The Legislature And The University

The attitude of the present legislatura ■and of the executive part of the administration at Lansing toward the Univer-sity, and the fact that, for years, it has in every instance taken a hard struggle to secure an appropriation for the University, naturally arouses a great deal of comment. It is safe to say that no other of our state institutions is treated so shabbily by successive legislatures as is the University, the most importantstate institution within our borders. There eertainly is one or more University graduates in each voting precinct in every city and villageand in a largo number of the rural precincts of 'the state. Why is it that they do not make every effort possible to elect men to the state legislature who aro friendl v to the University. Usually, .in facti almost without exception, alumni are men oí considerable public iniluence iind could control these matters in a large number of cases if they chosc in o. That the alumni as a rule do nothing-of the kind is too true. What is worse. in muny cases they are foundactually worklng against their alma mater. Ion fi-om alumni is cuttlng far inore of a figure in the state legislature todav than most people suspect and will no doubt account for a Sufficient number ■pposition votes to hold the balance ■of power. This is a deplorable condition of thing-s but nevertheless it is un-tionably true that such a state of uffairs actually exista. There are numerous causes existing in the University which eannot help but rosult in brinyinr about such a foelins on the part of a great many University graduates. The recent ai.'tion of cei'tain medical profesin demanding that a newspaper correspondent be expelled from the institution because he reported an occurrence in the anatomical laboi-atory the truth of which he was able to verify, was most extraordinary. The zeal and determination of the professors to punish the newspaper correspondent cause what he wrote reílected upon their superviso!) of the students in the anatomical laboratory. instead of makn; an eiïort toj find out the perpetrators of such a ghastly joke and mete cut ju-t punishment to them, and to guard against its recurrence in the future, very justly subjects themto very severe criticisra. The University byupholding these professors in such a eourse will aliénate the kindly feehngsof scores ' tdefhts who but for such acts would over have been firm friends of the Unii reity. The oonduot of students in the anatomical laboratory is notorious, and has been a discredit to medicarstudents ears. As an example, a prominent eltizen, an ex-mayor of the city, said to The Register within the past weck that whcn he visited the anatomical la. boratory at one time he was forced to leavc almost immediately becausc of the pieces of human viscera and handfulls of human brains that were thrown ït him by the students. Sueh conduct is brutalizing and should never be allowed for a:i instant among young men who are to go out into llfe and hold the most intimate and responsible positions in society of any class of people in the world. These young men themselves will, in after years. feel that the de" partment did them a sreat injustice by allowin? Buch acts to be hululged in.To demand the expulsión of a student for reporting by no moans the worst things which have taken place, instead of exerting every influence pos.sible to put a stop toall such proceedings forall time to come was a serious raistako totally unworthy of men holding the position of professors in the University. Thisis but one incident in one department which goes to continu what we have said above. While speaking of the medical department we will inention another oecurrence that took place within a few years in that department. A student had reached the middle of bis last year with but a single condition which he had promptly worked off. He continued with his work until he had taken his final examination just a week before commencement without a word or hint or suggestion 01 any Kina oeing raade to him by any professor in the department that his work was in anyway nnsatisfactor?, although it had always been the rule and was so understood by all the students that if one's work was not up to the standard he would be warned some time in advance that he must do better or he could not be allowed to gradúate. Yet this young man was conditioned by two of the professors and not allowed to gradúateThinking this a very strange state ol afïairs, a friend of his put the question squarely at one of the professors win the student had not boen notified in advance that his work was not satisfactorj so that he might withdraw f rom his class earlier in the year and not appear to have made a failure of hls course. The friend was astonished on being told that the reason the vounsr man had been conditioned was becauso he had a condition during the previous semester to which he liad not paid the least attention. This was a olincher. The friend, howávor, concluded to ask to see the records and was more astounded than over to have the professor aeknowledge upon looping up the records carefully that he was mistaken in the man - and even then ho would not revoke his decisión! The oxplanation made by the other professor was fully as lame and inexcusable: Vut the decree had gone fortta and there wasno changing it! Is it any wonder that the large majority of the members of that young man 's class as well as many students in other departments.who knew of thcsefacts,denounced the action of these professors as outragc. ous, and became unfriendly to [the institution where such treatmentof a student was possible! It is with regret that we feel obliged mcntion"Jthese things. Our xcuso for doing so is that we are convinced that such abuses can be removed only by making them public and giving public opinión a chance to compel a cbange. We long to see the day when it may be possible to say that grounds for such criticisms no longerexist, when every studentwho goes out from thls great University will depart with a feeling that it is worthy of hi lastin;' friendship and sympathy and that he. or he, inay be found at all times ready to sound its prai3es and spread its famo. Whon such a timearrives the state will give appropriations without the asking and gifts surpassing any ever given heretofore will be poured into lier cofïers.