The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-20
He Takes Issue With Gov.
Evans About Clemson.
STICKS TO CONsTABLEs.
A Lengthy Interview With
the South Carolina Senator
---Expresses His Views
Fully.

OSuatOI 1I!iuoua. VIII WOO III WV
city on Wednesday. was seen and
asked his opinion in regard to the
much talked of structures of Cover
nor Evans on the state of affairs at
Clemson The senator replied
thoughtfully, walking back aud forth
across the floor with his hands behind
his back
..T am surprised he said eat the
attitude of seeming antagonism that
the governor has assumed, and also
with the one sidedness, so 10 speak,
of the comparison ne makes between
Clemson and Winthrop AS | am a
Trustee of both colleges, am of
course more or less familiar with the
details of their managens and also
with the difficulties under which they
have labored. And great many
who people have criticised, and who
perhaps have grounds for criticism,
would understand the situation better
if they could be made to understand
the complex character of the work
which we are trying to organize and
try on at Clemson. Professors to
fill the various chairs are plentiful
superabundaht. in fact-and it is
only a question Of who to choose !;
whereas, to find suitable men to
teach the branches which we are try
ing to MAKE the foundation of the
education we are giving at Clemson
has been great and difficult under
taking In fact. we have two col
leges side by side at Clemson. and
they are both entirely new to our
people, and there are no men ecu
Gated in the south who are fitted for
teaching in either The mechanical
department is in effect g technology
cal school embracing engineering,
both mechanical and electrical /; and
experts in the various branches. who
must be paid, and paid handsomely,
to be obtained at all. or else boy
who goes there viii not be able to
get the special training he desires
and needs
"There is foundry work. electrical
engiDeerirg and al! the various
branches embraced nnder the head Of
mechanics and engineering Then
when we go to the agricultural side
of the college we have the chemical
department, the practical application
of the science of agriculture. horti.
culture. dairying, Horticulture. veteri
nary science, and in addition to this
we are charged by the United States
government with experimental work
for which we receive an annual ap-
preparation of $4,000, known as the
Hatch fund And then comes the
analysis and inspection of fertilizers,
another separate branch. requiring a
clerk and inspectors aud analysis.
and it is easy to see that with all of
these expert men, who ARE not re
quired in an ordinary literary school,
our corps of teachers must largely
exceed what they would employ
"Then coming to the literary or
English school. because, while we
are teaching these industrial and
practical arts to agriculture and hor
ticulture, we have to have the same
professors as the ordinary college
in other words, have never supposed
it was the intention of the State to
send forth boys from Clemson that
could not speak and write English
correctly and be able TO enter into
discussion with the ordinary college
graduate on terms of equality. The
demands which come from some
sources that we. shall co6ne our
selves to agriculture and mechanics,
accompanied on the other hand with
the demand that we shall not have
fitting school, would appear to re
quire the trustees and faculty to
make brick without straw The
friends of the UNCONVENTIONAL col
leges demand that we shall not com
pete with other colleges in literary
training and that We lower Clemson
to the level of mere labor school,
in which the boys be REQUIRED to
work and go forth mere artisans or
meehinists OF fart- laborers, without
the necessary metal training If we
put the school on that level then we
had better kill it. But at the same
time we are confronted with the fact
that great many of the boys who
come, being the sons Of farmers in
remote neighborhoods away from
high schools and having little oppor-
tunity to prepare themselves:
have reached the age Of above
Is, for they cannot enter young
er, without sufficient training to en-
able them to enter the freshman class
although the requirements are very
low and we are thus brought face to