The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-18
BANDS OFF!


the Fusion or free silver Regents o
the Kansas Agricultural College dis
missed President Fairchild on tn
ground that he was not in harmony
with them regarding the teaching o
economics, and elected as his successor
Professor Thomas e. Will, a free silver
independent" In re-organizing TIT
faculty the new administration Rp
pointed Republicans to nearly all TIT
chairs Of science, but enlarged the de
partment OF Economics, and called
Professor Frank Parsons, Of the Bos
ton University Law School, and Pro
lessor E W. Bemis, formerly of the
Chicago University. to the new posi-
tions created. Though neither OF these
men was an advocate Of the free coin
age of silver, both had achieved ma
tional distinction as anti. monopoly
writer's. Last fall the Republican,
carried the State, and a few monthe
later the legislature appointed a com
mittee to Investigate two Of the Fusion
Regents. At that time the Hon. Cyrus
Leland, who comes es near to being
the Republican ''boss'' in Kansas as
public sentiment will tolerate, was re.
ported in the leading Republican paper
of Topeka to the folio wing effect: Il
am sorry that there is a Populist on
the committee appointedNto investi.
gate. We ought to be straightfor ward,
have a committee Of five Republicans,
and do the business in short order. 1t
is the common law that the appointed
officers shall change hands with the
elected officers, and the Rppointee who
has not the deoency to get out when
his administration is turned down
ought to be removed"
Apparently Mr.. L9land's view of the
case has prevailed, for not only were
the Populist Regents dismissed because
they we're wrong on fundamental
principles" but the Republican ma
iority on the new board did not stop
with Diminishing President Will, whose
appointment to succeed President Fair
child was justly regarded as a piece of
partisan politics, but they have. also
discharged Professor PArs3ns, Pre-
feC cor Bemis, end a professor in the
English Department who is reported
to have had Unitarian as we'll as Pop.
uliss lesnings. In short, all the teach
ers in sympathy with the minority
party in the State have been prescribed.
Here, then, we have retaliation of the
most sweeping kind for the original
offense of the Fusion Board in intro
ducing politics into the management
of tire institution. The condemnation
which The Outlook passed upon the
upon TIE , f9nses that have succeeded.
The ousting of the Fusion President
and the restoration Of his predecessor
would have been welcomed by educa-
tors as an act Of retributive justice.
The appointment of one conservative
to the d partment of Economics would
IA AANN SOCH "C4SSAAOO OG ABLOA4OH
the full and fair discussion of public
q lestiore; but the removal Of all the
professors who had anti monopoly
views OF any kind will have a disas-
effect not only upon the Kansas
college, but also upon State colleS es
everywhere. It has thus far been the
boast IF these institutions that their
freedom from the need of securing
private endowments has given tnem
freedom Of teaching" The episode
in K tnsas threatens the degradation
of teachers in State colleges from the
Of independent investors to
that of puppets of the party in power.
Partisan reprisals in State universities
are, if possible, the worst manifesto
ton OF the spoIls system that we have
ever been called upon to condemn
Politicians must keep their hands eff
the State universities The New York