Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-12-29
The State University Trouble.

The State University Trouble.
The board OF regents and the state
educational institutions have been
getting some severe jolts from the
press inside and outside the state,
and the opinion seems to prevail that
there Is entirely too much politics
mixed up with the management Of
the State University. That there are
factions in Vermillion no n doubts,
aud these factions have done much to
bring the University into discredit,
but q board Of regents who know and
are not afraid to do their duty, should
not hesitate to tell those factions To
go to . hotter place than Vermillion
usually Is In winter. The State Uni
yersity Is not or should not be con.
sidered q .Vermillion perquiste as the
people OF! the whole state support 1t.
President troopers may or may not
be the right man so far as we know,
but II seems the faculty and students
are united in the belief that he Is the
right man for the place. He was re.
garded as having strong opinions on
the silver question but that issue Is
dead. One OF the regents used to be
a strong democrat but that issue cuts
no particular figure now, In this state
at least, and he may have become
republicanized.
The regents should keep Droppers
II he Is qualified, or they should not
have reengaged him when Chalmers
fell down and Ackiey refused. II
Droppers Is to 60 In June he should
90 now. Self respect should compel
him to resighn after the gratuitous
insult offered him by the board after
reengaging him to fill a hole made by
them either through Ignorance or
malice.
The Minneapolis Journal has this
10 say about the University troubles:
Educators generally will sympathize
With the position Of President Garrett
Droppers Of the University Of South
Dakota. He has been bounded for
several years by powerful enemies,
men living In the shadow OF the uni
versity, who had been used to dictat-
ing It's management, and, who resent
"a Droppers' independent attitude.
Thru these enemies political influence
has been raised which finally proved
too strong for him, and last year his
resignation was forced to take effect
Jan. 1. 1903.
Dr. Dfoppers' successor was chosen,
but q short time ago facts concerning
the newly elected president were laid
before the regents, who had no choice
but to dismiss him from the position
he had not yet filed. This left the
eses4descs;s open open end sae the pro-
fess0rs was asked to take charge after
Jan. 4 as acting president. He de-
clined, and was Joined by the entire
faculty and student body In q petition
,lof Droppers' retention, The regents
found themselves against q stone wall
md temporized by electing President
Dr0ppers again to serve the remand
N ~ the school year.
~ that time, It Is understood they
hops to locate another man for presi-
dent who has no past. and who may
show some promises Of q future. The
regents are determined TO end the
Econnectionof President Droppers with
thu Institution. but give some pecu-
liar reasons. They insist that the
charges against him are unfonnded,
md that they have confidence In the
mAn, but that because or the charges
md the trouble that has been aroused
NJ Will have to 60.
It y no wonder, in such q case, that
|tt1e faculty and the student body
stand behind the president with such
a0lidity. II good men must 60 merely
because enemies bring nnfnnnded
charges against them and stir up
trouble. what guarantee Of independ-
ence does any educator have? A col
iloge president. above NIL men, should
~ free of local or political d~ictation.
He should b backed up BY the gov