Show THE STUDENT LIFE PAGE TWO Letters To The Editor Dear Editor: Despite the accusations brought against it in a fiery editorial last week the Student Council has yet it’s first time to “betray student trust” by breaking the School Constitution Surprising as it may seem it has been the editors of student publications who have been employing “slipshod methods” and have directly violated the Constitution as shown in Article 3 section 3 clause 17 which you quoted in your column last tveek Our fair editor speaks of “men who are dying for a democracy we cannot preserve in such a small part as our own campus” and then strikes-o- ut with vicious propaganda against student government with no facts whatever to substantiate her claims The Council did not “make a highhanded appointment of three new members to the publications board” as accused bur the editor of Student Life did go over the heads of the present publication board and violated the Constitution when she made her appointment of assistant editor last week Yes students maybe you are being sold down the river but if so it is by uninformed editors and not your Student Council Sincerely yours Student Body Council 1943-4- 4 The editor regrets that lack of the complete set of facts concerning the addition of faculty members to the publications board resulted in the accusing statements appearing last week in Student Life However we do state in all sincerity that the facts presented as they were were believed to be true and were not written maliciously and with intent to deliberately deface the student council Rather we to call attention to the need of stricter employment sought of the Constitution and if necessary revision of certain parts In letter to the editor the council out that the editor also in violation of the Consti points tution appointed her own associate editor instead of leaving this up to the publications board As stated by the council the editor went “over the heads of the present publications board when she made her appointment of assistant editor” The editor wishes to refute this accusation admitting that she did make her own choice of an assistant but also at the same time reminding the council that upon the council’s recommendation to the board for appointment of editors and business managers did not mention they the appointment of an assistant editor leaving Student Life in the lurch as it were matter is whether it has been brought Te to light or not that the editor did receive unofficial approval on choice of her assistant by a member of the board which is about as close as she could come to official sanction of her act The editor wishes to point out that the past several yearsf it has been up to the editor during to seek out his own assistant since this phase of appointment has been overlooked and left to the discretion of the editor Surely it is up to the student council to see that such official action as Prescribed in the Constitution should take bmce the board did not make the appointment what place then’ was left but for the editor to do it herself since member of the staff is vital to publishment of Student this Life above-mention- ed The Board Says Resign Bu-tCollege Leader Answers No In view of the problem raised who have helped to build this trus-- 1 great college An intelligent and by the action of the board of a desir-tees it has been thought prosperous farm- population is at stntemRnt be made the very foundation of strong and to the principles clean government and the basis of by me relating It is a sound economic life for the involved are think I which 1 - necessary also I believe to define as clearly as possible the function under federal and state enactments of the Land Grant College in the American system of education The charter of the Utah State Agricultural College which is the Land Grant institution of this state is based upon the federal Morrill Act of 1862 and the Anthon H Lund Act of the Utah Territorial Legislature of 1888 Both of these acts prescribed that the College is founded "to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life” From the first these institutions in all the states Utah included have emphasized agriculture home economics and engineering and in addition the liberal courses specified in the acts establishing the colleges It is significant to note that Utah State Agricultural College has emphasized strictly agricultural subjects to a greater degree in proportion to its total budget and the extent of its total operations otherwise than any other Land Grant College in western America It furthermore graduates more students in strictly agricultural subjects as of the last normal years than any other similar college in the nation Its emphasis upon Experiment Station and Extension Work is well known These activities reach into the very homes of the people The farmers of our state know what the Extension Service is accomplishing and have refused in the past and refuse today to make this great educational agency the victim of political manipulation Expenditures for these two agencies research and extension directly aiding the producers of our state will reach this year thhe total of $59100 A staff of 127 members as listed in theresent catalog denote their full time to agricultural and home economic subjects a larger porportion of the total than in any Land Grant College in America But let it be not forgotten that the farmers of our state and the mothers in Utah farm homes desire and will insist that their lege president and in his interest sons and daughters receive also m the continual advancement of some of the refinements of civilizahigher learning at this school do tion which are theight of (Continued from Page 1) people President Peterson been asked to hereby pledge our wholehearted everywhere Utah do farmers not of Dr E support G propose to we is That what students Peterson” resign? raise a The of resolution generation met with unaniwould like to know” peasants Peterson answered that he was mous approval and was signed by who know only of the material not at liberty to divulge the the individual members of the aspects of life The farm homes of board's reason for the action but student body following the as- Utah want music in those homes he did assert: “I like President sembly This document is to be and in the churches they attend Peterson but I recognize that he presented to the board of trustees they have the right to know good In an impromptu preface to a literature and they must know is not perfect” Concluding several minutes of reading of the petition Mr Crook- the basic principles of economic heated discussion from students in ston declared “I did not relish law of political sscience and the the audience Burns B Crookston that statement that President greater facts of history if they junior student presented the fol- Peterson’s period of productivity are to be worthy citizens in a lowing resolution to the student in ideals ideas and administra- democracy where power resides in tive capabilities is past I think the people and thus where the body: “We the members of the associ- he is a great president unselfish people must be enlightened if they ated student body of Utah State and efficient His past record of are to wield their power wisely These have been vital consideraAgricultural college believing in development is a direct indication tions in the minds of all those the personal integrity of our col of this” Monday Assembly self-respecti- ng natipn One of the great acts of statesmanship in the early history of Utah was the calling out of superior not the inferior people to settle on the lands of our own and nearby states It is the offspring of these people strong in mind and character who have come to the college in great numbers and from every county ih tne state They have taken honors here and in the greater graduate schools of the east and the coast Such people will never become a peasantry nor will they tolerate for their children an education of inferior quality I desire to mention the important work the college is doing in related fields in addition to the program in agriculture home economics the basic arts and sciences and engineering We have been careful to incorporate in our work here these finer principles of democratic control which mark rthe better institutions in America I cannot emphasize too strongly I believe that where a board member presumes to carry on the details of administration of a college over the head of the president and the other administrative officers he is violating a fundamental law of good educational government and no self-respecti- ng institution can tolerate such conduct As long as I am president of an institution I shall protect established faculty members against insidious personal attacks Subversive forces thus operating can dangerously undermine any institution The college is doing its best to exemplify in its life the ideals of our people And we know that the people who support the college hold as even more precious than learning itself those attributes which we call cleanliness integrity and faith Without these men had better not be trained with them learning becomes an instrument for the accomplishment of great good These are not mere sentiments they are part of the very body and soul of this college In arriving at a decision regarding the suggestion of the board of trustees that I resign I have consulted with the faculty the faculty advisory council with board members with prominent agricultural leaders of the state and many friends of the college from throughout the state As a result of these deliberations I propose to defend and sustain the program and the fundamental principles which characterize this college and which should obtain in any American educational institution to combat without regard to my personal interests or inclination what I must recognize as subversive activities which if successful will seriously jeopardize the future of the college I have therefore decided not to resign President E G Peterson |