees at the university is
! entirely wrong, and there is no sem
! blance of truth whatever in that part of
| his report; that unless members of the
| freshman class select their studies with
| care they will recte entirely to fellows
| AS a matter of fact, we have but few
! fellows at the university in proportion
| to other colleges. The University of
| Wisconsin is not a rich mans college,
neither is poor mans college, but it is
an institution of learning for all of the
people irrespective of their financial
| standing.
Mr.. Peterson says / receive $1,000
year, with $500 for receptions; this is
wrong, as $1,000 year is my salary, out
| of which | expend $500 a year to stu
| dents. He also speaks of my riding in
my carriage behind my liveried servant
| In the first place, have no liveried serv-
/ ant, and in the second place, [ have not
/ during the past year had occasion to use
! my carriage more than twice.
I'm regard to the increase in the facul-
/ ty, to which he devotes so much atten-
| ton, [ will say that the board of regents
/ has increased the number of professors
and instructors in proportion to the needs
! of the university. His statement to the
| effect that it is necessary to belong to
one of the fraternities if a student de-
! sires to gain position at the university
| is bosh. Greek letter societies are part
| of nearly every college in the country,
and if properly restricted, do much
( UOod -