The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-16
THE
Columbia Record.

tltlHSon cOlleSe - loNdH lIe HpSl
powerful factor in South Carolina
politics, said a newspaper man, who
is in closer touch with the people Of
the whole state than is any other, to
a Record reporter the other day.
This being the case, there Is very
general and deep interest in the lat
est Clemson Sensation-the resigna-
ton Of the commandant, Capt. Char
les Clay, because the president of the
college and the chairman of the board
of trustees flatly told the veteran
army officer. who will bear to his
grave the honorable scars of wound,
received in service, nat nothing what
ever would be done toward his sup
port in the matter Of Furnishing
flagrant and. objectionable breach OF
discipline and Of courtesy.
Clemson college is supposed to have
military discipline. The cadets wear
uniforms and are armed and account
red by the federal government. which
also details an army officer at the col
leee. as a military instructor and pro-
fessor Of tactics and military science.
Clemson receives from the federal
government exactly the same treat
ment as that given the South Carolina
Military academy. 1t has been the
custom at the institution for the off,
Ger so detailed to be employed by the
college. in addition to his other duties.
as commandant Of the corps Of cad
cts, in which capacity he is in charge
Of the students at all times and res
ponsible for their discipline or lack Of
discipline. The same arrangement was
made with Captain Clay.
At no time since he arrived has
Captain Clay been given any moral
support by the upper elassmen. Thus
hi .icapped by the lack of any such
esprit de corps as exists at the Clta-
del, for instance, Captain Clay tried,
nevertheless, to perform his duty and
reduce the big body Of students to
some SORT of. discipline Had he been
backed up by the faculty and spared
the childish interference Of the trus-
tees. he might have succeeded. even
under these disadvantages. Very ma
turally and properly. he resigned.
when he found that he stood alone.
Here is an instance Of the lack OF
discipline: The other day g, Record
man asked a boy who was graduated
from the institution last month why
the proposed encampment at Green
vile was so Suddenly called off. ''OA,
we seniors didn't want to- go to
Greenville.'' he said. eve had a
meeting and told the faculty that we
were not going and that we wou!dn't
let the corps 90. That ended it. y
And he said it in the most matter
of-course tone in the world!
The incident which culmlnated IN
the conlmanGant resignation was
this:
During. commencement week. the
seniors went out cn a dlSorderly and
indecent riot. which they very pro-
perlv called ''Shirt-tail parade.
The commandant stood it as long as
he could. and then, in full uniform
and bearing the unmistakable lnsl9-
MIA of his authority, went out to the
barracks and ordered every senior he
saw TO return to his room and there
remain. under close arrest. Far from
obeyine, the cadets-senlors. remem-
ber,-only showed past their com
mandant. actually hustling the grey
haired veteran against the wall, and
went out again. some of them curslng
him as they went.
The matter was reported to Presl-
dent Nell, who told the commandment
that nothing could or would be done.
The president Of the board Of trus-
tees. Col. R. W. Simpson, went to the
leading spirits among the seniors and
through the easy medium of judicious-
" framed leading questions, secured
a statement that the er1ing cadets
,oo.,,+ M harm, and had intended no
insult to the commandant. This state
ment Colonel Simpson carried before
the board, and that offeious body
promptly accepted it, waving aside
with scant consideration Captain
Clay's protests against the issuance
of the diplomas, pending an investi-
cation.
Captain Clay's report Of the mat
ter hardly impressed the war depart
tho 1acir-o hi 11tv of