The Advocate and news., 1898-04-20

the sake Of political advantage be willing
to destroy great educational instltu-
tiOn, Is not so very surprising when one
considers their mental capacity and the
density OF their ignorance; but that men
who make pretentiOns to culture, to
honor and dignity, and to regard for
the welfare Of our college, should turn
upon and endeaVor to rend the lnstltu-
tion simply because they lost their jobs,
is deplOrable.
But what are the facts? Had a POpu-
list board desired to act from the mo-
tives alleged; had they wanted to make
places for Pop heelers," political favor
ites, or had they wanted to teach POpu-
lismI they could have turned cut the ell.
tire faculty in 1893, four years before
the reorganization, as the POpulists then
had four members out Of the seven, and
could have had five by removing the
president and electing POpulist In
stead. No, the purposes of the board
are honorable. We desire to improve the
quality and quantity Of the work done,
and we felt that 1t could not be done
without the aid OF better qualified men
and women. Hon. Harrison Kelley and
myself were on the board for three years
before the reorganization. We carefully
studied the needs of the institution and
the capacity Of the professors, teachers
and assistants, and we felt, with the
majority Of the board, all OF whom have
an active interest In education and one
OF whom has had an opportunity closely
to observe the institution for many years,
that thorough reorganization In the
personnel of the faculty, the course Of
studies, and In the general policy OF the
college involving questions Of discipline,
student labor and management Of farms,
of shop and herds, was imperative. We
did our duty to the best OF our abll-
ity and as documentary evidence In
our possession shows, we have en-
deavored regardless OF politics, to
secure for the vacant places men and
women OF the most thorough equipment.
We have elected men to important posi-
tlons without inquiring or learning their
political preferences, and we have elected
TO the chair of economic science q pro-
fessOr whose views on certain economic
questions we know to be widely doiferent
from our own. Our sole object we ms
sert, in effeCting the recent re0rganiza-
tion is to raise the standard, increase the
efficiency and enlarge the usefulness Of
the institution committed to our charge.
Despite the imperative need for
strong agricultural department in the
agricultural college Of a State whose
leading interests are agricultural; and
despite the fact that the land grant col
leges were established and are still main
tanned for the special benefit OF the agrl-
cultural and Industrial classes, the In
efficiency Of the agricultural as compared
to the other departments Of the college
Is notorious, both at the college and
throughout the State. Nevertheless, every
attempt to strengthen the agricultural
department, whether by increasing It's
work, or by filling 1t with a more capa-
BILE professor, has been until now steadily
and successfully resisted by the presi-
dent Other departments whose work
should be OF great practical value TO
farmers, fruit growers and stock ralsers
have similarly been characterized by
incapacity well known to those familiar
with the college.