The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-25

Institution Staggered and AmazOd-DemOoratic
View of the Affair.
The Moscow Star, the leading Demo
cratic paper of north Idaho, comment
ing on the removal of President Gault,
says:
One of the last acts done by the re-
gents of the University of Idaho, at
their meeting last week, was the pass
ing OF a resolution declaring vacant the
office of president of the University.
This was done by resolution introduced
by Regent Martin and was seconded by
Mrs. Whitman, another regent, also
from south Idaho. The resolution is
as follows:
Resolved, that the position of president Of
the University Of Idaho is hereby declared va
can't, and the services of Professor f. B. Gault
as president Of the University of Idaho, shall
terminate on the first day of August, 1898, ;,
The vote on this resolution stood,
Martin, Whitman and Cornwall for,
and Forney and Truitt against. The
board consists of nine members, five of
whom arc quorum for the transaction
of business. 1t will be seen, then, that
there was bare quorum present, and
that this important action-the most
important act done by any board-was
accomplished by the votes of only one
third of the members of the entire
board.
We have carefully considered the
action of the board in the removal of
President Gault and we cannot reach
any other conclusion than that they
have made most serious mistake.
Without going into the details of the
incidents that led up to this unfortu-
nate action, it is sufficient to say that
the University had just closed the most
prosperous, the most successful and the
most harmonious year in its history.
1t had just graduated its largest and
strongest class, the unfortunate dissen-
sions that existed year ago had en-
tirely disappeared and all departments
of the institution were moving har-
moniously forward to the successful
accomplishment of the high and noble
purposes of the institution. Coming,
then, as this action of the board did
like lightning from clear sky, it has
staggered and amazed the friends of
the University.
Careful and painstaking inquiry of
the members of the board of regents,
fails to assure us of any good reason
for their action. Regent Martin could
only say that he thought President
Gault was incompetent. Mr.. Cornwall
seemed to entertain the same view.
Mrs. Whitman who seems to have had
but the commonest kind of common
school education, expressed her belief
that "the institutio on has Outgrown Mr..
Gault." OF these three, one is Uni
versity graduate and it would seem
that the other two would scarcely have
the temerity to assume to pass solely
and alone upon the requirements of a
University president. Yet this is just
exactly what has been done.
1t will take great deal of explaining
to satisfy the people of the state that
the removal of President Gault was
justified by existing circumstances.
The people know him as a strong man
in the educational work of the west.
They know that to him more than to
any other force the University owes its
present high place among the newer
educational institutions of the country.
They know that he has been seriously
hampered in his work by existing cir
cumstances over which he had no con-
troll. They know that these circum-
stances have been of such a peculiar
nature that none but a man strong in
resources could have overcome them,
and they win be very slow in accepting
the action of the regents as step cal
culated to benefit the University. 1t
is well, however, for the people to
know that no local pressure was made
upon the regents for the removal of
President Gault. While it is true that