The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-25

cultural college idea, seeming 10 lear
that it would result in the death of
these two institutions.
Another explicable source Of antag-
onism arose among the friends Of the
denominational colleges, who argued
that a school,, such as we advocated,
would inevitably initiate against the
support of those institutions. They
gave as a reason that the university
being better equipped and Of broad
er type than the denominational COL
leges, was sufficient and declared
there was no need for another State
college. They had attacked the
South Carolina university after the
overthrow Of the carpet bag govern
mert in rs, clamoring against free
tuition. but were unable to prevent
its being reorganized and reopened.
They felt that as the proposed agrl-
cultural college was intended mainly
to teach poor boys along practical
lines. it would prevent many students
from attending denominational COL
leges and thus destroy them. The
"ring' having a large number of the
hold-over senators, the victory for
the acceptance Of the Clemson bequest
by the general assembly was a diff
cult thing to achieve, and the deciding
vote for the bill which had passed
the house, yeas 81, nays 48, was cast
in the senate in behalf Of the accep-
tance by Lieut.. Gov Mauldin. It is
we'll to state here that after the be-
quest was accepted by the legislature,
Gov. Richardson withheld his appro-
val by what is known as a "pocket
veto,". thus preventing any action
looking to work on the supposed new
! college for two years. The seven lite
trustees Lad met at Pendleton shortly
after Mr.. Clemson's death, had Or
ganized, signifed their acceptance of
! the trust in legal form, and set about
getting the estate into such shape, as
to take the necessary action to carry
out Mr.. Clemson's purpose, with or
without State aid.
The progress Of the struggle for
mastery between the two contendlng
ideas of education. was watched with
deep concern by all parties interested
in public affairs in the State, and it
! became evident that the choice of
Gov. Richardson's successor would
cause bitter fight. It had been the
purpose and work Of the ''ring' to
excite distrust of the "reformers'
and to cause timid people to be very
much alarmed over what was pro-
claimed as the impending effort to
"split the democratic party,' though
the friends Of the agricultural col
lege always stood by the democratic
party organization in every county,
and when beaten. as they were in '06
and '98, they had moved to make the
nominations unanimous and smlllngly
informed their antagonists shat they
would try again.
The movement for the college had
bv this time broadened into many
lines Of reform in State affairs, and
the agitation which had acted as a
tonic, coupled with the organization
of the Alliance, had taught the farm
ers their strength, as we'll as rights
and the means Of accomplishing their
purposes.
1t is not my purpose nor is it nee
essary to enter into any details con-
corning the hot and bitter political
fight in South Carolina in 1890. The
agricultural college was one Of the
burning issues in that campaign and
the signal triumph Of the people with
the transfer of all the funds donated
by the United States government to
Clemson college, the abolition OF the
agricultural department, and the do
nation Of the privilege tax to Clemson
for agricultural and technical educa-
ton are all of too recent occurrence
to need recapitulation here. The
great work which the college has done
is not denied by any one; and in spite
of the opposition of its old enemies
who seek to undermine and injure
it, while pretending to be its friends:
T would not have written this story to
be published at this time, leaving 1t
to see the light after I am dead. but
the active agitation now going on IN
the State has caused me- to feel that
it is my duty to recall some facts
which the Younger generation are un-