Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-24
NO. SO.

by tax upon the farmers, which
some years far exceeds the usual in
come. To avoid the criticism that they
have more money than they need. the
trustees are under the necessity of find-
ing some way to spend the surplus be-
fore the time to report to the legisla-
ture each year. This encourages ex-
travagance and places this one state
institution in a class all by itself, In
dependent Of the government OF the
state. This permanent appropriation OF
an indefinite and ever-increasing sum
of money Is in violation OF the fun
damental safeguard of government,
which, everywhere else, requires that
the representatives Of the people. In
annual or biennial sessions, shall pass
upon the work and the needs of the in
stitutions Of the state, and shall say
how much of the peoples money is to
be spent. Except at Clemson It has
been unheard of la our state for q
board Of trustees, without specific au-
thority from the Legislature, to erect
new and expensive buildings, add new
departments. increase the plant 80 as
to necessitate permanently increased
annual support, committing the state to
new departures without asking the
consent Of the legislature. The fertil-
izer tax should go into the state treas
ury and Clemson should be supported
as the other institutions OF the state
by annual appropriations from the
treasury.
But the trouble is more fundamen-
tai. The state OF South Carolina has
no authority In tfe government of
Clemson college. She has planted her
hundreds OF thousands ON millions OF
dollars there; for a mere pittance OF
poor land and little cash she accept
ed from Mr. Clemson, the perpetual
condition that majority OF the board
of trustees should be named by him
and should have the power to perpetu-
ate themselves and thus rule forever
this institution upon which the state
OF South Carolina should lavish her
wealth. No state institution should be
beyond state control Trustees be-
come out Of joint with the progress and
demands of the times. Their czariike
power, perpetual oblIgarchy amena-
BILE to no authority. may breed In them
arrogance, bigotry, and selfishness. II
has long been felt thar Clemson coll
lege is close corporation, largely Of
ficered by the linsmen and other fa-
vorites Of these life trustees, who win
control even beyond tie period of their
natural lives, because shey choose their
successors. Nepotism. the bane Of ef-
hciency and fairness, honeycombs the
institution. 1t is operated in large
measure by the trustees for the trus-
tees. Until the legislature some seven
or eight years ago saw the necessity OF
directing that the trustees should not
draw per diem. but should iraw only
actual expenses, there were q few old
broken down trustees who were on
committees to supervise ali sorts OF
work which should have been left to
the president. The mileage and 81 4
day was an inducement to hang around
the college nearly all the time. Such
is the tyranny Of the trustees, perpet
uated In an un-American way like az
European dynasty, that professors have
been taught to keep their mouths shut,
to be in;constant terror, and sometimes
to cringe.
The Remedy.
What is the remedy? The state
should go to the heirs or residuary
iegatees and purchase, as could be
done for a small amount. the rever-
sionary interest so that the state could
repudiate the win, and take charge Of
the management of Its institution
Not the least of the dement's to
come from its action would be The right
then to name the college as ii should
have been named in the beginning, af-
ter the great statesman whose name
the world over is linked with that of
South Carolina. Calhoun's estate was
willed by an unworthy son-in-law, who.
northern man and without any claim
uI'on this state. was so ungenerous. so
meanly selfish, that he decreed In his
dictatorial will not only to rule forever
the Institution which he asked the state
to support but to foist upon It his
name instead of the name which sprang
to every lip. the immortal Calhoun"
f. . 4. . ID.