Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-31
MASSACHUSETTS,
The College Vote as a Factor in Bay State
Politics.

MASSACHUSETTS.
The College Vote as Factor in BAY State
Politics.
| Correspondence of The Evening Star
BosToN October 90, 1892.
Both parties in this state have been making big
| fight'to secure the college vote. Massachusetts
is, perhaps, the only state where this constitu-
ency is factor in politics. II has nine colleges
for men and two, Wellesley and Smith, for
| women. There is Harvard, founded in 1886;
Williams, founded in 1875; Amherst, in 1926;
Holy Cross (Catholic), 1s43; Tufts, 1850; Boston
College (Catholic), 1868; Agricultural College.
1868; Boston University, 1869; Clark University,
1897. Some 5000 students are gathered in all
these institutions, but their number is small
compared with the constantly increasing army
of graduates whose political course is more or
less influenced by the instructions they receive
and by the traditions which govern their alma
mater.
MISSIONARY WORK II THE COLLEGES.
As the case stands today the faculties of the
New England colleges are largely democratic,
while majority of the men who send their
sons to them for instruction are republicans.
Distinct efforts are made by the former to win
and by the latter TO hold the allegiance of these
VINO tneN argue Will nave mucn
to do In shaping the political fortunes of the
next generation. Missionary work in the col
leges. with rallies and parades, has therefore
become recognized part of the Massachusetts
campaign.
1t was not very long ago that the teachers
and professors OF New England were, like its
clergy, almost solidly republican. The entering
wedge in the great educational schism which
has now taken place seems to have come in the
form OF the text books on political economy.
Many Of these were of English origin, and even
the American authors were. like Prof. Perry Of
Williams. influenced by English ideas. The
dogma of free trade and that alone was taught
in all of them. Twenty years ago there was
hardly a college in the country that did not
present the anomaly of republican faculty
teaching absolute free trade in their courses on
political economy. The result was that stu
dents whose college expenses we're paid with
money their fathers earned made in pro-
! tected industries were taught that all such
money was unj Justly levied.
HARVEST OF FREE-TRADE SOWING.
An indication of the harvest this free-trade
sowing might bring was manifested in 1884,
when so many Massachusetts, republican dele
gates to Chicago returned to repudiate the
nomination of Blaine just why so many of
them turned to Cleveland with such enthusiast
tic Outbursts of personal adulation and what has
been his charm for the average college pro-
fessor since is of those things which history
viii record as mystery. The fact remains
that we have men whose ancestors have been
| distinguished for two centuries preferring the
candidate whose name ten years ago was prac-
\ tlcally unknown to the one who is the descend
ant of President OF the United States and of a
| signer of the Declaration of Independence. We
| see men whose names are distinguished in lit
l erature choosing the man who has never affected
| the graces of letters. We observe devoted
| teachers Of the orthodox faith passing by a
\ Presbyterian elder to indOrse a man who has
! certainly never made any professions of per-
sonal piety. There would be less mystery in
! their attitude If they we're approving measures
rather than men. but they distinctly declare
! that they support Cleveland not because of his
| platform, but in spite of it.
There il no higher tribute to the sterling
| qualities of ex-PTesident Cleveland than this
| purely personal popularity which he enjoys
among the learned and eminent college profess
| sors of New England. Prof Shaler of Harvard
said today that nine ont of every ten of Har-
( wards faculty would vote for Cleveland Three
fourtbs of the faculty of Amherst's College this
week electrified the state by signing a public
Endorsement of the ex-President. President
Andrews of Brown University and many Of his
professors will stand this year with the demo-
Gratis.
| REPUBLICAN PROGRESS AT HARVARD.
1t is unfortunate for the democratic party
that these earnest ambassadors which they
have at the very court of collegiate education
are not making the progress one might expect
The fact Is a majority of the students remain
republicans, and since the republican party has
made An effort to get their votes a marked in
| crease has been noted
| This is especially true of Harvard, despite
| the aggressive democracy of President Eliot
For eight years there has been a battle royal
between President Eliot, Prof. Norton, Con-
gresham Williams, Sherman Hoar. Josiah
Quincy, Mayor Mathews and others on the dem
| ocratic side and their fellQw-alumni, Senator
| Hoar, ex-Gov. Long, Congressman Lodge Ed
ward Everett Hale, Theodore Roosevelt and
others equally eminent in tine republican ranks
| Lodges retirement from the Harvard board
| of overseers in 1890 is an aspect of the struggle
The democrats have made gains in the Harvard
faculty, but republicanism has shown a steady
advance among the students.
| 1t was the DEVELOPMENTS Of 1884 that aroused
dons Something In the sprns of shas