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BUUTWR WATCHMAN, Ksaabh Vwimlldated Aug, 8t 188 Cfo Qtatrbman anb Sontbron Wedussday and Saturday ?BT? MTCEN PUBLISHING COMPANY 8VMTBR. 8. a TtfW: tl.lt Per tnotra?In AdililtJU- will Ons Aojuer*, trat tassrtloa.tl.tt subsequent Insertion.It Contracts for three enoaths. er will he made at roduosd AM eoenmunicattons which sub? serve priemte laterests wtU he ehargst ftt ee advortts*>ments. Osjitaatlss end tributes ef rsspeet* wen he ohatred for. MH NEPOTISM! CHAREED. lJsXUKLATURK COMMITTEE GETS AT ROOT OF CT4H.W8ON TROUBIiE. Columbia. Jan. 17.?The report of the legislative committee consisting of Senstor T. I. Rogers and Repre? sentatives E. W. Duvall and L. If. Lnwson. charged with the exam 1 ra? tion Of the State's Educational Insti? tutions* Is one of the most Interesting documents presented for the const d of the legislature at this ses The portion of the report deal? ing with conditions at Clemson Col? lege Is slightly sensational In charac ? 1st la that It Is charged gross nepot? ism prevails end that the trustees leave Interfered in the management at the college. The letter of Presi? dent Meli Is especially Interesting. Th report on conditions at Clemson la as follows: In view of the fact that a great has been said in the press of the as to conditions st Clemson i, and also In view of the fact euch a large sum of money Is expended there by its board of your committee felt It In? tent upon them, ss far as time to make a somewhat fproetlgatton. there has been a de? of t% operation between and* the president and be? ttle president and commandant m the serious detriment of the Insti? tution. Tha retiring president feels that the trustees have usurped his powers' ami by interference with the details of the Institution, which sre directly the duties of the president? ?ash ss discipline of cadets, orders to 'his subordinate*, taking charge of buying the books of the library, and dictating the curriculum?made a . successful administration impossible for him. The trustees feel that the president i has failed to exert the authority giv ' an him. end by this failure has mado R Imperative* for them to exert ac? tivities slong lines they would hav? been glad to leave to him. Regard lees of who Is right In these cHlms. your committee feels thst for the fu? ture good of Clemson. it Is n^eseary \ that a strong man be electe 1 presi? dent: thst he be made the real head of the Institution; that he be given all the powers to ensble him tu thor? oughly control and operate the en? tire Institution. As an evidence that U Is the Intention of the trustee* to remedy the above evil, we quote the following resolution, which was pans" ed by a meeting In July, 1J>03. "That a committee of threo be ap? pointed by the chairman to take Into "onslderatton the revision ->f the by? laws end. In consultation with the I president of the college, report such change* as In their judgment are necessary to secure the following re? sults: 1. Define the powers and du? ties of the president of the college, so that he shsll be the absolute head of ths collegs. to be held responsible for Its satlsfsctory working and success. To define the relation of the trus? tees of the college snd their duties as inspectors and legislators, seeking to secure the best results at a minimum of expense; the idea being that the trustees shall direct and control the pcllcy of the OOlhge under genernl rules snd rsgulstlons. while the fac? ulty shsll carry them out under or? ders of the president of the college, who shsll slone set ss Intermediary between the trustees and the various heads of departments, and shall be held responsible for result*. 3. To secure the co-ordination snd co-oper? ation of the various departments of the college with a view to economy and efficiency and a clear definition of duties of the various officers of the college." Under this resolution a committee was appointed und has reported a iitw set g| by-laws. These have bo-ui adopted by the board, and w* hope they will prove satisfactory. We append |0 this repon a com? munication from Dr. Meli. retiring president, furnished us upon our re? quest that hs give us hit views as to ?hod April, ISM. 'Bo Jost mi 1. SUM*] how the future welfare of the college could be best subserved. Af er re* cetving this communication fiom Dr. Meli, we Invited the present and abn the former president of the board of I trustees to a confernece with us, and asked them about the matters reler? red to by Dr. ]|ell. concerning all of which they gave us freely and frank? ly, full information. We Arid that there was a woeful lack of appreoia-1 tion between the board, or some members of the board, and the presi? dent. The president attributing his partial failure to make his adminis? tration a success to the interference ty certain of the trustees, and the trustees attributing the same to the Incompetency of Dr. Meli as an ad? ministrative officer. We are not inn p< si tion to render a decided opinion upon all the matters in qeustlon, but we nelleve there is truth in both con? tentions, in some respects. It seems to be conceded by all that on account of the reasons for its establishment, and the manr.er of its support, Clemson should be primari? ly an agricultural college, and it seems to your committee that the au? thorities have failed to obtain the de? sired result along these llr.es. The trustees to whom we have talked seem to fully realize this, and assure us that their plans for ihe future em? brace a determination to spare no ef? fort or money In making tho agricul? tural department all that could be desired. We recommend that section 1312 of volume 1., Code of 1902, in refer? ence to the meetings of the board of trustees, be repealed. The board can? not properly perform the many, du? ties of directing a large institution by having only two meetings a year. The treasurer's report of Clemsc n College shows that the trustees receive pay for more than two meetings a year, and, in our opinion, the section should be repealed, and thus make clear their right to do so. This section was originally a part of a special act for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the old agri? cultural department of the State, which duties were Imposed upon tho trustees of CUmsorv College, and was not Intended to apply to th< meet'ng* of the board for other purposes. But when the Coda of 1902 was adopted. It was incorporated In the article on Clemson College, and as it stands therein and without looklrg Into its history, it would appear to apply to any meetings of the board. Wc do pot believe this was ever Intended, and therefore recommend Its repeal. We renew the following recommen? dation of the last report of thi< com m'ttee: "This committee has for several years called the attention of ibe Gen? eral Assembly to the fact hat a ma? jority of the board of trustees of Clemson College Is not under the con? trol of the State; and whlb; this com? mittee has no evidence whatever that the trustees appointed jnder the Clemson Will are not Ju?t as loyal, just as competent, and jus: as watch? ful of the Interests of the State, yet we believe the sooner the State can by any means whatever get entire control of appointing tho board of trustees, the better It will be for the welfare of Clemson College. We call the attention of the General Assem? bly to the former reports made by this committee, and recommend that steps be taken to ascertain If under the Clemson Will there Is any pos? sible way for the State to obtain en? tire control. While there has been no friction between the trustees un? der the Clemson Will and the trus? tees of the State, yet we believe that it would be best for the State of South Carolina and the college, even If It should cost an appropriation of an amount equal to the original valu? ation of the Clemson bequest, for the State to make the expenditure and gain entire control of the appoint? ment of the trustees." Your committee refers you to the report of the treasurer au to the ex? penditure of money by this institu? tion. It is impossible for us, In the very short time given to this Investi? gation, to go Into each expenditure, but as far as we can judge, they are correct, and the bouks are well kept. We do not think it advisable for the Legislature to take any radical action at this time, as WS h >p?? that, with a new set of by-laws and a new president, conditions will soon be vastly Improved. T. I. BOGE RS On the part of the Sonate I W. DUVALL, L. M. LAWSOX, Oh tho part of ihi House. EXHIBIT, Senator T. I. Rogari and Representa? tives L Mi Lawaon and f: vv Du? val, Committee of the General As gasnblj Sirs?In accordance with your re? quest. I furnish you with the follow? ing Infor-nation concerning the id Fear not?Let all the tends Thon Ali [*ER. S. C., WEDNES . dltions which have prevailed at Clcm son Agricultural Colege for sohk*. years, resulting In serious opposition I to good government and the proper management of the affairs of the In? stitution. 1. The hoard of trustees have in the past Interfered too much wu.i the duties of administration, which belong in all well-regulated Institu? tions to the president of the college and his colleagues. The committees of trustees have been accustomed to meet frequently at the college for the purpose of enforcing the order3 of the board, instead of leaving to the president, of the college this respon? sibility, which by right belongs to his office. For illustration I cite the fol? lowing instances: The tarnt? directed by a commit? tee of trustees without consultation with the president of the college. A committee of trustees talcing minute charge of all details of work and construction and cultivation of crops on the Coast Experiment Sta? tion, near Summerville, when ali such matters she old be under the president of the college and In airect charge of the director of the Experi? ment Station. Prior to April, 1908, Interfering with the discipline of the corps of ca? dets by setting the action of the fac? ulty aside in more than one instance. A resolution passed in March, 19G8, however, corrected this evil for the present and enabled the discipline committee to control the situation when the cadets left the college April, 1908. The budget taken out of the hands of the president of the college and placed in charge of committees of trustees who In v \ prior to December, 1909, consulted directly with th? offi? cial* who are under the president. At the last meeting of the board an ef? fort was made to correct this prac? tice. The finance committee of the board assuming by board order and, by the authority of the by-laws, full charge of the college library, in all of its in? terests, ordering the books and mak? ing rules and regulations for the proper .conduct o?.. the parties who frequent the library. *^rtils duty of purchasing books and making rules for order should belong to a commit? tee of the faculty, assisted by the lib? rarian. Under the faculty manage? ment the library has grown into one of the most valuable collection of books to be fc nd in South Carolina. This new action of the board has been made part of the by-laws where it will require nine votes of the trus? tees to correct. The repair of buildings placed in the charge of a committee of trus? tees when more effective work can be accomplished and the buildings kept in much better condition if the presi? dent was charged with this duty. This is customary in most colleges. The orders of the board are at times promulgated by committees di? rectly to sub-officials and the presi? dent often Is embarrassed by not be? ing Informed concerning these orders until he hears of them through the subordinate. This practice destroys the president's authority with the of? ficials. The walks, roads and management of the campus are now in charge of a committee of trustees, who direct all matters regarding the improvement of the grounds, tven to the details. The president of the college has been added to this committee, but his In? fluence is made small by the require? ments Imposed. On January 28, 1909, a committee from the State Farmers' Union visit? ed the college to examine into Its working. My plans were made to entertain these gentlemen, but these plans were frustrated by the appear? ance of Mr. R. W. Simpson, a mem? ber of the board, who took these far? mers In charge, and I did not have the opportunity of presenting the col? lege work to these visitors. Mr. Simp? son gave Instructions to the farmer In charge of the carriages and order? ed other officials In regard to the care of these visitors and In all other re? spects assumed the prerogatives and duties of the president of the college In the entertainment of and the di? rection of these farmers through the college. Serious Interference with the presi? dent's secretary, who is a relative of a member of the board, and causing an unfortunate condition In my office which I have found it impossible to overcome, so that a competent secre? tary could be secured to do the work of the office, My appeal to the board to allow me to have absolute control of the secretary in my office because of the confidential nature of the work, has been unavailing. 1 found It was necessary to call for the secre? tary's resignation for the accomplish? ment of good service for the college. Tho board of trustees have set my action asJde end the young lady has ns't at be thy Country's, Thy God's an JDAY. JANUARY 19, been given leave of absence until "the new president is elected." (See board of trustees' minutes, Decem? ber, 1909.) The committee of trustees Insisting that the arrangement of the subjects into courses shall first receive the approval of the board of trustees befoie they can be placed in the catalogue Is bad legislation. This duty belongs alone to the faculty. (See By-Laws.) A committee of trustees taking charge of farmers' institutes and di? recting all the details of the work of sending to the farmers the Instruc? tion the college has to offer. This work belongs to the salaried officers j of the institution under the general direction of the president. Petitions and papers of every kind intended for the board of trustees I have in many Instances reached the 1 board direct and not through the 1 president's office. This practice has I been sanctioned by the trustees as 1 Individuals. The president should be I ths officer to bring every thing from I the officials to the board, so that he J may be well-Informed concerning all 1 matters in and about the college. J The board of trustees are meeting J too often, and I think the State law I is being violated In these frequent I meetings. There would be ess chance I for interruption as above given If the j meetings were only two each year. I The Code says on this subject: "For the purpose of carrying out j the duties hereby devolved upon them J the said board of trustees; shall meet J at the call of the Governor, and at j such time and place as h<i may deslg I nate. They shall receive no compen I sation, but shall be allowed their ac I tual expenses for not exceeding two I meetings In one year while engaged j in the duties of the board imposed I upon them by this article." (See I Code of 1902, Section 1312.) I In 1908-1909 the board of trustees I met on: July 14,1908, Sept. 1, 1908, j Dec. 9, 1908, March, 1908. I In 1909-1910 the board of trustees Jmet on: March 1909, July 8, 1909, I August 12, 1909, Sept. 15, 1909, Dec. j 2, 1909. I Special attention is called to the I Mause In the above extract fram the j Code in regard to the expenses of the I trustees while engaged in transacting I the business of the college. And the I committee of the General Assembly I is directed to- the vouchers turned in I by the member from Pendleton for I his expenses who comes to the col I lege in his buggy and has his horse I fed by the college, and the expenses I of the members from Greenville and I from Walhalla. The expenses of the J last two are reasonable. The com I parlson is Interesting on the question I of expenses. (See pages 131, 132. I 133, 134, 135 of Annual Report of the I College Treasurer, a copy of which I accompanies this paper.) Nepotism Is a serious drawback to I good and efficient growth in the col I lege, and there should be some rem I edy for this evil. The following trus I tees have relatives on the official I force of Clemson Agricultural Col I lege: R. W. Simpson?Three sons-in-law I on the faculty. W. W. Bradley?A brother on the I faculty. I J. E. Wannamaker?A brother-in I law on the faculty; a nephew on the J station staff; a niece in the office of J the president; a relative in the treas 1 urer's office. j W. D. Evans?A son in the treas I urer's office; a son holding the po? sition of fertilizer inspector. Alun Johnstone?A nephew on the faculty. Three other members of the col? lege force are supposed to be related to trustees by marriage, but I am not in possession of accurate information on this score. Since the college was opened for students, In 1893, the board of trus? tees have appointed twenty-one of their relatives to Important positions In the college. There are now eleven relatives on the present force. The board have also appointed two of the'r members to good salaried places In the institution within the past eight years. The practice of nepotism has caus? ed much of the troubles and distur? bances during the administration of my predecessors and during my term of service as president. As an evi? dence of the wilting influence nepot? ism has on the official action of the board of trustees, I will cite three in? stances which came in my own ex? perience in my efforts to equip the college with strong and capable ofll cers: March, 1908, 1 recommended to the board of trustees a list of mathematical experts for the chair which had been vacated by the death of Prof. P. T. Brodle several months before. 1 headed this list with the name of Dr. Otto Dunkel, who was then associate professor of mathematics In the University of Mis? souri. (See attached letter from Dr. iOtttb <1 Tru?i'a." 1910. f rre Dunkel.) Dr. T ^ was a native , of Virginia, a V% .ite of the Uni I verslty of Virg. with the degre of I Master of Arts, a graduate of Har ver8ity of Virginia with the degree of ! Doctor of Philosophy, and also a graduate in mathematics in Gotteng I en University of Germany. He spoke German and French fluently and had a reading knoweldge of Spanish and Italian. While abroad he studied mathematics under some of the best mathematicians both in Germany and in France. There were two other strong men on my list, but I endors? ed as my first choice Dr. Dunkel. At Prof. Martin's request I submitted his application to the board for the chair. I did not consider Prof. Mar? tin equal to Dr. Dunkel in mathemat? ical training. After several ballots the board failed to elect anyone, and after transacting other business ad? journed to meet in July, at which time Prof. Martin was elected, al? though Prof. Dunkel's name was sub? mitted by me again. Prof. Martin Is a son-in-law of R. W. Simpson, the former president of the board and a life trustee. My work for the college from that time became greatly ham? pered and interrupted by serious dif? ficulties thrown in my way by the friends of Mr. Simpson on the board of trustees. Prof. Martin was elect? ed assistant professor of mathematics before I became president of the col? lege. In 1908 I recommended vo the board the election of a chemist for the expert on the station staff. My list contained a gentleman who had received fifteen years' training In chemical experiments and was fami? liar with difficult station researches. A nephew of a member of the board was nominated by Mr. Simpson and was elected In a few minutes after? wards. This nephew was but recent? ly graduated from Clemson and was without experience concerning station experiments. He was a bright young man, but could not In any particular compare with the gentleman whom I had nominated, In age, experience and educational advantages. In my efforts to control my steno? grapher, who is a niece et a trustee, I was greatly embarrassed by the board stepping in and siding wlUi her in her insubordination. I found her in the office when I accepted the presidency in 1902. She has been given leave of absence until the new president shall be elected, and the In? ference is that she will be returned to the president's office with a salary increased from $650 to $900. Be? cause of this action of the board last September I have be?n unable to se? cure a competent assistant who will consent to take the position with the uncertainty hanging over it. I have appointed eight young men -*ince lasl September, but all have declined af? ter looking into the situation. I have called the attention of the board to this unfortunate condition, but they have declined to reconsider their de? termination to have the niece return? ed to the president's office after I re? tire. While I was in controversy with the last commandant in the matter of who should discharge the duties of the president's office, Rev. Coke D. Mann, a member of the board of trustees, published an article in the newspapers condemning me in my ef? forts to control the affairs of the col? lege, and yet he had not availed him? self of the opportunity to inform himself concerning my side of the matters under consideration. Mr. Mann was on the jury which was af? terwards called on to decide on the merits of the case. By his conduct he had rendered himself unfit to sit on the case, but he took part in the discussions which occurred in the board and cast his vote against me in the final action of the trustees. The voting of $4,000 to compensate members of the board of trustees (with their law partners) for defend? ing the college in the dike litigation is worthy of consideration by the committee of the General Assembly. In my efforts to develop the col? lege Into a high-grade Institution of science, engineering and agriculture. I had worked out, with the assistance of my faculty, seven courses of study for the students to pursue, and three of these were for the agricultural students. But the trustees at their meeting In December last cut out all but one of these agricultural courses, because they thought the Farmer's Union demanded such to be done. The following table will show that if the hours of recitation as now assign? ed to each subject are retained. In the one course, of agriculture demand* ed by the By*LaWS just revised, it will be impossible for any boy to master the subjects ol' oven do hall the work. It will be necessary, there? fore, for the faculty to reduce the hours considerably on each subject, and, under such a scheme, the student will obtain only a mere super 4 <E SOUTHRON, Established Jane, ies?Vol. XXX. So. 42. flcial knowledge of the subject* of college education. While the topics are distributed over the three cour? ses given In the present catalogue, the student is given latitude for selection and at the same time he receives a large instruction on agriculture and allied subjects. The cutting out of the agricultural courses is a misfor? tune and I am satisfi ed that time and wise counsel will snow the board of trustees the wisdom of restoring these courses, and to leave thin batter of the arrangebent of the subjects into courses in the hands of the faculty who are better qualified by training and experience to adjust the subjects in the best classification for good re suits. When I ten lered my resignation, in July, 1909, the board of trustees were informed that my reasons for resigning were because: 1. The frequent interference in the administration of the college affairj by the trustees. 2. Selecting the officers of the col? lege without allowing the president a larf e shar-i in determin ng who shall ill these positions. This will avoid nepotism. 3. The need of reorganization of the military department, so that the re? cent e.ttitude of the last commandant against the president may not again occur. The board of trustees refused to accept my resignation and adjour? ned to meet in August. Before ad? journing, however, they passed the following resolutions: ' That a committee of three be ap? pointed by the chairman to take into consideration the revision of th?i by? laws, and, in consultation with th9 president of the college, report such changes as in their judgment are nec? essary to secure the following results: 1. Define the powers and duties of 11 the president of the college, so that he shall be the absolute head of the college, to be held responsible for its satisfactory working and success. 2. To define the relation of the trustees of tie college and their duties as m pectors and legislators, seeking to se? cure the best results at a minimum oX exper^e; the idea bcin* that the I trustees shall direct and control the policy of the college under general rules and regulations, while ihe fac? ulty shall carry them out under the orders of the president of the college, who shall alone act as the intermed? iary between the trustees and the various heads of departmens, and shall be held responsible for results. 3. To secure the co-ordination and co-operation of the various depart? ments of the college with a view to ecoromy and efficiency and a clear definition of duties of the various of? ficers of the college.'* . Mr. Alan Johnstone. the chairman, appointed on this committee the fol? lowing trustees: Senator B. R. Till man, Messrs. R. W. Simpson and W. W. Bradley. I desire to say to the committee of the General Assembly that the fol? lowing members of the board of trus? tees have stood by me in my efforts to build Clemson Agricultural College into a high-grade institution of agri? culture, engineering and scienev \Jz.: Senator B. R. Tillman, Messrs. R E. Bowen, If. L. Donaldson, B. H. Rawl, Jesse H. Hardin, John G. Richards. Mr. R. [. Manning has been on the board of trustees so Short a time I cannot speak intelli? gently concerning his probable atti? tude on the questions disturbing the college. I believe, however, that he will take a stand with the gentlemen mentioned above in all those matters which are for the well-being and best interests of Clemson Agricultural College. Mr. J. E. Wannamaker has on many occasions supported the president in his plans for the best in? terest of the college; like the other gentlemen, he is an independent thinker, as he should be, but I think his sympathy has been with the pres? ident when he thought this officer was right. Mr Wannamaker, how? ever, has several relatives on the col? lege force and I do not know what would be his attitude if the *"sc was made. In submitting this paper I wish it to be distinctly understood that I have endeavored t<> withdraw all per? sonality from the accounts I have Hiven, and 1 would be greatly disturb? ed if I thought that I had said any? thing which would bring trouble up? on innocent parties. I desire also O say that my colleagues on the faculty and on the college force of officers have stood by me loyally in the work of the college! and 1 have no critic? ism to make against any one of these gentlemen; they are all loyal to the college and its interests. If the evils I have tried to relate in this paperare corrected I am confident Clem-^i Agricultural College -VN i 11 uro\v into the finest Institution in the entire South. Respectfully, P. H. MELD.