Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-27
| lege about 100000. Counting this
money, the entire bequest amounted
| IN about S10O 600

to about 100000.
A prominent judge Of the state was
asked few days ago what the state
would forfeit should the act accepting
the bequest be repealed. He replied
that the state would lose all of its
property at the college. He said fur
ther, however, that 1t was possible,
and very probable, that the present
heirs Of Mr.. Clemson, in case the act
was repealed and the property return
ed to them, would sell the property
to the state for something less than
100000.
We advocate that the state Of South
Carolina repeal the act and buy the
property in order that state institu-
ton can be established. We would be
glad to see Clemson college, which
really should be named Calhoun COL
lege, run on as high a plane as the
South Carolina Military academy, and
It cannot ever be such until the state
secures complete control. A number
of changes will have to be made and
the most important Of these could not
possibly be made until the property
Is decided over to the state and the
Clemson will made null and void, that
is, as far as the state of South Caro-
lima Is concerned.
Here Is one other thing we wish to
advocate and that Is that Clemson
college should be limited as to its sup
ply of money. We believe in giving
the college as much money as Is need
ed, but we do think that II Is very fool
ish for the college to receive the full
amount of the fertilizer tax, which Is
about $15O,O00 annually. Friends OF
the college contend that when a spe-
cial tax is levied for one particular
object or thing, such as a college,
that the money derived from this tax
cannot revert to the state treasury
and be distributed among the other
colleges. The friends claim that re-
cent decision in the supreme court or
North Carolina establishes this fact.
This Is not so, or at least the judge we
were talking with said that the general
assembly could easily pass another
act providing for the money to revert
to the treasury. Should all Of the
money derived from the fertilizer tax
revert to the state treasury, then Win
throp college, the University OF South
Carolina, the Citadel, ETC.. could come
in for a share. which they certainly
deserve.
Clemson college Is getting annually
too much money with which to oper-
ate the school and make the necessary
improvements. The colleges income
Is something over 100000, counting
the incomes from the endowments,
etc. The other state colleges. which
are doing as much good or more, do
not get anywhere near this amount.
When the fertilizer tax for Clemson
college was first talked Of Chief JUS
tice McIver who was one Of the ablest
iurlsts South Carolina ever produced,
said, and he contended until his dying
day, that it was a great mistake to al
low Clemson college to have the total
proceeds from certain tax. 1t Is GER
tainly true that the members OF the
general assembly, which passed the
act for the tax, did not anticipate such
a large income. Judge McIver con-
tended that such large amounts of
money coming in, and when not es-
pecially needed, furnished opportuni-
ties for graft.
1t Is more than evident that the
present operation Of Clemson college
Is not giving entire satisfaction. In
fact II Is far from giving entire satis-
faction. We can appreciate why the
members of the general assembly
agreed to accept the Clemson bequest,
although 1t was fought at the time.
South Carolina did not have the mon
ey with which to start an agricultural
and mechanical college and one was
needed badly and the only way to get
It at that time was to accept Mr..
Clemson's bequest.
The state Of South Carolina Is now
able financially to buy the college
property and turn the college into
state institution, and we believe that
1t would be the very best thing that
could be done. then a satisfactory
board Of trustees could be elected that
would give the president and the fac
ulty sufficient backing to maintain or
der at the college.-Anderson Daily
Mail.