The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-08-24
SAYS CLEMSON RUN WRONG.
Mr.. McMahan is Anxious That Colle 70
Be Reformed.

day Mr.. John j. McMahan, one of the
candidates for governor, spoke in
part as follows:
But the entire organization of
Clemson College is wrong. 1t is sup
ported by tax upan the farmers
which some years far exceeds the
usual income. To avoid the criticism
that they have more money than they
need, they are under the necessity Of
finding some way to spend the sur
plus before the time to report to the
Legislature each year. This encour-
ages extravaganza and places this one
State institution in class all by itself
independent Of the government Of the
State. This permanent apporpria-
tion Of an indefinite and ever-increas-
ing sum Of money i in violation of
the fundamental safeguard of govern
ment. which everywhere else requires
that the representatives of the peo-
pie. in annual or biennial session.
shall pass upon the work and the
needs Of the institutions of the state
and shall say how much Of the peo-
pie : money is to be spent. Except
at Clemson it has been unheard Of in
our State for a board Of trustees.
without specific authority from the
legislature to erect new and expensive
buildings. add new departments, in
crease the plant So as to necessitate
permanently increased annual sup
port. committing the state to new de-
partmentS without aSkin9 the consent
of the Legislature. The fertilizer tax
should go into the state treasury and
Clemson should be supported as the
other institutions of the State by an
nual appropriations from the treas
urv.
Ru1 the trouble is more fundam' nj
al The State Of Sonuth Carolina has
no authority in the government Of
Clemson College. She has planted her
hundreds IF thousands or millions 9:
dollars there. hut for a mere pittanc"
.! poor land and a little cash she az
crptcj from MIR. Clemson the perpci
ua! condition that 4 majority Of the
board "f trustees should be named by
him and should have powerto prepetu-
ate themselves. and thus rule forever
this institution upon which the State
Of South Carolina should lavish her
wealth. y" State institution should
be beyond State CONTROL Trustees
become old. become antiquated IN
their ideas with the progress and de-
mands Of the times. Their Czarike
power. perpetual oli@archy amenable
To no authority. may breed in them ar
rncance. bigotry and selfiShneS>.
II has long been felt that Clemson
College is a close corporation. largely
nfficerei by the kinSmen and other
favorite$ Of these life trustees. who
will control even beyond the period Of
their successors. Nepotism. the bane
Of efficiency and fairness. honey
combs the institution. 1t is operated
in large measure by the trustees for
the trustees. Until the legislature
some seven or eight years ago saw
the necessity Of directing that the
trustees should not draw per diem.
hut should draw only actual expenses,
there were a few old broken-down
trustees who were on committees to
supervise all sorts of work. which
should have been left TO the president.
ALL
was an inducement to hang around
the College nearly all the time. Such
is the tyranny Of the trustees, per-
peth lted in an Cn-American way. like
a European dynasty. that professors
have been taught to keep their mouths
shut. TO be in constant terror and
sometimes to cringe.
What is the remedy? The State
Should ~ TO the heirs or reSiduary
le"ateeS and purchase, as could be
done for a small amount. the rever<ion-
airy interest,", SO that the State could
repudiate the will and take charge of
the management Of its institution.
Not the least cf the benefits to
come from this action would be the
right then to name the College, as it
should have been named in the be-
ginning. after the great statesman
whose name the world over is linked
with that of South Carolina Cal
houn 5 estate was willed by an un-
worthy son-in-law, a Northern man,
and without any claim upon this
State. was SO ungenerous, SO meanly
selfish. that he decreed in his dieta-