The Goose-step: A Study of American EducationSinclair, Upton
History
The Goose-step: A Study of American Education
Sinclair, Upton
Education -- United States; Universities and colleges -- United States
Another man, a former professor, writes me of the present head of the
university: “He does not hesitate to use the black-list to ruin a man’s
career.” A professor now at the university writes me a long letter,
telling me, among other cases, of a man summoned before the regents and
later commanded to resign, for having stated in a private conversation
to an old acquaintance that “now that the war is over, we ought to set
the political prisoners free”; this man defended himself, and managed to
hold on; but another instructor, an able man, was placed in peril of his
job for having presided at a political meeting in his home ward, in
favor of the labor candidate for mayor. This man was ousted a year
later, under circumstances to be narrated.
You will wish to know something about the spy-system, maintained by the
“Citizen’s Alliance,” with the cooperation of the trustees; so I submit
a statement from Mr. Fred W. Bentley, who was for three years an
instructor. His statement is dated August 20, 1919, and the essential
parts of it are as follows:
One day last spring, I do not remember the exact date, I was called to
the ’phone in my office, Room No. 111, Main Engineering Building, by a
stranger who said his name was Miller. He first stated that he had a
private matter to talk about, and asked if it were safe to talk to me
where I was. I informed him that he could talk to me anywhere, that I
had nothing to cover up.
He then told me that he was interested in a little enterprise and that
some of my friends had recommended me to him as one who might help him
a little financially. He said that he had never had the pleasure of
meeting me but that he knew some of my friends. He asked me if I knew
a man (I don’t remember the name) who ran a saloon on Seventh Street,
but I informed him that I did not. He asked me if I had seen the
publication called “Hunger” and I informed him that I had seen someone
selling it on the street but that I had not read it.
He said that they were trying to get out another edition and would
have to have some machine (I don’t remember what he called it) and
asked if I would make a contribution toward it. I told him I didn’t
mind giving a dollar or two, and he asked me if I would leave it with
State Secretary Dirba, which I promised to do.
A few days after that I saw Dirba and asked him if he had been
approached in the matter and he said he had not. I told Dirba that if
anyone did come to him to send the party to me, and thought nothing
further of the matter until one day, sometime later, Dean Allen came
to me in the drafting room and told me that the Board of Regents was
meeting in the president’s office and wanted to see me. I went
immediately with Dean Allen to the meeting of the board, where I was
informed that charges of disloyalty had been preferred against me.
When I inquired what they were I learned that the above ’phone
conversation was the basis for the charges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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