The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-05-21
THE CLEMSON COL LEGE MATTER.
Senator Tillman Expresses Him
self in Reference to Recent Ed
itorial in the State.

itoriaI in the State.
Especial to The State.
Washington, May 15.-ln The, State
lof Tuesady appears an editorial on the
recent trouble at Clemson, which has
served to arouse more than interest IN
1.-THE mind Of Senator = Tillman. Ihe
senator has Just returned from Glenn
son where he went to attend the meet
ling Of the board Of trustees which was
Icalled in the hope that the trouble at
1.-The instit tuition might be satisfactorily
Isettled. AS Senator Tillman takes
decided exception to the editorial IN
The State he has determined to make
q statement bearing on the Clemson
trouble and the action Of the board OF
trustees. When seen this afternoon
Senator Tillman said In reference to
1.-THE condi ition of affairs now existing
Eat Clemson:
atters have been very satisfac-
Estoriily djusted for the present, and
the trustees are fully alive to the
situation, but ntermedd ding from out
side, which has already begun, may
easily result in harm and possibly
tthwart the purposes Of the board to
adjust matters in the wisest and best
>way possible 2 When asked what he
meant by this, he said am alludlng
Ito the editorial in the State Of Tues
day, which / have just read. In that
| editorial are several misstatements, or
mistakes and many mischlevous ideas
and twill do great harm unless the
real facts are laid before the people,
and The students at Clemson warned
against being mislead by it. dis
said he, for obvious reasons
to discuss the affairs Of the college at
this iuncture, but a sense OF justice
as we'll as duty compels me to correct
many wrong impressions that will be
made by The States editorial Ny
name and my actions are called into
this discussion by The State, so 1
speak out. The trustees did not feel
that they must win the sophomore
class back to the Institution. We
allowed them to return as matter
sof grace only, and when. The State,
for a sinister purpose tr1es to make
the students feel that they have sue
ceeded IN their rebel lion it only
soWs the seed of future trouble. We
reinstated young ThornWell because
he had been unjnstly suspended, and
as set forth IN the findings OF the
board, we. permitted the sophomores
SO return because their action, while
not excnsable was the natural result OF
the Injustice done their classmate.
We did not want to have the educa-
tion Of these young men broken up be-.
cause Of the faculty unfortunate
blunder, with which DR.. HaEtzog had
absolutely nothing to do. We believe
he should have vetoed it, that IS all.
President Hartzog's resignation
was rendered TO Col Simpson fved days.
before the board met, and before any
charges were made or intimatlon
thait they would be made was given,
because he desired to leave the board.
free. and untrammelled- Therefore,
the statement that President Hartozg
resigned with no accusation against.
him, = is untrue. He resigned before
ne knew any accusations would be
made, and I do not hesitate to say
now, that there neverwould have been.
any charges made against him, at the
late meeting Of the board, but for. the
encouragement and advice Of some OF
those connected with the college. The
attempt to make a scape- goat of Dr..
Hartzog, and hold him solely respon-
8sible for the recent outbreak does that
gentleman great injustice. The evi-
dence before the board showed, that It
was an afterth hought on the part OF the
students, and they weakened their
ease very much by listening to bad
advice. i believe the board of trustees
are as blameworthy as Dr. Hartzog,
for any lack Of discipline that has
existed since Capt Fuller left the
college. DR.. Hartzog's unpopnlarlty ty
with the student body is In my judg-
ment, attributable to some unfortun-
ate nannerisms, and to prejudice
which arose against him shortly after
he went to the college. He had had
no experience in college work, and
made some blunders as might have
been expected, and the discomfort then
produced has been fomented and kept
alive.
s1The State, with its usual malevo-
lence and unfalrness has dragged Dr.
Mcbride into the Clemson discussion,
for the purpose Of crlticizing and
abusing me. AS to the relative sue
cess of the two men, j will remark
that Clemson under DR.. Hartzog's ad-
ministration has shown greater ad-
vance in Eve years, than has Blacks
burg under Dr. McBryde IN ten. The
number of our students has doubled,
and the high quality Of the work done
lis known Of all men of Intelligence. i
have no criticism to make of Dr..
McBryde, but denounce as false
hood the gratuitous statement OF The
State g that Senator Tillman was not
large minded enough to consent to. the
choice Of man he had wronged in the
'sOs.' I opposed his election as presi-
dent Of Clemson, but never wrong
ed' him at any time or in any way.
If there is any wrong between De.
McBryde and myself, l am the one
who was .wronged and not be.
When asked as to what trouble he
was referring, Senator Tillman said:
i r 80, NJ 1oyc