EDITOR'S TABLE. 



413 



victorious, had no other foe to fear. 

 There are not wanting signs, how- 

 ever, that complete confidence on this 

 point may be somewhat premature. 

 Another enemy has appeared in the 

 field, less severe in aspect than the 

 old theology, but also less disinter- 

 estedness sincere, and, strange though 

 it may seem to say so, less open to 

 argument. That enemy is party pol- 

 itics, and the science it especially at- 

 tacks is the highest science of all — 

 the science of society in its various 

 branches. 



The very essence of scientific 

 teaching lies in its freedom. Teach- 

 ing that is not free can only usurp 

 the name of science. If the word 

 means anything, it means the move- 

 ment of the human mind toward 

 truth, toward a true comprehension 

 of things. The world and life fur- 

 nish facts ; it is for science to observe, 

 examine, tabulate, co ordinate those 

 facts, and extract from them their 

 widest and deepest meaning. Sci- 

 ence does this in the interest of man- 

 kind, in order that we may all under- 

 stand the conditions surrounding us 

 in the world, and apply our energies 

 in the most profitable manner for the 

 promotion of our own and others' 

 happiness. 



Bearing this in mind, we may see 

 an ominous sign of the times in an 

 article which appears in the October 

 number of the American Journal of 

 Sociology describing how the Popu- 

 list party in the State of. Kansas, 

 having captured the State Legisla- 

 ture, proceeded to make a raid on the 

 State Agricultural College, where, 

 after some preliminary maneuvers, 

 they dismissed a considerable portion 

 of the faculty, including the presi- 

 dent, in order to insure that the doc- 

 trines taught therein should be in a 

 line with Populist politics. The pre- 

 vious government of the college had 

 been all that could be desired; there 

 was no pretense that it had allied it- 



self with any political party as such, 

 or that the teaching given within the 

 college walls had been other than the 

 best thought of competent men deal- 

 ing disinterestedly and honorably 

 with their several subjects. The idea 

 simply was that here was an opportu- 

 nity for converting the college into an 

 instrument for promoting Populist 

 views and the success of the Populist 

 party, and that the opportunity was 

 too good to be lost. The first step 

 taken was to pass a resolution to the 

 effect that " the principles maintained 

 by the advocates of land nationaliza- 

 tion, public control of public utilities, 

 and the reform of the financial and 

 monetary system shall be fairly stated 

 and candidly examined, with a view 

 of leading the student to grasp the 

 principles involved in the science of 

 production and distribution, without 

 bias or prejudice." To secure more 

 complete freedom from bias or preju- 

 dice in the teaching of economics the 

 board next proceeded to take that 

 subject out of the hands of the presi- 

 dent, Prof. G. T. Fairchild, who had 

 been in the habit of lecturing on it, 

 and sent for a man after their own 

 heart, whom they found in a certain 

 Professor Will. The lectures of the 

 latter are described as presenting so- 

 cialistic views as though they were 

 beyond criticism, and as affording 

 much satisfaction to the Board of 

 Regents. 



The next step was to deelare that 

 the employment of all the professors 

 and instructors should expire on June 

 30, 1897. This gave the opportunity 

 for getting rid of those whose views 

 were considered in any way objec- 

 tionable, foremost among whom was 

 the president, who did not, however, 

 wait for the expiration of the period 

 before sending in his resignation. 

 Out of twenty-four teaehers twelve 

 were reappointed. Henceforth, there- 

 fore, or until the political complexion 

 of the Board of Regents changes, the 



