The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-11
President of State Universe
ty Is Caustic in Reply to
State Superintendent.
CLAIMS CARY is IN The WRONG
Insists that University of Wisconsin
has Taken no Part in Political Work
or the Creation Of Commissions in
the State During Recent Years.


Whatever government by experts
and commissions now exists in Wiscon-
sin has been created by the state leg
islatures, and not, of course, by the
University Of Wisconsin" said Presi-
dent Charles r. Van Hise of the state
university today, in discussing Super
intendent G. ?. Cary's second letter
criticizing the state university.
"The legislature some years ago es-
tablished the legislative reference
bureau to give the members expert as
sistance in framing laws. Appreciat-
ing that the sound legislation which
followed in Wisconsin was largely in
consequence of this department,
number of other states established
legislative reference libraries. The de-
velopment of methods of scientific leg
islation was carried one stage farther
by the last legislature in the creation
of public affairs board, having com
prehensive authority OF Investigation
and initiative to recommend with ref
erence to all public questions.
E'The university professors who are
members of the state commissions have
been appointed by the governors of
the state, not by the university
M an, I, o,z = .,oJ ,o,,,,, ;+4ooa e ~ IT,;
lature have requested some of the uni
versity faculty to give them expert as
sistance. Thus, these representatives
of the people of the state, not the
University of Wisconsin, have brought
about whatever increased expert serv-
ice the university has been able to
render the state government.
IF the people of Wisconsin have
been dissatisfied with the kind of gov
eminent which their representatives
have created for them in this state
during the decade, and which has
made Wisconsin a model for other
states, and in some respects for the
United States, the people have not ex-
pressed their dissatisfaction at the
polls by selecting less constructive law
makers and administrators.
" What ex president, Theodore
Roosevelt wrote in the Outlook on
Wisconsin; : An Object Lesson for the
Rest of the Union, after his visit to
the Wisconsin legislature and to the
university last spring, may not be
without application to the present
criticism of the university. Colonel
Roosevelt declared: L found the lead
ers of political life Tin wisconsin,
so far from adopting the cheap and
foolish cynicism of attitude taken by
too many politicians toward men Of
academic training, turning equally as
a matter of course, toward the faculty
Of the university for the most practical
and efficient aid in helping them realize
their schemes for social and civic bet
terment.'
President Taft's appointment of
college professors to the interstate
commerce commission, the tariff board,
the railroad securities commission, and
similar bodies, is recognition by the
United States government Of the
value Of expert assistance by univer-
sity professors in the solution Of great
national problems. Prof. B. Fl. Meyer
of the University of Wisconsin, was
appointed by President Taft to the
interstate commerce commission. On
the railroad securities commission,
President Taft made President Arthur
I. Hadley Of Yale chairman and, Prof.
B. Fl. Meyer of the University of Wis
consin a member. Prof. Henry C.
Emery of Yale was appointed head of
the tariff board by President Taft, who
also made Prof. Thomas w. Page of
the University of Virginia member
of that board.
elf we are to be- a truly progressive
government, which is doing for its peo-
pie what was declared to be desirable
by the Declaration of Independence
and the preamble to the Constitution
of the United States, we shall be
obliged to recognize that the formula
ton of constructive law is a science
which demands the assistance Of the
best trained experts along many lines
The alliance of legislators and experts
in the state of Wisconsin makes it a
pioneer of this movement. The his
torian of the future must give Wiscon-
sin the leadership in this new era Of
constructive legislation, beginning with
the twentieth century, the dis
tinguished feature of which win be
that government in the interests of the
Individual has given way to govern
ment in the interests of the whole
people,