University of South Carolina Libraries
THE TROUBLE AT CLEMSON REVIEWED BY MR. IIOYT (Continued from 1'agc Three.) place. 10 it her the boys were supreme ^ or th'e commandant and faculty. On the night of the iJlst of March there was a slight demonstration rn barracks, which soon subsided. The next morning when the cadets begun to rofuse to come to (Trill, Capt. Minus had iiis company officers form their commands as usual, without giving any indication that anything was wrong. Then he sent cadet officers imto the barracks to order the rebelling cadets personally and individually to come out. Ho explicitly told his officers not to talk to the cadets in a body; and all the way through lie lias reifused to recognizee the mob. When some of them did not come he went on with the drill. The company commissioned officers are, of course, Seniors, and none of (h:it. class took part in the outbreak. But another significant fad is fhalt all the lirsl sergeants slaved and formed their companies. These are the boys who have come most closely into .contact with Capl. .Mimic in the discharge ot military duties and tliev knew his mettle. Tlicy knew Ire was not going to bluff. The other hoys know i*. now. His conduct that day is said to have been very impressive. Many of the dismissed cadets have said that he has been fair though firm, that he is impartial as well as strict. A gentleman who is familiar with the college situation remarked that "Minus's stock has gone up .100 per cent with us all. hoys included." Some weeks ago there was a slight demonstration against the new commandant. One or two of the boys cleared tlreir throals as lie passed and others look i! up. The commandant at once" disciplined I he cadets who showed disrespect for his authority in lliis way. Thai is the only demonstration thai lias heen made, lie has nol, as ptthlislied. been hissed ;il all, and I her,' lias been no evidence of personal dislike or disrespect for him :i( all. ('apt. Minus impresses me as a young solider who will (hi his duty without regard to criticism or commeudalion. .11 is because I am convinced that commemlalion or praise will not alVeet him in any way Unit I am writing as freely in his praise as I am. They say he can call any boy's name instantly and knows all about them all. lie seems to be the right man in llio righl place. Thai (Memson has needed such a commandant is well recognize.I. It is inconceivable that he fdiould be driven away. Hut, of course, it remains to be seen whether the trustees will abide by their resolution cmd refuse to interfere, for, no doubt, the trustees will be asked to reverse the ad ion of the discipline commit tea. The reader may conclude that Capt. J. ('. Minus is the hero of this romance. His part in il lias been dwelt on because il is the belief that the cfl'ofl was made to try him oul, and his response to that elTorl is I lie story best worth Idling. President Moil and his discipline committee, however, arc not to be disregarded in the telling T)r. Melt perhaps would not admit thai he lias a hard lime of il since ^coming to Clemsou. Ilis thirty yoars in college work have doubtless taught him lo lake such filings calmly. Tie Jj;is heen president of (Memson six years now. h will be recalled that a faw mouths after he took charge there occurred llie uu fori una I e foolball rmv in Columbia, in which I he then commandant, Capl. Sirmyvr, showed so plainly his inability lo handle the corps. Since lhal time, until last dune, (here has been no open rupture, but discipline has not been of the best at limes. Capt. Sirniyer stayed two years and was succeeded by Capt. (May, who was here three years as commandant. President Mel'l is pleased with the administration of Capt. Minus. He also is impressed with I he support lhal is given himself so unanimously by llie faculty and is confident of (he support of the board of trustees. Dr. Mel 1 evidently appreciates llie ivravily of his task, especially at (his lime, in controlling the seven hundred young men placed under his care, but he is no! weighed down h\ il. He has seen thai crisis had to conic al (Memson. II has come at other colleges, al Ann Arbor, a I I he Mississippi Agricultural College and at colleges in the Slate. In fact, much the same conditions have existed at oilier colleges in nnv own Stale, bill in lesser degree, since the number of students is smaller. To go further, the same conditions exist i elsewhere than merely at our colleges, J !t is after all merely a question ot * mob rule, the same old question of 'law and order, of obedience or de finance of constituted authority. A lit lie violation of law here and a lil He there; the disregard of an unpopular law by a community; the lack ol confidence in the enforcement of th< law?(hose are conditions with which our Slate is already to familiar. If Clemson can touch seven hundred men that respect must he shown to constituted authority, that laws cannot bo broken with impunity, that the mob cannot ru'le, its part in the educational system of the State will be broadened and strengthened, for that is the most important lesson that can be taught our people at this time. Under Mell aiuf Minus the lesson is being very forcofu'lly pressed home just now. In after years these boys who have set themselves up as exemplars of the mob spirit will appreciate their lesson if they do not now. They are merely become the vfcMms of their own disregard for law. In the investigation of conditions here the representative of the News and Courier had every facility placed at his disposal by President Mell, Ktapt. Minus and the other members of tire faculty. There is no disposition here to hide things. President Mell talked freely himself and then expressed the wish that the correspondent should go anywhere and talk to anybody, into the barracks and talk with I lie boys or to the homes of the professors and discuss matters with (hem. The readers of the New? and Courier, of course, have the right- to know what is going on here. The people of the State are contributing over $150,0000 each year to support this institution. This year the total enrollment is 708 and the attendance at the close of March was 050. There are SO seniors, 012 juniors, 101 sophomores, 288 freshmen, 81 in the preparatory department and the rest are special students. Tlrerc sir e4/3 members of the faculty now at work and several other professors arc to be added at I the .July meeting oT the board. Up to April I tire lag tax, by which the college is chiefly supported, amounted lo $101,014.(>5, and this sum is paid by the farnrers of the State. There is an additional income from federal sources amounting to about 000 in addition to the money expended on I the experimenting stations. There are here magnificent buildings, the great agricultural building, the main class room building and extensive dormitory buildings. This is a big college, in size, in expense, in equipment, in opportunity. Shall il be a big college in spirit, in purpose, in accomplishment ? Shall boys, raw and given, unformed, come here and after four years go away men, big iu purpose, in spirit, in ideals? The answer to that depends lirst on 1 he men at the head of the institution. Are they moulded in large moulds themselves? Are they forceful, impressive iu eprsonalily and character and ideals'? Clemson is young, ft is in its infancy. It has not yet attracted to itself any such towering personality as Woflord has had in James II. Carlisle, as Furman has had in James C. Kurman and Charles II. .Judson, as the University of South Carolina has had in its longer line of big men?in SI oan, \\ oodrow, Tbornwell, Preston, Lu'Borde and all the rest of that brilliant galaxy whoso nniues ore part of the Slate's Paine. Clemson lias just begun, Vrttt may say, but in lror fifteen years she had four presidents. Prof. Strode was unable to take up the work of president in the completed college and Dr. Craighead was virtually the lirst president. Ilis regime was a troubled oive and ho left with hardly a record of successful administration. Yet he is tooray at the head of one of the south'* great universities -Tu lane. Ilis successor, Dr. Ilart/.og, was practically wttfiout experience in college work, ami he, too, had' no smooth sailing: he was practically driven away by the sophomore rebellion. Now lie is at the head of a Baptist college in Arkansas and is successful there. Dr. Moll's administration is the longest yet, and lie is now at the crisis of his administration Perhaps Clemson has not had time to develop the high esprit do corps which should he expected of a South Carolina military school. One in authority told inc that lie found the buys iu?li\idually to lie easily handled, reasonable and sound, but there seems I" be a spirit of combination which has no place in a military school, A spirit of combination not for higher purposes, hut for the disregard of authority which is not to be al once eradicated and which is evidently a survival of previous conditions. Clemson has lnvn criticised, especially among educators in our State, for not at templing to raise its scholastic standards. The answer has boon that this is dillicult lo do by reason of the fad that so tunny boys apply for admission from communities which have no. proparlory high schools, ami' recently the president has declined lo admit any ill-prepared mintents who came from communities whore preparation is in reach. Put ' si ill the standard is not what it is > desired to make it, and immaturity to sonic extent still characterizes the r student body. # Again, a number oi' ji students who have Tailed to pass their h examinations have been permitted to c remain in school and their continuing <1 influence, it is stated, has not been I for good. Indeed, one at* the foi>w>nu a players declared that these "flunke- t outs," as he called them, started this t trouble. Perhaps a more rigid aJ- o Jierence to rules in tho collegiate de- e partment of the work will help to v maintain discipline in the military de- o partment at Olemson. ti The boys must" realize that there is * no small matter in military aflfairs; ? every rule must bo rearded. A col- t lege cannot bo half military with any ? success; it must be military or 1101 p military. Under former commandants li there has been a let-up now nnd tn?u ? in the enforcement of military discipline, but under Cat. Minus it is a J- c mitted that the college is going to bd o a military school. If it is not a mili- d tarv school t'here is no need here for li a military anan such as he. And IT b ( Icmsou cannot keep (his command- ( ant there is not much prospect of get- h ting another commandant from the a army. Minus will be sustained in this n trouble, or Clemsou will cease to be a military .school. The war department t<> made that clear last summer. w It has already been pointed out in ii this article that t;h?j action of the trus- tl tees in declaring that discipline !s in the hands of the commandant and discipline has not been entirely in these P hands. Going back, it. is my opinion that there has been too much trustee- 01 ism at Clemsou. So far as college boys are concerned, there should be hi no siu'h thing as a trustee; tire college tl buy has no business knowing that a board of trustees exists, 'especially in a ulilitarv school, where the commandant is supreme and his word is law. rf Flic trustees have enough to do in js selecting professors and devising ways jv and means l<> run the college, without dabbling into the inside work or 0, school. There has been too much of this at Cleiuson, hut then Clemsou is xv not (Ire only Stale school in South Carolina where this is true. However, Clemsou will he better off hcreaffc |'. it lire trustees stick to their resolution and lei the president and commandant run Mi is big institution. The board wj 'has eve.y confidence in Dr. Mell; he vc has been here for six years and all ()| his important suggestions have been carried out. Capt. Minus is ending liis v first session here and surely lie is j '* making good." W'lien ( Icmsou college opens up (]j next fall it is possible that a good ?? many of the dismissed boys will want to come back and it is not unlikely _ that they will he allowed to do so. 11 they have shown t'lie proper spirit w, of contrition and a disposition to pro- n, lit by their experience the authorities s.. wil most likely grant their individual requests lo reenter the college. The ,V) dacutly has tclt that in passing on (ij these cases any disposition to take into consideration extenuating circum- *"* stances would at this lime he out of ^ place; excuses and penitence can be considered later. Wh^n applications are made for re-udmission it will bv ^ time enough lo say who was less blameworthy Mian others. So far as the remainder of this session is concerned the work of the college will be considerably changed. The * classes are instructed in sections, and ? there are usually about twenty in each section. In some eases entire sections will have left the college and this will necessitate a rearrangement of schedules lo some extent. Tint the work litis goite rigid on; (here lias noil'or even it day been any interruption in the class room work and the Strang, er coining upon the campus without any intimation of what has taken place would never know that anything out <xf I lie ordinary has happened. The barracks are quiet and the campus is peaceful. The section at periods march by I'll rough Hie halls to their class rooms, and in the afternoon the baseball team and the track teams arc at work on the athletic field. 'Flic dismissed hovs are missed, but there i.s no outward indication of their absence, no apparent nap in tiie run**. It has been this way all the time; even on April Kool's day the work went on as usual, though three hundred of Hie six hundred and fifty were having the time of their lives in Pendleton. And, l>^" the way. have you ever been to Pendleton? If so just think of going to I'endleton ii find excitement and fun! When Hie Clemsou colors go on the gridiron next fall the effects of the April Wool frolic will be felt. Many of the 'varsity's besl men are among the dismissed juniors and sophomores. The baseball men and the track I earn did not go; athletics has done tfial much good anyhow, as the boys would not permit their representatives in these sports to run the risk of being, | dismissed. It is queer how college boys regard ( obligations, queer their idea of tho dative importance of different dodges. On en to tiny college all these v >oys look an obligation to obey the i ollege rules. Coming back from Pen- i lleton they signed a pledge to stand i >y one another, and if one was sent ; way all should go. Tlrey seemed to i hink their voluntary obligation, has- *1 ily made, was more binding than tho I bligation which they owed their parents and their college. However, < k'hen it was seen that this violation : f the college obligation was to be rented seriously and not as a joke 1 here was evidenced a. disposition to i bsolve the boys from the oottgation hey had taken to stand by one an- ' ther, and the first set to be dismiss<r stated, as has already been pubshed, that they would not hold the tlicrs to their agreement. Ho the Olemson boys hare discoverd that what is wrong, either legally r morally, to be done by an indivi- "< ual is wrong, either legally or moralto be done by a mob. It has also eon brought home to them that at 3 lonison violations of the college iws, whet hor by an indivadual or by i mob, will meet with certain punish- J tent >o Hie individual. This is a salutary lesson, taught at , ny sacrifice. It is a lesson that our 'hole people have needed l<> be taught i some way, and let u.s hope that . lis, lesson will suffice. World's First Radium Robbery. earson's Weekly. ? It was bound to come soon or lat- J r. And, now behold, it" has come. f For the first time in the world's a istory there has been chronicled the 1 left of a quantity of radium. 1 Tt was not a large quantity. In- t sod, it could not wry well be so, >nsidering that the sum folal of the idiuni stock of the whole of Europe only about *10 grains, or, say, onerolftli of an ounce troy. Hnt as radium is worth just now, at irrent market rates, 90,000 lbs. an Ithe individual, whoever lie fl ;is, wno walked off at Glasgow uiti'rsLty the other day with Prof. Sodr's one-fourth of a grain, has illicit- i acquired ]iossession of proper!v ' orth f>0 lbs. * \ I be difficulty for him, however, \ ill be to realize. Ife can hardly ad- ' Ttise it in the "for sale" 00111111115 a daily paper. ITe can not raise oney on it at a pawnshop, for not entire most enterprising and up to ile of uncles'' would lend allying 011 a microscopic fragment, of rty dust that a pin's point would i?re than cover. Neither can lie keep it in his pocket with safety to himself. For the tiny < eck of seemingly harmless stuff] , ould burn through clothing, and; * csh, and muscle, and bone, morel rcl> Mian vitriol, and would beside ve rise, to an ulcerous sore that Mild take years to heal, if ever it d. J This is V a --- - ..READ! It is not our po! bait for breakfast lemon for dinner i shop worn goodsfind at "Special Ba dear at any price, gle item in our line a lower price thai consistently offer, viceable goods at'] your own iriteres Show You a on any every pure! large trade we con a day or by "Sp. Only by persistent have we gained public. Spend yc dollar gives the b O. K L E The ^air and S Merry Hardware > Company We are now occupying our own storeroom 1 104 Caldwell street* and 1211?1213 Friend- ? This building has 16,- > 300 square feet of floor space. We built this store ourselves and the shelving, etc., especially adapted to the Hardware business and the convenience Jof the publicHaving just completed our Steam Heating plant (the only one in any* storeroom in the city) which gives us an < even temperature and a perfectly comforta- ' ble salesroom in the coldest weather. For the convenience of our lady customers we have a ladies9 toilet which is complete in every respect, also in another part of the building we have the same convenience for the men. The three floors of the building are connected by a power Elevator operated by electricity. We carry in addition to one of the largest lines of Hardware in the state, the finest line of China ever seen in the city, also Glassware Lamps Lamp Chimneys Flower Pots Jardineers Enamel and Tinware Harness Wagons Wagon Materials Steam and W&ter Pipe Pipe Fittings Valves Stoves Stove Pipe Glass Paints Oils Putty Mantel Boards Tile and Grates Guns Loaded Shells Ammunition, etc. Yours to please, COMPANY. j ' i Kven for I lie thief to examine his stolon booty would moan blindness, unless ho exereiscd extra ordinary mid elaborate precautions. For the radioactivity ol' the purom inoral is such that it destroys the optic nerve us surely as it oats up gold or carbonises a diamond, only more quickly. So that, on the whole, it would scorn that the wisest course for the man who stole that tube of radium would be to seek out Mr. Soddy and beg of him, on his kiees, if need be, to retlike possession of it. TRY THE "RIBBON WINNER," Best pencil perforated tablet on the market, for 5c. Broaddus A Ruff. 10.0001 Agents wanted at once, previous experience is not essential, write soon if you wish to make money faster than you ever did before. Address J. F. Clark. Conway, Ark. Look Who's Here WHERE? THE PASTIME THEATRE, Next Door to Post Office. R-eal Vauciovlllo ONE WEEK, Commencing Tonight. Program: I. B. G. Greason, Monolo?ist. II. Mrs P. D. Wlietteu, Indian Wlietteu, Comedian tnd Contortionist. IV. i.ooo feet High -.lass Moving Pictures. Illustrated Sones md Pictures. Afternoon Performances I an" 5 o'clock. 4 complete perfornimces every night-7.30, 8.30, 9.30, and o 30 o'clock. Remember the location?next doorf to he PoBtoffice. ' FRED J. RUSSEllT'Mrn";^^ t' THE FAIREST Easter offering you can make to your friends and relatives is a good photograph of yourself. That is n gift tliay can and will .appreciate all their lives. In order to insure a perfect and attractive likeness, 1,ave us lnake the ?i\\ photographs ' v !lYou kllow our , kW'Vyi work or have 1 11 \ llv lleaicl of it. Xo P speak of its excellence. Come and sit today while we < can still promise . the pictures in The Elite Photo Studio, East End Main Street. /orth NO... icy to hand you out a and follow it with a and supper. Shoddy, such as you generally rgain Sales" are too There is not one sinon which there is not i any other firm can We mean honest serBargain Prices'. Study t?come?if we don't Glean Cut Saving hase pass us bv. The imand was not built in Scial Bargain Sales." hard and honest toil the confidence of the >ur money where the est results. >urs for Bargains, TTNER quare Dealer.