Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-08
HARVARD AND BUTLER.

Dos,on's proviucialsm has never been more
glaringly exhibited than in the discussion
which has been raging there for weeks past
over the question whether Harvard College
would or would not give Governor Butler the
honorary degree Of Doctor OF Laws at It's
approaching Commencement. The Boston
papers have given column upon column TO
the consideration of the question graduates
of the college and members of the governing
board have been interviewed and in leading
articles without number the powerful Boston
editorial mind has deliberately discussed the
matter. A stranger would naturally think 1t
a great national issue, like the cmancipa-
question, or the question of civil service re-
form. In that light Boston regards it, evil
IDENTIFY and it has thrown the Hub into u
state bordering on distraction. The agony,
however, as far as tie action of the college
| is concerned, has come to an end, for by
vote of IS to II the Board of Overseers has
decided to withhold the degree from the
Governor--and probably Beacon street
brcathes freer.
With very few exceptions, and those not
in the present generation, the college has
been in the habit of besowing the honorary
degree of L. l.. ID. upon the Governors OF
Massachusetts,. Indeed the college is
50 connected with the State that
the comforting of the degree upon each
successive governor has a justification
apart from the personal fitness of the officer
honored. As in a fashion State institution,
it conferred the degree Oh President Jack
son, though he was bitterly opposed by
powerful political party, Josiah Quincy say
| ing, in answer to the sneering comments of
Wing politicians, that Harvard could not
ignore the man whom the people OF the Uni
ted States respected enough to make presl-
dent. The college gave the degree to Gen.
Grant on the same ground, aud to Governor
Gardner, who was elected by the Know
| Nothngs and who had no personal qualiiica-
tons. And many similar instances might
be cited. The comforting of the degree has,
in short, become settled custom, and to
withhold it constitutes slight of no COM
mon magnitude.
In doing so, however, the governing board
Of the college has, in our humble opin
ion, done exactly the right and proper
thing |, is not at at all question of scholarly
fitness. Governor Butler is undoubtedly in
Gnitey more learned in the law than some of
some of his predecessors who received the de-
gree. But the point is, that he is not such
man nor has his career been of such char
racter as to afford Harvard College any justi-
fication for honoring him. 1t is bad and dis
graceful enough that he has been elected Co
vernon of Massachusct,g-an election which
has incidentally debascd our politics and
lowered the public political standard f; but
whatever his political success has been or
may be- it is well that Harvard refuses to set
the seal of its approval upon his life, his
character, his methods. The lesson of Gov
vernon Buffers career is not that honor
and integrity and devotion to principle bring
success, but that success is achieved by
trickery, insinccrity and dcmagosucry
playing upon the vilest passions, appealing
to the lowest projudices, working through
the meanest channels. lie has "captured''
the governorship o; Massachusetts,. Let that
suffice 1t is well that one of the greatest
institutions of learning IN the world refuses
to corrupt the standard of public and private
morality by honorpg him.