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Image provided by: University of North Texas; Denton, TX
Newspaper Page Text
AMAKILLO DAILY NEWS, THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 28, 1917. . i . i ... V - ; V f V I V : V V V V V Cultivated mind U the guardian genius of de mocracy. . . . It i: the only dictator that free men a know ledge and the only itcurUy that freemen deiire Present M;mbaj B Lamar. The benefits of education tad of vueful knowl edge, generally d.ffuied through a community, are euential to the pretervation of a fre gor ernment. Prealdeut Bau Houitoo. By Preiident Jeffenon'i requeit what he es teemed to be the great achievemenU of hi lif were engraved upon his tomb: "To the Au thor of the Declaration of American Independ ence, of the Statute of Virginia, for Keligioul freedom and the FATHER OF THE UNI VERSITY OF VIRGINIA." Tliere Are Too Many People Going Hog Wild About Higher Education Governor James E. Fergusor (Governor Fotepiii v ttDnc Umiversntty 2 Texas BY the Constitution and statutes of this State the Con trol and direction of the affairs of the University is placed culuse!y in a Hoard of Regents, nominated by the Governor and appointed by the Senate. With this nomination the Governor's function ends. lie is not an ex officio member of the board and has no legal control over its actions. The members of the hoard are free to exercise n sound official discretion under the law in the manage ment of the University's affairs, being subject to the courts alone f or any abuse of that discretion. Governor Ferguson has demanded the removal of sev eral members of the faculty and has threatened to remove the members of the Hoard of Regents unless they )ield to his demands. Failing in this attempt at dictation he has vetoed the ap propriation made by the Legislature for the maintenance and support of the University. By this act he proposes to close next September the doors of this great school, thereby depriving during the next two years more than four thousand young men and women of the educational opportunities provided by the fu titers. This act is a part of a "Rule or Ruin" policy adopted by the (Jocrnor by which he seems determined to acquire the powers given by law and the Constitution to the Hoard of Regents and to control the management of the Uni versity or destroy it. We propose to present the issue thus raised to the peo ple of Texas, haing implicit confidence in the wisdom and justice of their decision w hen the facts are placed be fore them. In seeking to accomplish his purposes Governor Fergu son has shown an utter disregard for the Constitution and laws of the Slate. lie has sought to intimidate the president of the Uni versity at their first meeting )V threatening him with the -biggest bear fight that was cut pulled off in Texas- un less the president should it M tn the Governor's demand that certain members of the faculty be summarily dis missed. .-. r w UNIVERSITY EX. ST U DENTS COIMITTEB H. D. ARDREY. Ch.i.f CHAS K LEE WILL C HOOO. Sm; MARION LEVY W. D. JONES M GAMMON C H LEAVELL M. McMAHON MRS HOBART KEY ALVA CARLTON MISS GRACE PKA1HL e e BEWLEY B P. BAILEY 3AWME ALDREDGL FRANK RYBIT.N W WOODSON LICK 0 TERRELL m DUDLEY K WOODWARD When asked by Regent Will C. Hogg for his reasons for demanding the removal of these men, he replied, "I don't have to give any reasons. I am the Governor of Texas." He demanded the resignation of members of the Hoard of Regents who refused to obey his unjust demands. While considering the educational appropriations bill, after the adjournment of the Legislature, he called a meeting of the members of the Board of Regents of the Univ ersity in his office and made them understand that they must comply with his will or that he would close the University by cutting off its entire appropriation for the ensuing two years. Failing to find on the Hoard of Regents a sufficient number of men who would be subservient to his dictation, und failing in his efforts to depose those regents who op posed him and to appoint in their places members subserv ient to him, he executed his threat and attempted to veto practically the entire appropriation for the maintenance and support of the Main University at Austin and for the Medical Rranch of the University at Galveston, thereby en deavoring to paralyze the University for at least two years. A great principle is here involved. This question does not concern the University only, nor all the institutions of learning only. It concerns all of the institutions of the State of every character, the courts, the prisons, the insti tutions for the feeble-minded and the insane. It concerns the liberty of the people of Texas. If any Governor is per mitted to assume the powers sought by Governor Ferguson in his attempt to gain control of the University, he can as sume like power over all the institutions of every character In the State, and by wielding such power to accomplish his ow n aims, he can thus set at naught the will of the people. It is against public policy to permit one man to usurp such authority. THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF TEXAS MUST HE FREED FROM PARTISAN POLI TICS AND ONE-MAN RULE. This is the first of a series of articles which will appear in this paper in which we propose to discuss the controversy which has arisen between the Governor and the University of Texas. UNIVERSITY CITIZENS COMMITTEE JOSEPH D. 8AYERS, Chairman J. W. McCLENDON, Secretary W. W. TURNEY RICE MAXIY MRS PERCY V. PENNYBACKER NAT M. WASHER MRS. CLARA DKISCOLL SEVIER KEMP B. MARSH , J. A. MRS. CHALMERS W. HUTCHINSON 0. H. CROSS MRS. REBECCA J. flSLX T. S Ilf .LD MRS J. C. TERRELL D. . GOSS SAM H. HILL A. P. PARK THOMAS H. SION.'. ' (Advtrtteemcnt) - A a. . y V t t y y y y t t y i