Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-10-08
Tho Case Of Brown Ua,ve,sity.

E& kO 0OASVS VI AoV ANV" AAA8SWA4SA
Magazine has decided opinions On tho
question which has recently shaken
Brown university to its center. Briefly
stated, the case 10 this: President E.
1 Benjamin Andrews, Of Brown uni.
ssversity, is an advocate Of bimetallism.
( The trustees. or corporation Of the uni.
fversity, as they are called, feared this
open expression.of opinion on the part
5of the college president would drive
away from the institution the gifts Of
rich men. The trustees therefore i'd
dressed an official letter to President
Andrews requesting him thereafter to
suppress public utteranoe Of his views
on the silver question. They frankly
stated that their reason for the request
was the fear rich men would give no
more money to the university. There
upon Andrews at once resigned his
presidency and professorship in Brown.
The editor of The New England
Magazine says that il this thing is to
be permitted. and college trustees are to
control the political. opinions Of the
president and professors in those COL
leges, then goodby to academic freedom
in truth, to all free thought
In educational institutions in America.
Henceforth there will be political her.
esy hunters as we'll as theological heresy
hunters. ,." -. 49,. ;
The next step in the Brown upiver-
sity affair was the strong letter Of pro-
test against the course Of the trustees
in endeavoring to paddock the mouth Of
Che college president. The letter Of
protest was signed by "a of the college
faculty, large majority Of the whole
number, aud "a still greater majority
81 the life and red blood of the faculty."
observes The New England Magazine
editor. Immediately on his resignation
from Brown university John Brisben
Walker, proprietor of The Cosmopolitan
Magazine, offered to MI. Andrews the
headship Of wide educational move
ment which is to be conducted chiefly
BY correspondence The offer was ao'
cepted. 49,
The New England editor declares
that even in Germany the government
would not dare to interfere with AGA
demic freedom as the trustees Of Brown
university have done. He says:
We do not hesitate to record our own opinion
that the protest Of the Brown university facul-
" against the recent attack Of the corporation
upon academic freedom in America and its
Of any kind which has appeared in America in
tie past ten years, the word fullest Of hope for
the next ten years, when the tyranny with
which the republic chiefly has to cope will be
the tyranny Of money. Nothing is 10 impor
tant to q democracy. government by public
opinion, as that the scholar. the man of sci
ence should have absolute freedom. It IL fun
dame1fal to modern civilization itself and 10
% rscy snised to be wherever there IL civilisa-
ton. ...y. ... ,l... re. 80, ...tr..
Vas It owing to widespread expres-
ions Of opinion similar to the above
throughout the country or was 1t be-
cause they never for moment serious
ly contemplated parting with President
Andrews that the trustees Of Brown
university at their fall meeting formally
requested him to withdraw his resigna-
tion?' At any rate they have done a
graceful act and should receive due
credit. The New England Magazine
will be glad that academic freedom is
safe in America.