Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/413

 POPULISM IN A STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION 399

of the winter, where I trusted him fully with all information. Two bills passed in which the form was fixed by Regent Hoffman and Professor Will ; one secured a majority of popu- lists upon the board for four years ; the other reduced salaries from 10 to 20 per cent., but in such a way as to leave the board much liberty in the distribution. Professor Will was very active in securing the final passage, and immediate publication of the former, and has since explained to me in Mr. Hoffman's presence that he knew a reorganization of the college to be determined upon by the state administration, and that Mr. Hoffman would not accept the task unless the four years of power was assured, while many politicians less able would not shrink even in the two years' lease of power.

The five regents appointed under this law were the two ex-regents who had already given bias to the chair of political economy, a local politician once associated with Mr. Hoffman in the Topolobampo scheme, the wife of Governor John P. St. John, and an ex-congressman. All these were pledged before confirmation to the reorganization planned, and would not have been appointed without such pledge. Of this I am informed by their leader.

At the meeting in April last, after caucus of the new mem- bers, while three officers of the board waited, the majority pro- ceeded upon the assumption that the new legislation destroyed the continuity of the board, and undertook a temporary organ- ization, ignoring the fact that my official act as secretary was their reason for being present, and that my office could expire only by election and installation of my successor, as provided by law. The steps of reorganization soon followed. First was a resolution, after defining the term "school year" used in one of the acts of legislature, " that the term of employment of all present employe's is hereby declared to expire on June 30, 1897." The precedent of thirty years and printed regulations had settled that employe's " after satisfactory trial, hold their places till resignation or removal for cause, with due notice on either side;" and the action of the board in April 1896 had fixed the