Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-07-06
White Ribbon Sentiment Versus Yale.

Mrs Poteats utterance in public
audience in regard to being unwilling 10
send her boy to Yale University has been
widely published and upon invitation she
has given her reasons therefor. She says
among other things: The University
Club ffor juniors and senfors) mas us
bar could not meet expenses without 1t
/ have seen young man coming out oil
its building carried by two friends In
societies have drinking places. the So
called best element thinks moderate
drinking no very serious matter; the
Yale dinner, whether of a board OF unuer-
graduate editors or triennial reunion or
a New York banquet is incomplete with
out its wines. Last June the graduating
class of the scientific school went TO
local shore resort and celebrated A city
paper described what occurred under the
title. Inferno at Savin Rock. Some OF
the things done at that orgy would make
New York brothels blush.
Mrs. Poteat quotes a prominent alum
nus as say ying that over a hundred OF his
class at graduation were more or less ad-
dicted to intoxicants She speaks OF the
the discouraging fact that New Haven
and other papers publish the betting. the
odds offered and the amounts lost and
won with the most matter-of-fact com
monplaceness. She quotes the Yale
News of November 16. as saying. "eXces-
sive drinking, gambling and dissipation
and the fact that New Haven has four
hundred saloons open to Yale students
without any apparent restriction against
their patronizing them: at least three OF
them conspicuous ones in the center OF
the city, securing their patronage III
large part from the undergraduates, and
one of them catering exclusively to upper
class men.-all of this and other particu-
lars are named as reasons why she does
not wish to send her boy to Yale.
What Mrs. Poteat says cannot fail te
impress white-ribbonerS alike by It's sub
ject matter and by the fact that the wri
ter is a daughter of one of our most hon
ored women. for many years president TO @
tion is only a logical outcome of her brit
and training. The daughter of DR.. A. j
and Maria Gordon could hardly fail I,
take the stand she has done upon a ques
ton so involving morality and righteous
ness.
The protest is most vigorous and yet 81
just and kindly in spirit that we feel as
sured the most Jealous Yale advocat,
cannot fail to be impressed by its spir
and to recognize the need which calls i
forth.
1t is certainly high time that TIL,
mothers of this nation should lift up thei
voices against the corruption of thei
sons, however that corruption be dis
caste. A place where excessive drink
ing, gambling and dissipation unquestion
ably exist" by the testimony of its owl
paper cannot be a safe place for youn;
men. Mrs Poteat has done favor t.
womanhood in this protest. and. if TIL
great college have but ears to hear,
she VIII nave done a IaNor 10 Aaie a
well.
The idea that great universities have
the power to create their own moral cod
is one of the barbarisms of the pas
which the age is rapidly outgrowing
The right to arrogate to themselves die
tatorship has long been denied to churcl
and state. why should it still be conceded
to these intellectual hierarchs?
The Woman's Christian Temperate
Union should take a decided stand upol
this crying abuse and should demand, il
Il, a h s.fi
meaning. that the culture of the intellec
and the culture of the moral nature mus
be alike considered by college boards
and that no university shall have a righ
to be considered great which, is grea
In intellectual advantages only. and no
great in all that makes for Righteousness