Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-11-07
TROUBLE SA CRED HEART

NUMBER OF students Expelled &Oi INV
senting Themselves at Night
There was considerable excitement
occasloned last week by the expulsion
of number of students from the Sac
red Heart college for attending the
Spooner meeting without permission
from the faculty to do SO. In rega I'd
to the affair, Rev. Father O'Keeffe,
president of the institution, made the
following statement to a newspaper
reporter:
LET me state the facts of the case, and
then you will readily see why we acted as
we did. Last evening some Of the students
came to my room and asked permission to
attend a political rally in the city AS |
could not see any advantage to be derived
therefrom, owing to lateness of the hour
when it would be over, the loss of the time
which might be proftably exercised in pre-
paration for class and the general dissipation
of mind that would follow in case of such
permission, I refused their request. Some
time later learned that contrary to college
rule and all authority, a crowd of students
boldly left the study hall and went to the city.
When they returned late in the night they
were refused admittance. AS soon as they
came back the next morning they were in
formed that owing to their willful disregard
for authority, and their wanton violation of
college rules, all should be ready to leave the
grounds within an hour This is a plain
statement of the whole affair.""
Reporter-"How is it that so many were in
volved?"
Rev. President-''The students labored I'M
der the delusion that their safety consisted
in their strength. Evidently they were of the
opinion that so large a number would not be
expelled. But were half the student body to
fly in the face of authority the result would
have been the same; for we are determined
to uphold lawful discipline"
Reporter-"Will not the expulsion of so
many students effect the college from ma
terial point of view?''
Rev. President-"So Somewhat However, this
would be worth taking into considera-
ton were our institution a money
making concern. But since it's main
object is the moral education of youth.
money is only means to the end. To train
up young men to be honest, manly, author
ity-loving citizens is our aim. Hence no in
fringement of college rules, such as happen
ed last night, will be tolerated; for a college
without morality and discipline is like a
body without soul"
Reporter-"Will the college lose any of it's
reputation owing to its stand for dscipline?"
Rev. President-"Not at ALL On the con-
trary, the gap made by last nights affair will
be quickly filled up, for men will see that the
college which places so much value on dis
cipine, and makes such sacrifices for its
preservation, is one that should be entrusted
with the education of their sons"
1t appears that several Of the older
students had asked to be permitted to
bear Mr.. Spooner, but had been refused
by Father O'Keeffe, Notwithstanding
number were allowed to attend the
O'Connor meeting the previous week.
Owing to a feeling that arose
among the younger students after the
O'Connor meeting to the effect Tat
they, too, should be allowed to
go out on such occasions, and
who felt that they had been
Disseminated against, the faculty
board had resolved that permission in
the future should not be granted the
students to leave the college at night
for any purpose whatsoever, Father
O'Keefe, therefore, acted upon this
rule when be gave his refusal for the
Spooner meeting. Notwithstanding
this, nine of the boys boldly walked
out of the study-hall and went to the
meeting. The following morning they,
and several others implicated, were
expelled. A number of papers have
In editorials endeavored to show polit-
ical discrimination in this episode,
but Father O'Keeffe disavows COM
pletely such an intention on his part.
We are sorry to have seen these
comments made and are sure the Sac
redHea1t authorities are entirely above
any such methods. The action was
taken solely to uphold college author
itv and enforce discipline, for without
these the institution would have no
weight. We understand that the
trouble has for the most part been
mended and all but three or four of
the expelled students taken back.