Letter from W. H. Furniss to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; January 27, 1875

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Letter from W. H. Furniss to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; January 27, 1875

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Furniss, W. H.Ireland, Unknown Osborn, I. N.Unknown, Kirk

Events

Crime Crime--Destruction of property Crime--Threat Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Charges and specifications (Civil and Criminal)Legislation Legislation. Mississippi Political Office--Appointment to office

Organizations

Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--Legislature Universities and colleges Universities and colleges--Mississippi. Alcorn State University

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College Teachers Education Professionals Judges Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Jefferson County. Rodney

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Page 1

Alcorn University,
Rodney, Miss., Jan'y. 27^th,, 1875.

His Excellency,
A. Ames.
Gov. &c.

Sir:

I notice by the papers and especially in connection with the pro-ceedings of the Legislature that the im-pression seems to prevail that the students of this university are in a state of "rebellion" and entirely beyond the control of the faculty, and that for their ingratitude, the recent act of the Legislature repeal-ing the free scholarships and preventing the Trustees from rendering any assistance to those poor and unfortunate young men who were unable procure the means ne-cessary to bear the expense of an education, was passed. I have refrained from addressing you before, in hopes that the Committee ap-pointed by the Legislature would visit the grounds and give to the world the result of a thorough investigation. It

2/1/75

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seems that in this we are to be disap-pointed.

Up to the night of the 26^th,, of October last there never was a more orderly and peacable set of students at any institution. Always ready and willing to obey the faculty and others in authority. The occurrences of that night I have learned were reported to you as well as the re-sult of the investigation and decision of the Executive Committee.

For some ten days after this the students did in a body refuse to attend any of the classes taught by any of the professors against whom they had taken exceptions and the consequence was that the latter part of the week the entire recitations were suspended until after the investigation by the Executive Committee. During this time there were no acts of violence committed by any of the students and with but a few exceptions all remained on the

grounds; disturbing no one, save in the instance of a student named Kirk who had been detected eavesdropping at a meeting held by the students, There was no bodily harm done him, nor threats made against him, but he was taken a distance of a 1/2 mile from the University and told to go home and money offered to defray his ex-penses—The matter was brought by Kirk at the instance of the party for whom he sought the information before a magistrate; they admitted going with him and were bound over in the sum of $20 to keep the peace. There were six boys in this affair—All moved on after this smoothly and the students never worked harder, and I think the ex-amination at the close of the term gives evidence, that they made up in their studies for the last time.

The clipping of the tails of Ireland's horses was rather severe upon him, but

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if ^he^ had the interest of the University at heart, as pretended, the loss of a horses tail would never have induced him to have gone to Jackson, before the Legislature using his influence to destroy it. The day he started he made this known as his inten-tion, and of course that made the feeling against him on the part of the students stronger than before, Had the parties been discovered who clipped the the horses, they would have been severely dealt with

This comprises all of the acts of "insubordination," of which the stu-dents stand charged, and while I endorse none of these unruly acts on their part, yet I am satisfied that there is not a body of students in attendance at ^any^ University who can show so good a record.

It is unquestionably the duty of the faculty to enforce discipline and to de-

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-mand of the students respect toward all persons, but it is here as elsewhere a difficult matter to force either students or professors to respect any one, who not only fails to respect them but who continually heaps insult upon them and seeks every opportu-nity to injure them.

At the time of the passage of the bill referred to every thing seemed to be moving along swimmingly when the news of the repeal of the law fell like a thunderbolt in our midst. We had at that time about 112 students on the grounds—more than half of them free students, and the entire advanced classes among them, a large number of them, have been compelled to leave and a great many more are only waiting for funds to enable them to reach their homes.

I am impressed that the Legis-lature, as well as yourself, was not

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really aware of the true situation of affairs, for evidently the blow looks as though it was intended ^to^ break up the institution.

The faculty were all anxious that the section of the old law requiring the payment of $100 by the several coun-ties for each student in attendance upon a free scholarship should be repealed, as it had always been a drawback to the progress of the institution; as many of the counties refused to avail themselves of this "Priv-ilege", and a great many that did failed to pay this amount, All of the counties paid their share of the $50,000 appropriation, which is ample to defray the expenses of the number of students which the other clause was designed to benefit, and it was no more than just that they should be compelled to pay no more.

I am in hopes that some pro-

-vision will be made to assist this class of students, and any other deserving young men who may be anxious to secure an education, and that this University may yet prove itself a benefit to that class for whom it was designed

With Respect & Esteem
Yours &c

W. H. Furniss

His Excellency
Govr. Ames.
Jackson,
Miss

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Ack. recpt.

The Board of Trustees will meet here in a day or two—

Some action ought to be taken to secure peace—

A. A.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Jefferson County.

From W. H. Furniss.
Address Rodney, Miss
Dated Jan 27^th 1875
Received [gap]
Answered Feb. 1^st 1875

SUBJECT:

Makes statement in regard to Alcorn University—

ADELBERT AMES,
Governor.

I. N. Osborn
Private Secretary.