Montana labor news., 1939-11-23
Open FORUM
Montana University
Is Atquirin An
Unsavory Reputation
Montana Labor News:

Montana LABOR news.
AS a loyal Montanan and former
student and teacher in that institu-
ton, I regret that our State Uni
versity continues increasingly to be
notorious throughout the country
for violation of academic freedom.
The petty tyranny to which it has
been subjected by state boards of
education or presidents, or both,
who were partisan, despotic or
ignorant of the function and essen
tials of a real university, has seri-
ously limited its service to the peo-
pie. 1t would be hard to find a uni
versity in this country with such an
unsavory history in this respect.
Now, after a considerable period
of evolution of self-government
freedom and responsibility under
former President Clapp, who was
blessed with a deep respect for his
colleagues, his inexperienced and in
adequate young successor, President
Simmons, has made the situation
worse than ever. Apparently only
yes men, who will help to produce
more yes men, are now wanted or
the faculty. The able and outspoker
are being fired or disciplined, the
latest being in a batch of five.
The faculty had little or no con
fidence in President Simmons at the
outset, and this skepticism ha;
deepened into positive distrust. They
need a leader with vision rather
than a petty boss, eager to please
the people who got him the job.
Impartial Investigations have re
peatedly revealed mal-administra-
ton; the courts have interviewed and
rebuked its high-handedness, and
protests have gone to the governors
who as chairmen of the board and
appoint the board members, with the
exception Of the attorney general
and superintendent Of public in
struction, who are ex-officio mem
bers; all with little avail. And so il
has been, down through the years
in Montana.
Now is it not clear that the situa-
ton should be made a major issue,
by the people of the state, in all
elections and between elections, I'M
til the teachers and students are
allowed to seek and speak the truth
freely and to improve themselves in
citizenship through both the study
and practice of citizenship?
Under present law, when the
people elect their governors, they
give them complete power over theiI
university and teachers colleges. Lei
them ask candidates for governor.
attorney general and superintend-
ent of public instruction to define
their positions with reference tc
academic freedom and the function
of public education. Let them be
weighed for their fitness for power
over democracy's basic institution
To the extent that the press is I'M
der the control of a small class, tc
that extent it is imperative, even q
life and death matter for democracy
that the schools be free to serve all
of the people, by freedom to seek
and speak the truth, and by the free
exercise of the rights and duties Of
citizenship. An autOcratic school can
not develop free and responsible
American citizens. We can promote
responsible freedom through the
schools only by means of respon-
sible freedom and scholarship in the
schools.
By the same token, the many in
dependent weekly papers must be
relied upon as free channels for
significant news and views of all
sorts, if the peoples liberties are
to be secure and the general vel
fare advanced.
A very practical method of pro-
tecting freedom in education is to