The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-28
Students of Pittsburg Normal
March to Battle.
Make Vigorous Assault on the
Board of Regents.
POINT TO POLITICS.
Education Offered on Altar OF
Political Chicanery."
Point to Great Work Of the De-
posed Principal.

The students of the manual training
normal school at Pittsburg have taken
hand in the controversy over the re
moval of r. S. Russ, principal OF the
school. Russ was summary remover
by the board of regents for allegeo IN
competence. 1t was asserted thaL lhe
removal was part of the plan OF Gov
ernor Stubs to remove every per
connected with the school VINO nao neu
a hand in the attempt TO divorce tne
school from the normal school. GOV
ernor Stubs denied this and SAID that
he had nothing to do with the removal
of Russ and that he did not know %
the action of the regents until AFTER II
had been taken. ,,
The student committees of the schooi
has given out the following statement
about the removal of Mr.. Russ:
To the Public.
AS a final authority, we appeal TO
the people of the state of Kansas IN
behalf of the state manual training
normal school which has been the VI
tim of gross injustice at the hands OF
the board Of regents. The AFORESAID
board, tits universally known, arpl-
trariIy fired" our principal, r. 5. Russ
on no grounds-for they gave none
save the political atmosphere OF the
school.
People Of southeastern Kansas, has
it come to such a pass that a set OF
politicians are allowed to ruin your
school, defame the only institution
distinctively Kansan, FOR the sake VI
political pie cutting?
If the charges brought against Mr..
Russ had been INSTRUMENTATION, mis-
appropriation, acknowledgement or little
ness of personality, there would nave
been room for justification. But no
charge which could have arisen Wlthln
the institution or even have been re-
motely connected with it, was ever
made We, the student body who are
most vitality concerned, desire no
change. We are satisfied with the work
of Mr.. Russ and appreciate more than
anyone else his superhuman EFFORTS IN
establishing the school on firm foun-
dalton. From start to tnish he mas
worked unselfshly in behalf of the
school. and now at the eve of the full
fllment of his hopes and aspirations
must he be made the victim OF Jealousy
and revenge while the fruits of his Ia
bors shall be given to some newcomer
who is neither deserving nor apprecl-
alive of them? Must our school be
torn asunder by narrow visioned poll
tfcians without and universal knockers
winthin? Must the student body be
sacrificed for personal spite. Must ed
ucation be offered upon the altar OF
political chicanery?
1t has been said that Mr.. Russ is
not "big enough for the place. Is the
gentleman big enough for his place"
who instigated such a scheme OF de-
capitation. all because Mr.. Russ was
too loyal to the S. M. T. N? Has not
Mr.. Russ shown himself capable, by
guiding the welfare of the school pass
ed the shoals of financial embarrass-
ment into deep water where lies safe
ty?
VIII the present incumbent's sue
cessor, who is reported to be an east
ern man, make a success Of a school
of which he knows nothing. in which
he has no interest, save his shekels?
H. 60 hi
school, and does it not follow that he
knows best the methods which have
resulted in the institutions phenOmen-
al growth? Wherefore, then, is the
stranger, who is big enough to walk
into the school and fill Mr.. Russ shoes
at the present time?
We are not arguing from the stand
point of salary or position, for Mr..
Russ can easily secure another, but
the Injustice wrought him by his ieal-
Gus enemies. The honorable board is
excusable in that their present action
was done under pressure brought to
bear by those bent on the destruction
of s. M. T. n.
our friend, and we are his friends and
as such we consider any such action
contrary to our best interests for if
-chicanery and plum picking be
brought into education, which condi-
ton we now are facing, the high
standard set by the people of this state
will be dipped in the mudholes of mer-
cenary degradation: and our school
will become school with a political
atmosphere" in the truest sense of the
word, where students graduate accord
ing to party lines and the faculty ro-
tate round the state central committee
Some have said that Mr.. Russ act ed
in his own interests in seeking the
divorce from Emporia, and therefore
deserves ousting. Did it ever occur
to those persons that Mr.. Russ has
placed many a dollar in the Golfers of
the school during it's infancy. and
that all of his time has been devoted
towards its development Is this per-