The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-04-28
GOES FOR NELL
Minus sIamss Clemson Trouble
on The President
clAEMES The AFFAIRS

Of the College Are MiSmanaged and
in Which Dr.. Nell is Charged
WitEi Harmful and Ruinous IN
terference" With the Military Dis
cipline OF the Corps.
Capt. J. c. Minus Monday gave out !
a single statement alleging certain |
conditions at Clemson College which !
we're the cause OF his leaving that !
institution. Capt Minus said that
he desired the public to know ex-
actly the state of affairs at the Col
Iece. His statement is as follows:
In beginning ny detail as instruc-
tor at Clemson College, I arrived
August so, 1907, about TWO weeks
before the opening Of the regular
session. During that time and the
few weeks following the opening
became acquainted, in the natural
course of events, with the faculty.
There was willingness on their part
to tell me of the disciplinary s!tua-
ton during the past year. The va
rious escapades and violations that
are matters Of public knowledge
were rehearsed to me time and time
again.
One general suggestion in al!
these recitals was to the effect that
/ would probably succeed with dis
cipline if Dr.. Nell, the president,
did not interfere. On one occasion
Prof. Riggs, who is thought to be
very close to the president, stated
to me, in effect, that he had told
the president that the success of his
administration would be largely bas-
ed upon his non-interference with
disciplinary matter.
In taking up my duties as COM
mandant | discovered deplorable
state OF affairs. No organization, no
system. not the slightest regard on
the part of the cadets for law or
order, very little respect or consider
alton for the faculty; simply great
mob of youths allowed to run wild.
However, began to apply the
regulations and penalties for their
infractions as strenuously as the sit
uation would allow. The next few
months was time Of turbulence. 1t
IS my belief that the cadets found
that they could not get by me upon
certain of their demands for privi-
ieges. for usually most of these cases
came to me through the president.
and always were put to me in way
that left no doubt in my mind Of
the presidents desire to concede al
most anything the cadets requested
or demanded. I believe the records
will show that, in most cases, l with
stood the urmeritorious and harmful
appeals of this combination, and l
think results will show the wisdom
of the stand Still, during the first
year there were continual conflicts
between US, due to the fact that the
president, in an irregular, and in
some cases an unauthorized, way,
and also, in my opinion, often with
out sufficient grounds, yielded to the
request Of individuals.
The April, 1905, affair came along,
and its consequences are well known
to the public. The realization came
to me after the dismissal of sos ca
cets that, if from now on real con-
structiye work was not carried for
ward, and sense Of duty was not
taught to the cadets, the blame for
this failure would be on the author
tiles. In bringing about the above
felt that the first and foremost
necessity in student body is sys-
TEN of honor, adhered to in a manly
and straightforward way, and that
the next step is clear, unyielding
enforcement OF the regulations, just
", decisively and firmly. The honor
system a student body is respon-
sible for, and must carry out. This
system was adopted few days after
the April reduction in the corps.
Charges Against Dr.. Nell.
The implanting Of sense Of duty
in body of students is due largely
to the attitude of the authorities,
their individuality, their honesty,
and fixedness of purpose in carrying
out their duties. l knew that in SO
far as cooperation and aid by the
faculty were concerned, / could look
for little help in the maintenance
of discipline, the members Of the
faculty of Clemson College are simp-
ly Indifferent, and that the concep-
ton and ideas Of the president do
not take ordinarily logical form.
Consequently the rehabilitation
appealed to me as a work that would
have to be undertaken singlehanded.
Expecting no aid from the president,
neither in a forcible or in persua-
sive way, I fought against the ad-
mission Of mis- harmful and ruinous
interference in the structure that !
was trying to build. An examlna-
ton of the records Of the command
ants Office, and the knowledge Of
my attitude towards affairs would
convince anyone Of the logic Of my
conclusion in regard to the methods
necessary to carry out the undertake
ing. At the beginning Of this ses-
sion questions arose. Appeals were
made by Dr.. Nell. IN some cases,
he disregarded me as a component
part ofS discipline. In other clear
infractions Of the regulations he
claimed were personal between him
L