The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-22
Students Practically Demand Re-
moval of President Cur
reH.
ALLEGE THAT HE is UN-
SUITED TO WORK
Trustees Have Taken No Action
aud No Statement Was Made
Psbllse.
fBy Harold Booker.)

tBy Harold Booker.
Cosunabia, March 19.-The row
Wa;ch has been brewing at the Uni
sersily Of South Carolina for some
time broke with all Of the fury mag
inabJa yesterday when Il petition
signed by a very large majority OF
the students Of the institution was
: presented co the BOARD Of trustees
asking for the dismissal OF DR.. W.
8. Curreii as president The petition,
which was quite lengthy one, con-
tanned a number Of charges against
DR. Currell.
>The trustees received the petition
as information. No statement was
gwen out by the board after the adj
joasrnlnent OF the meeting. II has been
runored for some time that Dr.
Currell Intended retiring from the
presidency of the institution probab
~ at the commencement in June
Just what effect today's action on
the part OF the students OF the insti-
tctIon VIII have cannot be forecasted
now The doctor went before the
board and made a vigorous defense
Of himself, it is said.
Two Causes oS Dissension.
Z There are said 10 be two very big
causes for the dissension which now
exists on the University campus
They are the Reserve Officers Train
ing Corps and the existence. or al
legged existence, or alleged existence
OF fratenities eon the campus.
M S,,-f fva-
ternifies in State institutions but not
z withstanding this it is alleged that
sfraternities do exist at the University
and it has been claimed by some OF
the boys that the president Of the
Eniversity was aware of the fact.
At the recent sessfoneof general
assembly a, resolution was introduced
In the house by Representative Mann
OF Pickens calling for an Investigation
Of reports that these fraternities eX-
listed at State institutions but for
some reason or other the resolution
never got through.
Oppose the r. 0. T. c.
Many Of the students are said 10
HaTe- been bitterly opposed to the es-
tabI{shnient of the Reserve Officers
Training Corps and it is claimed that.
this is another factor in the fight or
DR.. Currell.
The opposition to the r O. T. G.
on the part of some students has been
so strong that recently bricks We're
thrown through the window Of the
room occupied by Major A. w.
Chairsell conmandant Of the r. 0. i.
~ SI fhof
fired as a result Of this episode and
one student was expelled.
The Charges.
The students in their petition state
that they have no charges to make
against the character, personal intes-
rsty and zeal in laboring for the uni
vers:ty's interests. They do charge.
however that he has a lack Of in
spirational power, tactlessness IN
dealing with men, a GOODNESS in asso-
ciation with students and lack OF
qualities Of imagination and ideal
ism.
The students claim that the doctor
IS incompetent to preside over cl1ape,
exercises, incapable OF energizing any
organization on which he serves, in
capable OF impressing the value Of
the Univessity's services on the pco-
pie Of the State, incapable Of welding
the alumni into an active agency for
University betterment and that he is
raactionary
Largely Signed.
The petition was very largely sign
ed There are 246 students at the
University. One hundred and forty
six of them signed the petition.
Public Service Commission
The first hearing to be held by the
new public service commission will be
on the gas rates charged by the local
public utility company. The first
official act of the new commission
was to summon Edwin W Robertson.
president CT the Columbia Railway.
Gas and Electric Company to ap-
pear before the commission to an
swer complaints against the rates
charged i,r Columbia for gas and
electricity.
For The Thirtieti.
Preparations for the entertainment
OF the Thirtieth Division are going
ahead. The people of Columbia are
planning to give the boysa big well
come.