THE er a SPECULGM. Vouume VIIIL—No, 7. AGricuLTURAL CoLLeGE, Micu,, JUNE 10, 1589. — WHoLeE No, 37. President Oscar Clute. It was with exceeding pleasure and satis- faction that the students and alumni of the 4 college learned that the State Board of Ag- riculture had appointed Oscar Clute to be the successor of Edwin Willits as President of ° the Agricultural College. As a graduate of the college; a person of fine scholarship; a teacher of rare excellence; a person whose sympathy with agricultural pursuits and our special system of education has ever been pronounced; and as one whose whole life has been devoted to the work of gaining the confidence of men, and of influencing them to higher and better thought and work: he possesses a fitness for the position which will be recognized by all friends of the college. * 98 THE SPECULUM. Our first President, Hon. J. R. Williams, insisted that ours should be a separate college, where Agriculture should be the chief aim and thought, and that manual labor should be insisted upon as our chief corner-stone. Pres- ident T.C, Abbot for long years held the college unswervingly in the same line. Pres. ident Willits fully appreciated the work of his two predecessors, and held the college true to its grand object, while he worked successfully to broaden its usefulness, Re- sults show plainly how wise all these gen- tlemen were: and President O. Clute’s whole life is an earnest of his fitness to hold fast to all that is good in the past work and history of the college, while his loyalty to our spec- ial feature as an Agricultural College, his abil- ity as a teacher, his broad and catholic views, and his special fitness to control and influence men, bespeak an abundant success in the fuller development of every department of the college. Mr. Clute is of Dutch de- scent. His father was a farmer and married a farmer’s daughter. So, we may say that President Clute “ was to the manner born.” His mother was a very religious woman, and perhaps to her loving words and influ- ence is due the love and devotion to truth and the earnest and reverent spirit which has always been so manifest in the son. Mr, Clute was born near Albany, New York, March rth, 1537. Up to the age of seven- teen he divided his time between school and work on the farm. So manifest was his ability as a student, that while only seven- teen he was engaged as principal of one of the Binghamton schools, where he taught two years, when he entered the Susquehanna seminary as both student and teacher. In 1857 he came to lonia, Michigan, where he taught one year, when he was appointed. principal of the Ionia schools; but resigned the place in 1859 to enter the Sophomore class of this college. at this school Mr. Clute was an exemplary student in every respect. While yet an un- der-graduate he was secured as teacher in the preparatory department of this college, and — acquisition, a wife. During his three years - 5 immediately, upon graduation, he was ap- pointed tutor, afterward Professor of Math- ematics, Which position he held for four years, till 1566. As a teacher he was ex- ceedingly popular. He possessed that rare power of getting the very best work from his pupils. After leaving the college he entered Meadville Theological Seminary where he graduated the following year. Upon graduation, autumn of 1867, he ac- cepted a call to the First Unitarian Church of Vineland, New Jersey. While at Vine- land Mr. Clute helped to organize, and was elected president of the famous Vineland Farmer’s Club, which, during his presidency gained a reputation which was fiot limited even to the United States. In 1868 Mr. Clute came back to the college, not for a second degree, but for a still more valuable Thus in June, 1868, he was married at President Abbot’s house by President Abbot to President Abbot's wife's sister, Miss Mary Merrylees. In those days young ladies on the college campus were a rarity and justly considered a God- send. [think the only criticism the writer ever heard of Mr. Clute was that he should be so inconsiderate as to remove from the college one of its brightest attrac- tions. Mr. Clute remained at Vineland for six years, when he was called: to the First Church at Newark N. J. While at Vine- land he edited the agricultural department of the Vineland Weekly. He had previously done very acceptable editorial: work on the Western Rural, during his vaéations, while teaching at the college. He remained two years in Newark, during a part of which time he was editor of the Lideral Christian, of New York City. : After two very successful years at New- ark, Mr. Clute was called to the First Uni- tariari Church at Keokuk, Iowa. Here his four years’ service Was very pleas- ant and encouraging, Among his earnest supporters were such men as Hon. Samuel I’. Miller, now of the United States Supreme Court, and . Congressman Geo. W. Mec THE SPECULUM. 99 Crary, afterwards War Secretary under Hayes, then United States Judge, and now chief counsel of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. While at Keo- kuk, Mr. Clute become widely known as a very successful bee-keeper. His able articles in the bee journals were eagerly read, and highly appreciated. It was at this time that he wrote the fascinating work “Blessed Bees,” which has already gone through four editions. Through this work Mr. Clute became well known in Europe. In 1875 Mr. Clute was taken from Keokuk to the [larger field of Iowa City, where he was for seven years pastor of the first Unitari- an Church. While at lowa City he owned and cared for a large apiary. This work gave him rest and recreation from his other duties, and more—much solid cash, for he sold as the product of a single season over 17,000 Ibs. of honey. He was also president of the lowa Bee Keepers’ Association, which he helped to organize. At this time, im- pelled by his old love for agriculture, first kindled on the farm in his childhood, and strengthened at his Alma Mater, .notwith- standing his arduous duties as clergyman, and his avocation of bee-keeping, he became editor of the Steck Fournal and Farmer. In 1887 he left Iowa City to take charge of the First Unitarian Church at Pomona, California, where he built up a large and interesting society, which he left with no slight reluctance to accept the position of president of our college. President Clute’s family consists of his wife and six children. The three oldest children, William and Oscar, aged respective- ‘ly twenty and eighteen, and Lucy aged fif-- teen are all prepared to enter the college. The three younger children, two girls and a boy, will add very materially to the juvenile portion of our community. Mr. Clute is brother of Hon. L. Clute of Ionia, well known as an attorney and leader in the tem- perance ranks of our State. President Clute, as student, alumnus, and professor at this college is thoroughly ac- quainted with its history, its methods and its special features as an agricultural and mechan- ical school; more than this, he heartily ap. preciates the value of our manual labor idea, and thus will bring to us all that native abil- ity, thorough knowledge and genuine enthu- siasm can offer. From his early training on the farm, and his later experience at this college, he is in full sympathy with the farmers, aud will spare no effort to make this institution what it ever has been, a. val- uable auxiliary to Michigan agriculture. As a broad and liberal-minded man, and an ex- perienced organizer, no department of the college will lack encouragement and aid during his administration, As a Christian gentleman, trained to aid and influence. men towards the good and the true, he can_not fail to exert a most telling influénce over the- young gentlemen who shall be brought under his instruction, Surely _thé frietids of the college may all rejoice in-the good fortune that has befallen us. © == | | =~ Shall We Coquet With Anarchy? _ J. W. O'RANNON, UNION LITERARY SOCIETY. European anarchy is the offspring of the despotism of the few and the wretchedness of the many. It has been said that its doc- trines could never obtain in the land of light and liberty; that being an exotic it would not flourish unless carefully nourished. It is being carefully nourished and for an ex- otic is making wonderful growth. Every one of our large cities contains its band of anarchists. In Chicago alone there are twenty-five thousand men enrolled under “The Red Flag.” They are the most deadly enemies of our form of government and show their hatred of our institutions upon all oceasions. The Haymarket riot is fresh in the memory of the people of Chicago, yet those men are allowed perfect freedom to spout their treason. When a meeting of anarchists is dispersed by the police of any of our cities a great out- TOO THE SPECULUM. ery is made that the right of free speech is being violated. When -incendiary and rev- olutionary documents are taken possession of by vigorous police officers who believe in doing their duty, some weak-kneed judge rules that they have gone beyond their au- thority. If the mayor of a city is possessed of “The evil spirit, Back Bone,” to such ex- tent that law breakers of anarchical tenden- cies are promptly punished, care is taken that | are constantly taking place in Europe, where Such is the state | of affairs in a large proportion of our cities. | the destruction of life and property from he serves only one term. That a day of reckoning is coming is pain- | fully evident tothe most superficial observer, | At the time of the great railroad riots, in | 1874, which cost many lives, and a hundred : “million” dollars’ worth of property, to put : \down which required the vigorous efforts of | the militiaoFtew states, there were but few anarchists. among us. they_will be prepared for the next great out- break, - That the cloud of anarchy upon our . +iational sky is larger than a man’s hand is very evident. Weigh carefully the words of ‘a- prominent public man, “There are 10v,000- men in the United States to-day whose animosity against the existing social institutions is hardly less than boundless,” This is a very mild statement. There are 800,000 men in the country who echo the sentiment of the anarchist Journal when it says; “ You might as well suppose the mili- tary organizations of Europe were for play and parade, as to suppose that our organiza- tion is for mere insurance and pacific help- fulness. We are organized to protect inter- ests, for which, when the time comes, we will fight.” Modern science has evolved gigantic forces which the anarchist is ever ready and willing to use against those whom he considers his natural enemies. There has been developed atremendous enginery of destruction which requires little or no skill to manipulate. Ni- tro-glycerine is easily made and is one of the most powerful explosives. known. A man Their number has . ; a . rao two thousand fold since then, and - Wit can go upon a crowded street, in open day- light, explode a bomb containing this sub- stance without injury to himself, and easily escape detection by the police. This fact is well known to the anarchist. Men have entered the Houses of Parliament, while in session, exploded bombs and defied the efforts of the officers of the law to detect them and bring them to justice. Explosions the utmost vigilance is exercised to prevent this source. The anarchist in this country is not so bold as his brother in transatlantic countries. Yet this fact should not disarm our suspicions and throw us off our guard. Men who have lost faith in God, faith in themselves, and faith in the world at large, would not hesitate to apply the torch or ex- plode the bomb, When anarchy is abroad in the land, eternal vigilance will be the price of the small measure of safety that can be secured. Here, as elsewhere, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In- cendiary and revolutionary speeches should not be allowed to spread the doctrines of an- archy in our fair land, Blatant propagan- dists of the Herr Most type should be trans- ported to some lonely island where their treasonable utterances would be “ wasted on the desert air.” There is a question in the minds of some whether the police have any right to inter- fere with the meetings of the anarchists. This much, however, is plain: When the ad- vocates of any principle or doctrine hoist the red flag of arson and murder it is time to call a halt. When anarchist leaders call upon their followers to burn, kill and de- stroy, society should take measures for protection. Language -which goes beyond discussion and incites to criminal deeds should be suppressed—howls about the free- dom of speech and of the press to the contrary nothwithstanding. When men mix dynamite with their oratory they become dangerous enemies and should be treated as THE SPECULUM. IOr such, When the right of free discussion and the liberty of speech is abused the State must interfere to prevent harmful effects from following such abuse. The State, through its government, must protect its citizens from disorders and violences within, as well as the attacks of enemies from with- out, No one now apprehends any wide- spread national disaster from anarchism. Our national temple is thought to be too firmly based upon the rock of time to be easily overturned. But let anarchy assume the vast proportions that its fast growth por- tends and the inability of the government to deal with it will shake the present confi- dence in the stability of our institutions. There is nothing beyond our form of gov- ernment but anarchy; the ultimate evolution of government has here taken place, and the people are in full possession of all political powers. If from any cause there is a revo- lution, there will arise upon the ruins of free institutions the most absolute despotism the world has ever seen. The pendulum of government, which has been slowly sway- jing in the direction of individualism for eighteen centuries, will at once swing to the other extremity of its arc. Decision. j. H. F, MULLETT, PHI DELTA THETA FRATERNITY, Among the essential characteristics which make up the successful man is decision. By the use of this power he can choose for him- self, among the various occupations open to him, which one he shall follow, how his time shall be employed, what and when he shall study, and many other things equally important. In whatever occupation he fol- lows he is not exempt from this duty, unless he be simply a machine subject to the will of others, because he is unable to decide to be otherwise, In college life, where our duties are in part laid out for us, we are by no means exempt from this responsibility, On entering col- lege we have to decide the course of study to be taken. delay this decision it may be a great disad- vantage to us. We see this illustrated here, many times, where there are only two alter- natives. A student after spending some time in one course changes to the other. He is now somewhat behind his class. Perhaps this may not be his final choice and he changes back again, thus losing more. Each change finds him farther in the rear; until at last he has to make an extra exertion to graduate, or has the chagrin to see his class- mates receive their diplomas while he is still behind—held back by his indecision, In the lesser matters of college life there is also ne- cessity of choice. Each student is left to himself to decide how he shall spend his time which is not taken up with recitations and other college duties. There are always plenty of things to call his attention from his books, and he alone ts to decide whether he shall be so influenced. lf we be so unfortunate as to In business we are confronted by the same thing. In nearly everything we do we are obliged to exercise this faculty to some extent. There are many instances related in the bio- graphies of great men by which we see that this power, or lack of this power, has had a great influence over their lives. We can hardly help noticing this in any biography we may read. In many cases this faculty is called upon to act very quickly; and, in case of a delay, disastrous results may follow, A lawyer, many times, from an unexpected turnin a case, testimony, or line of argument offered by his opponent, should be able to decide quickly what policy to pursue. In medicine it makes no difference how much a doctor may know unless he can apply it instantly in a critical moment. Among the important decisions which every person is called upon to make, and which everyone should make for himself, is what he should do fora life work. In many cases this is put off so long that at last the per- 102 THE SPECULUM. son finds himself at the edge of the grave, having accomplished nothing during a long life of indecision. It is not always due to a lack of ability that a person does not succeed. The life of Sir James Mackintosh is a good illustration of this. After trying many things and showing himself to be efficient in what- ever he undertook, he could not decide which to follow. William Mathew says of him; “The fatal defect in his character was lack of decision, of concentration, of power to choose some one object to be accomplished, and to sacrifice to its entertainment all inter- fering inclinations. No man, doing so little, ever went through a long life continually creating the belief that he would ultimately do so much, He passed from Burke to Fox in half an hour, and remained weeks in. de- termining whether he should use ‘useful- ness’ or ‘utility’ in a particular comparison, From the beginning of his life to its close he ever remained the man of promise, until, midst hopes which his vast and various infor- mation, his wonderful memory, his copious elocution, and his transitory fits of energy still nourished, he died in the sixty-seventh year of his age, universally admired and re- gretted, though without a high reputation for any one thing, or the ardent attachment of any particular set of persons.” Although many decisions should be made promptly, others should not be made except after very careful consideration. Decisions which are to affect a person’s whole life should not be put off indefinitely, nor should they: be decided too hastily. There are many other things in each person's life which call for an immediate but very considerate decision. In closing let me cite some examples of decisive characters; through nearly the whole of Napoleon's career we meet instances which show this faculty to be highly devel- oped in him. In a battle with the Austrians he sacrificed what had taken him two months to accomplish, thus saving his army and de- feating the Austrians. Had he hesitated to os make this great sacrifice, he would not only have lost that much, but would prob- ably have suffered a severe repulse himself. In the life of Duke Wellington we may also see the same decisive characteristics. In our own country we have many such men, as Washington, Grant, Lincoln. These in- stanées are not confined to generals alone; whatever occupation we investigate, we find them always ahead of those who do not possess this quality to such adegree. What Fichte says of an upright student may ap- ply toany such person: “He keeps his pur- pose, and whatever he resolves to do that he does, were it only because he had resolved to do it.” Education and the Government. WALDO E., ROHNERT, ECLECTIC 50CTIETY,. The education of a people of a republican government is no doubt the true basis, upon which the government exists. In fact it ts essential that the people be educated to such a degree that they can take advantage of the liberties afforded to them by such a govern- Education to a nation has the same relation that capital has in the production of wealth. An ignorant community only ex- ists in name. We may almost say that our degree of respect for a nation is in inverse proportion to the percentage of illiterate peo- ple it has. Education is the only permanent basis of national safety and prosperity. Turkey is intact by the balance of power of the Euro- pean nations; it is not its educational system that keeps the boundaries of our country where they now are. We find that where the people are most advanced in civilization they have the best school system. Educa- tion in fact is the pillar or foundation of a State. Wherever the people are taught to think, they will be the most free or as Sena- tor Blair expresses it;“ Ignorance is slavery.” We may interpret from this that where ig- norance exists, serfdom is the result. Al- though this is true to acertain extent it is not ment. THE ——— a SPECULUM. ~* 103 a necessary effect. The true interpretation of the quotation is, that as an ignorant person is not a slave to another in body but in opinion. That is, he has no mind of his own; he has not the power to think and he always looks for his ideas to some other person who does possess intellect. In a monarchial government the object of education is to make good subjects, while in a republican form of government, the idea is not only to make good citizens but good sov- ereigns, or in other words, law making and law abiding people. It is the educated peo- ple that control a nation. There will be a time in the future when wars will be only known in history. Every disagreement be- tween countries will be settled by arbitration. Then will it be the time when argument, not numbers, will rule. Now that we see that education is indis- pensable to the people, we may ask the question: To what degree is it essential that the people be educated at the expense of our government so that they will prosper in the future as they have in the past? There is no doubt that the government owes to every individual in this country what is termed a common school education. For a man to read, write and reckon his own accounts is as much a part of that man as any function of his body, A popular education dissipates the evil of ignorance, increases the produc- tiveness of labor, diminishes pauperism and crime, and increases human happiness. It is just these results by which we distinguish a lawless government from an ideal republi- can country. They are the true basis upon which the prosperity of a country depends. Suppose an uneducated man should have a false idea and it very oftens happens that this is the case. Although the idea may ap- pear very faulty to others yet as far as his knowledge extends, he 1s on the right side and he has, as far as he himself may be con- cerned, just as much right to his own con- victions as the person who really has the cor- rect idea. The false man by means of the an Se ballot may cause the nation a great deal of It would probably cost the govern- ment less to furnish a good education to that man and bring him up in the correct way of thinking than to pay for the wrongs the man has brought about. The anarchists’ princi- ple, as far as it goes, may seem to be as prop- er to them as our ideas to us, but when they infringe upon the privileges of other peo- ple, it is a different question. trouble. The popular education should extend far enough so that each individual may have a knowledge of the different functions of the The right to appoint govern- ment servants will eventually be vested in the people. .A more faithful government could not exist than one in which the ap- pointment of officers conforms to the pro- verb; “aright man in the right place.” It is the duty of the government to see that the best interests of the country are always pro- tected and therefore it is the duty of the government to see that each individual with- in its boundaries has a common school educa- tion. gov ernment. * The object of an education” according to Horace Mann, “is to develop in each in- dividual all the perfection of which he is susceptible.” This definition probably goes a little too far. .A man’s brain is never fully developed, or in other words, all knowledge is never concentrated in one individual. But we may say that education should tend to produce a perfect man. That is, not perfect in the degree of intelligence, but perfect as far as the qualifications of upright manhood are concerned, Having decided to what extent the people of the country must be educated, let us con- sider a question just as important. To what degree may they be educated at the expense of our country? It would hardly be possible to suppose that every one should be a scien- tist. Itis not the ambition of every individ- ual, nor has every man the ability to be an investigator of truth. But we should have enough good scientists to keep up with the 104 THE 2 advance of civilization. To be an inventor or an author is not only a credit to the indi- vidual, but also to the country. Itis the duty of the government to see that the inventive talent of a citizen is brought forth to the highest degree. It is the duty of the gov- ernment to make researches and inquiries into any thing which will benefit the pop- ulation in general. Therefore, Congress should encourage the establishment of col- leres and universities. The institutions should be open to the poor as well as the rich. Select schools for select pupils should be discarded. An American republic must be founded upon an American education, an education arising out of the nature of its in- stitutions. There are international and po- litical questions arising every day which need to be considered by men of great ability. It is the duty of the government to start these men with something higher than a common school education. The greater portion of our congressmen are college grad- uates. This clearly shows that the benefits of high educational institutions are taken ad- vantage of by the people. ie SES SCIENTIFIC. ae The last meeting of the Natural History Society was held on the evening of May ith. The meeting was called to order by President Dewey. The program was very interesting, and so extended that with the small space at our disposal, nothing but a brief reference can be given to each part. The first article presented, was by Miss Jessie Beal, her subject being the American spoon-bill, Ajaya ajyaja, a fine specimen of which has just been prepared for the museum. The spoon-bill is a wader, about two feet in, height, and after the age of two years, has a light rose-colored plumage, with wings of a | brighter red. It is a native of the West Indies. The next paper, also illustrated by a newly mounted specimen, was on the Florida Flamingo. It was presented by SPE CULLUM. “Miss Katie Cook, who gave an interesting account of its many peculiar habits and quaint structure. There has been some discussion among scientists as to whether this bird should be classed with the swimmers or waders, while some have put it in a class by itself. In spite of its extremely long legs and general resemblance to the herons, its webbed feet and several technical points would more naturally class it with the swim- mers. This bird is three or four feet in height, and after the second year has beauti- ful bright scarlet plumage. Its bill is of very queer construction, acting as a strainer to prevent large bodies from passing into its mouth, Its gullet is very small and only small objects can be swallowed. Mr. Lodeman next gave a very complete illustrated description of the anatomy of the turtle. Following this was an article by Mr. Niswander on ciliary movements. Itis an extremely common movement and the cause of many phenomena. A piece of cork was placed upon the lining coat of a frog’s mouth and the ciliary move carried it along with considerable rapidity. Mr. C. 5. Crandall presented the last thing on the program, his subject being Photo-micrography. This is the art of tak- ing photographs of microscopic objects and should not be confounded with the term micro-photography, which means the art of reducing photographs to microscopic size. Photo-micrography is rightly claiming an important place in science. A sensitive photographic plate has an accumulative pow- . er which the eye does not have, thus the photograph of some objects might represent details of structure that the eye would be unable to detect. With the aid of the stere- opticon Mr. Crandall showed a very instruc- tive and interesting lot of photographs that he has prepared in this line of work. The apparatus used in the work is simple and in- expensive, and such as anyone can construct. Nineteen men were dropped fom Cornell Univer- sity last term on account of deficiency in standing. By the will of the late Hon. Jacob Sleeper, Boston University receives real estate valued at $100,000, THE SPECULUM. TOS THE SPECULUM, PUBLISHED MONTHLY DURING THE COLLEGE YEAR, BY THE STUDENTS Or THE MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, el — wo Tensas, 75 CENTS A YEAR; SINGLE Nuatpens, 10 Cents, ADVERTISING KATES MADE KNOWN ON APPLICATION, fe All subscriptions will be regarded as continued, unless we are notified to the contrary, Ié this item is marked, your subscription expires with this issue, ES PS — ee BOARD OF DIRECTORS, —— FHI DELTA THETA FRATERNITY. Rar 5S. Baker, Editor-in-Chief, Literary Articles and Editoriuls. HATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Cc. B. WaLpron, - - . - OLYMPIC SOCIETY, P. 1G, HoLpen, - . . DELTA TAU DELTA FRATERNITY. WW. L. Rossman, - . * ECLECTIC SOCIETY, A. Moone, - - Colleges and Exchanges, UNION LITERARY SOCIETY. F, J. NiswanbDER, = . ——— SCiCHoE. Colleze News. Ath eties. Personals. Business Manager. Asst. Business. Manusrer. Treasurer, WiLLiAM LichtTBOoDyY, Frank G, CLARK, = Pror. W. J. Bear, - ee ee ee Paha a? AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, JUNE 10, 1889. eet ee Turs issue of Tue Srecutum has been purposely delayed a few days in order that it may contain a full report of the Field Day held at Hillsdale, June 6th, 7th and 8th, The affair was a decided success, notwith- standing the unpleasantness of the weather a good deal of the time. M. A.C. acquitted herself honorably and carried off a good pro- portion of the prizes. The best feeling prevailed between the different colleges, and Hillsdale entertained the visiting students in fine style. We are sure that all who attend- ed will remember the event as a red-letter day in college affairs. The Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association has now been tested for two years with very flattering success and promises great things in the future. Long may it live and prosper! Prof. E. J. MacEwan. Iv is with a heavy heart that we chroni- cle the loss of one of our most efficient and indefatigable professors. His career of ten years at the college has been marked with the ereatest success. Not one blot has ever fallen upon his fair record. He has made the literary department what it never was before—interesting to the students. His own thorough knowledge and mastery of the subject has inspired every student in his classes with greater interest and zeal in the It may almost be said that Prof, MacEwan has not an enemy among the stu- dents or the faculty. Yet with all these qualifications Prof. MacEwan no longer fills the chair of English Literature. The reason for this is deep founded and lies under one of the sorest spots in our College history. It will ke remembered that for the past ‘six or eight years there has been almost constant trouble between the students and the pro- fessor of practical agriculture. Again and again have the students asked and petitioned for proper instruction in agriculture, but again and again instead of fish what have they received? Serpents, veritably! In all this trouble it hardly seems possible that the faculty should not be more or less involved, as they necessarily were. For a supposed re- mark about the situation of things, which indeed was bad enough, Prof MacEwan was asked to resign. The professor of practical agriculture has never been questioned. about Ais slanderous remarks concerning other members of the faculty, and now a man of ability who is more than amply able to fill Ais place is asked toresign. Why? Simply because he happened to make a remark (which may be wrongly interpreted) that does not quite suit the august dignity of some exe and from certain remarks made by the professor of agriculture in his class a few mornings since, does not evidence plainly point to whom that some one is? Alumni and students alike resent the movement. The press laughs at the absurdity of the work, 106 THE SPECULUM. om action, and if the people and legislators of this State knew of the condition of things here there would be one vacant chair in the faculty and it wowdd not be Prof. MacEwan’s. There is no use of multiplying words. We, as students, do not “buck ” against any action of the State Board, recognizing their power as supreme. Yet the injustice of this move- ment and its cause gives every student in the college a feeling of resentment hard to con- trol. We believe that if matters were inves- tigated, as they should be, a very different state of affairs would exist. In losing Prof. MacEwan the college loses.a man whose place cannot be filled. The very memory of the action will stand as,a ghastly and for- bidding landmark of injustice which will be an effectual bar to the best interests and prospects of the college in the future. On June 6th, following the resignation of Professor MacEwan he was enthusiastically cheered in chapel, and another professor made some rather strong statements before his class on the same morning, which we wish to place before the students, alumni and others to give them a little idea of the situa- tion of affairs. The Professor of Agficul- ture said to his class: “I understand the de- monstration in chapel this morning. It was plainly meant for me. I tell you, young rentlemen, you know not what you do when you oppose me. Although you are support- ed in your enmity by nearly all those con- nected with this institution, I shall continue to hold my position here. J have the State Board and an army of people to stand by what 7 do, There will be a change that you do not expect and cannot hinder. You know only a part; there will be further de- velopments. What has been done is only a commencement of what is to follow. You put mein mind of a sight I often see upon the street; two peaceful dogs surrounded by a crowd of people who are constantly rub- bing their ears together to awaken in them their evil spirits and there results a general fight. So itis with you and me. It seems a sore eee a that the members of the faculty and alumni are men who will stoop beneath the dignity of their offices and rub your ears and mine aml thus arouse in you the feelings under which you act.” In this we simply wish to state facts and it needs but little editorial The truth is patent. If we read aright does not this speech defy both stu- dents and faculty? Does not the professor threaten to use Aés power in bringing about comment. “further developments” because he is “in” with the State Board? Is it not a rather queer position for a professor to take, and rather queer language and a rather queer place in which to use it We are pleased, in this issue, to present our readers with so fine a picture of Presi- dent Oscar Clute, who has so lately assumed the executive duties at the college. His com- ing is hailed with pleasure by both faculty and students, and we hope that his whole career here may be marked by no unseemly We are doubly proud of him be- cause he is a graduate of the college in one of the earliest classes and knows all of the ins and outs of the institution. The bio- graphy will also be of interest to all. events, COLLEGE NEWS. Sophomore to Freshman: ‘‘ Halloo, private.”’ Are we going to have target practice this term? No Decoration day for us. for all. The college museum hasa mounted hedgehog from England. Rev. A. S. Kedzie, brother of Prof. Kedzie, presided Snow, Decoration day “in chapel May rst. The Olympic Society boys have recently carpeted their new society rooms. Prof. Cook spent a few days at his home near Owosso during vacation, Dr. Kedzie went north to see to experimental sta- tion work during vacation. It has been cold and wet for the past two weeks: raining more than half the time. The State Board authorized the repairing of College Hall and the Botanical Laboratory. Prof. Cook has a request for a_professor of entomol- ogy for the experimental station and college at Lexing- ton, Ky. THE SPECULUM. 107 a. For reasons unknown, the Sophomore Co-eds failed to survey for Mr. Foster during vacation. The Mechanical students have just finished a twelve inch lathe and have a fifteen inch lathe near comple- tion. Prof. Bailey went from here ta South Haven where he is to lecture before the West Shore Fruit Associa- tion, Edward N. Pagleson of ‘Sg has left us to assume the duties of professor of drawing in Dakota Agricultural College. Profs. Bailey and Taft will attend a meeting of the horticulturists of the country, at Columbus, Ohio, this week. Mr. Palmer of Grayling reports that the cut worms are plenty and have good appetites on the experimen- tal farm. At Sunday-school, June 2d, Rev. Mr. Pebles was chosen Superintendent and Mr. Davenport teacher of the Bible class. Miss Ida Benfey, the celebrated literary artist of New York City, is spending a week with her cousin, Professor Cook. The sand about Abbot Hall is being covered with sod and the drives and walks about the building will soon be completed. . Dr. Grange has moved his Biological Laboratory from Lansing to the Veterinary building, where acti- nomicosis is being studied. He who is desirous of learning the latest and most approved methods of catching a horse, will apply to Mrs. Knapper for information. Mrs. Bailey, wife of Prof. Bailey, recently spent a few days in Lansing. She says they are building a new house for themselves at Cornell. Dr. Kedzie was absent from college the first eight days of the month as a delegate to the Congress of Medical Jurisprudence in New York City. The college has at present a real bear on the campus. Bruin is very docile, and shows rare intelligence. The students enjoy his pranks immensely. Mr. Clute entered upon the duties of president at the beginning of the term, President Clute was heart- ily welcomed by the members of the Faculty and students. The museum has just been enriched by the purchase of the skeleton ofa sloth, a mounted sloth, two mag- nificent birds of Paradise, and one of the great East _ India bats. A frost visited the college the 21st of May and took an examination in horticulture. It passed the fruit and the last account of it was-among the cauliflowers: and beans. Miss Ida Benfey, who read at the college one year ago with such general satisfaction, recited June 4th, before a large and enthusiastic audience at Lansing. Many from the college attended. — The chimneys in the blacksmith shop are being re- modeled with a view of securing better draft.