Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-01
NO LII. ID. FOR B. r. b.
Butler Claims to Have hIade 10. 900 vor


The Harvard college trustees having ro-
fused to give Butler the customary guber-
material honor of LII. D., O Sun CORES
pondent at Boston says that more than one
member after adjournment expressed the
opinion, that Gov, Butler will be 70 elected
in November. One characterized the deci-
sion as the greatest mistake the board
ever made. The governor himself takes
the matter very happily, and apparently
without personal rancor. He is quoted as
saying that the action Of tho board will be
worth 10, 600 votes to him. A reporter call
ed upon the governor, when the following
interview took place:
RepOrter-Have you heard that the
oeerseers of Harvard college have voted 1S
to II not to confer upon you tie degree of
IL. D.?
Gov. Butler-I have so heard.
Reporter-Of course you believe this
news to be authenticP
Gov. Butler-The only reason have for
not believing it is that it is put upon the
bulletin board of the Boston Journal
Reporter-Assuming that it is true, what
do you think of it
Gov. Butler-I have to thank them for
doing mo very great personal aud poiiti
cal service The affrOnt intended by their
action is not upon me, but upon tho peO-
pie who elected mo. and the verdict and
execution of the Judgment of Harvard
college upon the acts of tho people of this
commonwealth for daring, by a large ma
jOrity, to choose governor without asking
the consent Of that college, and it only en- >
phasizes what I have sometimes said
heretofore, that Harvard college claims
the right to govern the commonwealth
Having received frorl moro than one col
lege literary degree Of that rank, becaus Q
of appreciation by those institutions of my
attainments as a lawyer-for which con
siderati0n thus bestowed upon me feel
the deepest sensbility--the act Of Har-
ward would have ai!ds.l nothing to me and
therefore eau have no feeling be-
cause of it's asLion in this behalf. should
have felt very grateful for it il it had been
given to me AZ 4 lawyer, but not as gov
ernor. l should have looked upon it as 4
ceremOniOus matter, compliment to the
governor Uf tho commonwealth and the
people of the commonwealth, following
out custom without any regard to my
attainments or fitness for the degree, al
though, as | happen to know, l would
have been of perhaps two or three men
who have received it during the last twenty
years VINO cOuIu nave fe3ti IL anu Cr3OSI1
ted it without tho aid of dictiOn.
ary. regret very much this political
action on the part OF tho college. because
I fear it may tend to impair its usefulness;
for it is quite possible that the people Of
the common wealth may hereafter remem
ber it to the disadvantage of the college.
They may come to the conclusion to divorce
the college aud state as our fathers
divorced the church and state, and may
inquire if there is any reason why the
property of that institution should be-
exempted from the taxation which is so
burdensome upon us, while they use the
aims of the state, so bestowed upon them
for educational purposes, in an endeavOr
to control tho politics of the state. But
time at last sets all things even."
Wendell Phillips says of the custom Of
comforting degrees upon governors elf
the custom is bad one, let it be changed
at some future time. But not now, when
every nan will see that it is only the i'm
potent attempt of Il defeated faction to
insult successful rival"