The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-14
TRUSTEES INVITE 2 : a
FORMAL CHARGES,
By Cadets against President
and Commandant as to
Conditions at Clemson

Anderson. April stating that nl
charges Of any Kind pertaining te
either Clemson College or the otficia
conduct of President ". NJ. Riggs. el
the commandant. Col. j. NJ Cum
mings. had been filed with any Of the
college authorities, but that it was the
earnest desire of the trustees to af:
ford full opportunity to the cadets ol
any other person 10 present com
plants against either the-eollege OF
the officials. a pronunciamento from
the trustees was read at the retreat
formation of the cadet corps this af-
ternoon and published on all bulletin
boards setting forth these conditions:
That such complaints must be filed
in writing with the board not later
than noon Thursday; that any allega-
tons must be specific in character:
that such charges must be made in
open session of the trustees and that
the testimony must be given unde,
oath
This resolution. stating that re-
quest for investigation of their Off
cial conduct had been filed by the
president and the comaaadant wa:,
made public shortly after the annual
April meeting. Of the board convened
this afternoon at 8 o'clock and dlvid-
&c interest with another meeting
which was going on at the same time
in the Y. NJ. CA This second meet
vas a joint conference OF a commit
tee representing the Alumni -Associa-
ton and one representing the parents
of cadets, and was held for the pur-
pose OF sthe examination Of cadets
( with grievances against the president.
the conlmandant and the college in
general The reuslt Of this conference
and the probable outcome of il is best
indicated as pointed out to the COR
respondent by the fact that after a
dozen or more cadets had been exam
ined all members of the alumni com
mittee quit the conference, several re-
turning to their homes and stating
that they had failed to find any evi-
>cdence supporting any just grievance
against any of the college authorities.
ard expressing their disgust with what
nthey stated was an apparent effort on
61te part of TIVE members Of the par
> ents' committee. said 10 be hostile to
the college authorities. TO find some
thing with which to satisfy their crav
ings.
These alumni expressed further in
,-dignation over what they said was a
asecret conference between one of these
parent committeeman, and member
,,of the Clemson faculty. who. they as
sert, has been extremely critical of.
the authorities and who. it is under
stood, is soon to leave the institution.
The parent committeeman remain
ed at the college tonight, While mem
bers or the alumni committee stated
that they We're remaining over in or
der to appear before the trustees to-.
.nrorrow,and assure them that they had
found no just grounds for complalnt
against the college authorities.
Examination of the cadets this af-
ternoon was said TO have been most
thorough and then. when all Sriev-
,ances had been narrowed down TO one
of lack OF confidence in the president
of the college. rot one cadet could
support his position With anything
specific.
Among the witnesses called before
the Joint committee was Cadet c. NJ.
Crossland. of Bennettsville. who Was
expelled at the beginning Of the re-
cent student embroglio. but whose
case was ordered retired by the trus-
tees upon discovery OF Il technical e.
ror on the part of the trial commit
tee OF the faculty.
Alumni members Of the committee
confidently stated that the session OF
the trustees tomorrow for the prr-
pose of hearing grievances against
the president and the commanGah:
would end in u vcte OF confidence scf
the college authorities: The alumni
committee consists Of S. Dean Pear
man and George ". Sper, OF Ander-
son; C. ]. Duckworth, Of Greenviile,
and E. H. Shuler. of SpartanburS The
cadet parents committee consists o.
u. w. Robinson. of Columbia: j. =.
Durham. OF Conway. and George T.
Bryan of Greenvil!e.