The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-25
WANT WOMER OUT
Anonymous HandbiIls Demand
Washburn Heads Resignation.
Students Said to Have Written
Pamphlets Distributed Today.
CHARGE HE WASTED FUNDS
Resulted in Large Number OF
Faculty Leaving College.
Work of Old Disgruntled Pro-
fessOr, Says President WOmer.
FACULTY BEHIND STUDENTS?
WOmer Points Out DislOyai Ac-
tions of Teaching Staff.
kirkpatrick Matter Always Has
Hindered the Administration.
Resulted in Large Number OF
Faculty Leaving College.
Work of Old DisgruntIed Pro-
fessOr, Says President WOmer.
FACULTY BEHIND STUDENTS?
WOmer Points Out DislOyai Ac-
tions of Teaching Stan.
Kirkpatrick Matter Always Has
Hindered the Administration.

Hindered the Administration
The old Kirkpatrick row that was a
disgrace to Washburn traditions has
broken out again.
ANONYMOUS handbills purported to
have been written by members of the
student body at Washburn college
were distributed in Topeka today. The
pamphlets are filled with attacks on
p. L. Womer president or IopeKa
largest educational institution. and de-
mand his resignation. which according
TO the pamphlet can be accomplished
in any of the three following ways:
"A concerted protest by the students
taking the form of a signed petl1lon
demanding the removal of President
"A student strike. a unanimous
wnlkout the part OF the student
body until Womer is removed.
Individual action on the part Of
students not returning next year.
They should discourage their friends
from entering such school as Wash
burn will be with Womer at the heln
another year"
Just One More Exodus"
The pamphlets. which bear the cap
ton. Just One More Exodus, spend
much time in enumerating the resig-
nations of faculty members from
Washburn in the last three years
blamed by the writers of the pamph-
let's for the so-called exodus.
we wish to call attention to the
abnormal number of changes we have
had in the faculty during the past
three years." reads the lead article.
In the last three years there have
been fifty changes cf instructors; in
the last two years, forty-five, and IN
the last year alone. twenty-siX. And it
is rumored that several more are seri-
ous.y considering resignsng."
Continuing, the article enumerates
one Instructor after another who has
left Washburn.
Say He Wasted Funds.
president Womer claims that the
reason he does not increase the salar-
les is because Washburn has not the
money" the article continues. we
claim that the reason Washburn has
not the money is because Womer
wastes it in lavish expenditures in
decorating the cafeteria. on the college
farm, in building stone porches and
other less essential matters to college
life"
1. is stated that the board of trus-
tees in doing nothing. that the alumni
has hoodwinked" and that the Con-
gregational board has met and ad-
journed "altho they far from approved
the administration they passed the
buck
Then. the article proposes the three
alternatives as the "only remaining
source of relief"
Washburn on Blacklist?
The article speaks of an investiga-
ton of the institution by board of
the American Association of Univer-
sity Professors.
Their findings may even now be
on the press" reads the article. When
they do come out there will be some
sick trustees, not to mention an i'll
president, for Washburn will undoubt-
edly be blacklisted like Colorado col
lege was last year"
In concluding the article says:
This little pamphlet was originated,
edited and financed solely by stu
dents of Washburn college. Altho we
got n great deal of information from
various instructors, it was without
their knowing why we asked them
The editors are all students whom you
all know and see every day about the
campus, and it is only because of their
belief in the gravity of the situation
that they have spent the time, trouble
and money in this effort TO expose
and correct existing conditions"
Old Fire still Shoulders.
1t is very evident that the handbills
are the last dying embers of the col
lege row that blazed up when Prof
J. +. kirkpatrick was discharged from
the faculty and refused to hand in his
resignation. A. that time Kirkpatrick
solicited the aid of the unions and
created discomfort and i'll feeling thru
out the college faculty and student
body kirkpatrick refused to leave
the college for some time and has
spent considerable effort in carrying
on the i'll effects of his action. Stu,
dents. backed up by the KirkpatricI
sentiment. have been disturbers in the
college all this season. The handbill.
today are the climax of their unruly
actions. The college alumni greatly
resent the Kirkpatrick row.
Womer BIames Faculty.
The pamphlet was characterized a.
the work of few members of th'
faculty who are friends of Prof ]. Z,
kirkpatrick. political economy in
structor discharged for incompetency
by President Womer. when a copy wa
shown him by The State Journal
My, my, I never realized there wa
SO much viciousness in the world
Womer kept repeating as he read th'
article.
This small group of professors hav,
employed all kinds of means to en-
gender antagonism in the studen
body against him, Womer asserted
He cited instances in which these pro
fessors wrote letters on his stationery
signing his name, to popular students
calling them down for actions on tn
president.
After copy of the pamphlet wa
shown 10 Womer by the reporter sew
eral people called his office by phon
regarding it. Immediately Presiden
Womer called meeting OF the fac