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
Or take the case of Dr. Ward W. Pierson, who showed before the public
service commission how the coal companies were charging $1.70 per ton
transportation charges on coal, whereas the actual cost was only 55
cents; and here was our university, with two-thirds of its trustees
interested in the mining and transporting of coal! Here was a coal
operator about to give a large sum of money to the university, and
withdrawing it! Dr. Pierson also was recommended for promotion, and
waited three years, and meantime the scandal bureau of the interlocking
directorate was put to work on him, and he was charged with a grave
offense. His colleagues investigated the charge, and proved it to be
absolutely without foundation.
Next came the case of Scott Nearing, who had begun his career as
secretary to the Pennsylvania Child Labor Committee. At this time
Pennsylvania had more working children than any other state in the
union. For example, there was Helen Sissack, a girl of twelve working in
a silk mill, walking three miles from her home to start work at six
o’clock at night, finishing work at six in the morning, and walking
three miles back. Nearing became an instructor at the Wharton School,
but went on opposing child labor, and the president of the Pennsylvania
Manufacturers’ Association attacked him, and the dean of the Wharton
School was instructed by the provost of the university to instruct
Nearing to stop his child labor talks. The university was scolded by a
newspaper belonging to Joseph R. Grundy, woolen manufacturer and
political boss, and this sent the provost into another panic.
After several years of strife, Nearing promised to be “good” for a year,
and he was “good” for two years; that is, he made no outside speeches;
but it didn’t help him, because what he said in his class-rooms was
reported by the students, and reached the ears of the interlocking
trustees. The standard time for promotion in the Wharton School is five
years, but Nearing waited eight years, and along with his promotion he
got a notice from the provost that the period of his appointment was for
one year at a time! Randall Morgan, vice-president of the U. G. I., and
trustee of the University of U. G. I., remarked to a friend of mine: “He
may stay until he’s bald-headed, but he’ll never get promoted.” Another
trustee said to Nearing: “We’ll give you young fellows rope and you’ll
hang yourselves. There’ll be no dismissals.” This was E. B. Morris,
president of the Girard Trust Company, a Morgan concern, with Mr.
Stotesbury, the grand duke, for a director; also chairman of the Cambria
Steel Company, of which Mr. Stotesbury is a director; also director of
the Pennsylvania Steel Company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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