394 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
ing for from ten to twenty years. The few who were not specialists had been chosen for their success as teachers in the best schools of the state. All temptation to ape university requirements was met by the knowledge that the state univer- sity held its own place and rank at Lawrence. This was the College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.
The equipment in library, museums, laboratories, shops, and plantations was inventoried at 415,000, though still behind the plans already approved by regents and legislature. It was the admiration of educators for economical adaptation to purpose, and for scientific quality.
Such was the institution which party politicians sought to capture for a school of socialism. The attack began with the victory of the people's party in 1892, which gave to that party four of the seven regents in 1893, six in 1894, and by accident of the legislature meeting a week before the inauguration of a republican governor in 1895, continued their majority to April 1896, and their representation by two members to April 1897. Immediately after the election of 1892, Hon. Harrison Kelley, who had left the republican party upon expiration of his term as congressman in 1891, attacked the state institutions of learn- ing through the press as neglecting entirely political economy in their courses of study. Upon his appointment as a regent of the State Agricultural College he made the same charge in board meeting, and insisted that lectures be introduced, to con- tinue through the course, in addition to the full term's work always required in the senior year. The first series of lectures in the fall of 1892 was given by representatives of various polit- ical parties selected by unanimous consent of a committee of three; but as these were "not well attended by students," it was resolved "That the course be discontinued for the present with a view to establishing at some future time a lectureship on economic topics." In April 1894, Mr. C. B. Hoffman, who had long been prominent in socialistic agitation, as well as for con- nection with the notorious community attempted at Topolo- bampo, Mexico, became a regent and an ardent supporter of
