The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-03
fTension at Agricultural College
Net Relieved.
Possible That All Regents Nay
Have to Resign.
POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
Raise of Salary of President In
the Quarrel.
Mr. COburn Gives His Side in
an Interview.

4&AC LOW GIL Tie COA4C5C
is assuming such proportions that it
would surprise no one if Governor
Stanley asked the board OF regents to
step down. just as was done with the
penitentiary hoard last winter. The
board of regents is heterogeneous
body.
The college faculty is out of tune with
itself, the regents are out of tune with
each other, and events have shown that
there is no harmony between the board
and the faculty. President Nichols was
down here at the legislature last win
ter and lobbied into the Agricultural
college legislation provision that the
president of the college shall be
member of the board of regents. As
president of the college Mr. Nichols has
sat with the board in all its subsequent
delfbera lions, and in that fact is found
the seed of the present discord.
1t brought embarrassment when it
came to raising the presidents salary.
-dessrs- Nichols and Fairchild were the
committee on salaries. No previous
president had ever received more than
$500 a year. Messrs. Nichols and
Fafrchild recommended raise to $1,000
a year and house rent amounting to
$3.50. When this was awarded Presi-
dent Nichols, an amount more than any
governor of Kansas up to Stanley was
ever allowed z. d. Coburn asked that
$500 be added to the salary of Prof.
SOllTeii, mead OF the agricultural de-
partment. This proposition was voted
down, 4 to 2. Prof Cottren still gets
$500 a year. President Nichols il IS
a matter of gossip. cordially hates the
head of the agricultural department.
These are some of the EN- barrassments
that come from the president being a
member of the board of regents.
There is a story current also that
Nichols was elected president only by
accident; that E T Fairchild was to
have been chosen, but the regents got
mixed on their fourteenth ballot, in
handing out their c0mpl1mentarieS and
Nichols was given the four votes that
elected. When this story was made
public recently, Nichols was highly in
dignant, and his frame of mind has not
been restored to normal yet.
T. B. Cowgirl editor of the Kansas
Farmer, is earnestly urging that the
college be maintained on agricultural
lines. Cowgirl stands back of F. ID.
Coburn, who really stands alone on the
board of regents in the fight against
drifting away from the purely agricul-
tura1 to the purely scholastic. Senator
Stewart is a farmer; that is he is poll
tician first, and farmer second He was
appointed by Governor Stanley last
winter at the same time that COburn
was, at the beheSt of Senator Burton.
at a time when there was a lull in the
strained political relations between the
senator and the governor. Stewart
wanted place at the hands of SEN
ator Burton Burton had a string of
promises out ON his patronage, so that
he could not take Senator Stewart onto
his load, and he secured the regency
for him. A dry goods merchant. a doc
tor and a banker, two school men and
the secretary of agriculture are the rest
of the boards makeup
Cowgirl should have had the place
regent, and 1t was expected up to the
last that Governor Stanley would ap-
point him Cowgirl has sat in almost
all the meetings of the board of re-
gents for years, and knows more about
the workings of the college and its
needs than any of the political lights
who are on the board.
He believes with Mr.. Coburn, that the
Agricultural college professors and
President Nichols are working honestly
for the college, but that they are more
school men than farmers. They per-
form their functions up to their best
lights" but their best light is that
of the scholastic teacher and not the
agricultural teacher
In this weeks issue Editor Cowgirl
prints an interview with Secretary CO.
burn, which outlines that regents posi-
accord with Cowgill's own ideas. The
interview is as follows:
What in your view should be the
distinguishing characteristics of our
Agricultural college?'' was asked
my contention is that the institu-
fion was intended to be and should be,
as its official designation implies,
Agricultural coIlege;' not necessarily
Aux LcdCu11S 4lCAG, Dul De-
ing, cereal or crop improvement, and
such purpose it should especially give
agriculture animal husbandry, dairy
1ng. cereal or crou Improvement, and
closely kindred interests an outstanding
prominence and support. with the var
1ous other studies well maintained in
Importance in proportion as they are
related in institution so different
from the ordinary"
WHEREIN does our college differ
from vour ideal 7s' continued the o1raS-
Homer
II think the tendency under the
present president has constantly been
I'm the opposite direction and that as an
executive his conduct toward the farm
and agricultural department, in innum-
cradle Instances and all the time has
been in the direction of its repression