The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-25
THE THINKERS.
THR KANSAS WAR ON PROFESS
ORS. .

In the Kansas Agricultural College
the Popullst Bard Of Regents Of two
years ago elected as president Professor
Will, and as Professor Of Economics
DR.. Edward W. Bemis, and as Pro
lessor of Political Science, Frank Par
sons, of Boston. These men Rre noted
for their fearless speech against uncon
trolled private monopolies and in favor
of equal rights and government by the
people. The first thing that the Re-
pubIicans did on coming back into
power in Kansas was to file trivial
charges against two Of the Populist
regents of Agricultural College, depos-
ing them, and putting into their places
two men who are the tools Of the mo
nopoLists. This new board have dis
charged the professors who we're edu
eating the students and the people that
the distribution Of wealth is as essen
tial to their welfare as is the produc
ton of wealth. In every private uni
versity, for example, Yale, Columbia
and Princeton, no professor is retained
by the board of directors if he talks
against private monopoly and in favor
of public ownership, but in the state
universities there ia more freedom of
thought for the professors in the science
of wealth, although nothing like abso
lutte freedom.
In Kansas the reason openly assign
ed for the discharge Of the professors
in economics and political science and
the president of the college, was that
their teachings did not agree with
what they-the Republicians-believed
to be the policy Of the state. They ad,
mitted that the teachings in the edu-
cational institutions are Of vital i'm
portance and that they are bound to
control.
But Professor B4mis and the others
were judicial in their method Of in
struction, giving both sides and leav
ing the scholars to form their own
opinion. Where side, however,
will not bear the light, as in the cas
of private monopoly, whereby the
people are taxed for private purposes,
the only way for the monopolists to
continue in power and thereby retain
their special privileges, is to continue
to hoodwink the people.
This they are trying to do by ousting
every professor and college president
who exposes the evils Of private mo
nopoly. The men whom they put into
their places are termed ''sound" and
''safe" men. These we're the ter ms ap
piled to the professors who we're put
into Galileo's place and who told the
students that the world was fat-they
we're sound" and ''safe" men. The
muzzles worn by the professors in
Galileo's time have been handed down
for use in the economic departments OF
our universities and colleges, and have
been used ever since the establishment
our government. B 1T in recent
years, however, there IRE several pro-
who have slipped their muzzles
and it has awakened our people to the
condition of things, and as they have
the ballot they will soon change the
laws that only those institutions can
grant degrees Of learning that have in
their statutes a provision whereby
both sides of each class question will
be presented to the students. The
warfare of theology against scientific
truth resulted In a triumph for truth,
and 50 in the warfare Of monopoly
truth the victory will again be
with the side of truth.-Geo. 81.