The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-07
an assault upon the corporation BY thu
friends Of President Andrews.
ElI0t, Walker end Andrews.


EIiot, walker snd Andrews.
Whether the influences for good OF
President Eliot In his chosen life woEk
has been augmented, either over ths
students at Harvard, or in the com
nuDity at large, by his partisan political
activity, is very doubtful. The same
may be said Of the late President Francis
A. Walker. but 10 assume that the activi'
ties Of President Andrews on political
and economic questions are within this
same reasonable bounds as those OF ths
officers named, or that his position II
that Of President Walker. or that the
action OF our corporation In this cast
can with any justice be contrnsted Will
the action OF the corporation OF Harvard
or OF the Institute OF Technology, TO our
dctriment, we cannot admit.
The opinion OF our corporation wa.
not unknown TO President Andrews. T.
say that our action In the least degree
infringes upon the sacred clause OF th'
freedom OF speech" or upon the In
dependence OF thought, and expression
On the part Of the president and pro
fessors." IL TO confuse the personal rights
OF an individual with the duties assumed
and proprieties incumbent upon every
man who accepts any representative
position. Certainly the arraignmen'
OF the corporation Of the corporation al
culpable for seeking an interview witt
It's president on a matter believed BY
every member OF the corporation pres
ent at its melting TO be OF vital impor
tance TO the best interests OF the insti
tuition seems to trench somewhat upor
the liberty OF It's action. To rush intt
print and TO try us by newspaper goes
still further. Either thc corporation hal
or II has not the some degree OF re
sponsibility for its representatives !.
it's president and professors In the In
stitution.
That IL Is in no wise responsible TO-
their sayings and doings will not pc as
serted, and IL 1t has any responsibllit.
whatever the question arises, could III
action have been any more conservative
Certainly Il. Benjamin Andrews has al
undoubted right to speak his mind with
out offence 10 or criticism by our cor
poration, but this right, inalienable In
Mr.. Andrews does not dissolve the oati
taken by the fellows and trustees, no
Justify nor excuse the corporation from
taking cognizance of what the mind ant
speech OF the president OF Brown uni
versity is as TO it's effect upon the uni
versity, it's friends or the public. TIL,
exercise OF the rights and obligation.
Of every man in civil society must hay'
reasonable limitations dependent upor
his position in society, In association Will
other men.
1t Is certainly "the decree Of God tina
truth and error shall be loose in th'
field TO grapple and to conquer" but 4
is also the decree Of God that those Sc
in defence of truth as they see 1t, as 1:
this corporation, shall not install oi
keep error at the altar of truth.
Corporations Duties.
The suggestion in the open letter O.
certain members of the faculty, that tn,
corporation. as such, may enter the po
litical arena in contest with its presi
dent to absolve itself from being used II
support of political and moral error. in
dicates that the signers were not blind t.
the necessity of some action by the cor
poration in defence of what they hclt
to be truth" The further Statement
| that political compliance is demanded
Of Mr.. Andrews by the corporation" hal
no justification in the action Of the cor
poration or in any word spoken by AM
sertions show that the writer Of the opeI
letter did not approach his subject In ,
judicial spirit and that the signsrs care
fully weigh it's words. The corporation
feel that the consequences involved IL
the question at issue between Presiden
Andrews and the corporation far tran
scends in Importance any question upoi
which the great historical political par
ties in the country grew up. Their,
was no purpose or desire on the part O.
the corporation that its president shouls
be officially restrained" 1t assumed
that he would be disposed to think tn,
whole body Of his most intimate ant
devoted official friends might possibl,
be right and that he would be advised
by them In a manner with which they
were officially charged.
Certainly the corporation would b,
humiliated to find that any professor
much more it's president, did not feel h,
had perfect liberty to utterance upoI
all public questions" but this liberty
Of it's president and Of every person Off
cially connected with II, as Of ever,
officer Of every organized body, does no,
absolve the corporation from being hu
inflated by or proud of, as the case MAY
be. and being very largely responsible,
for the general trend of the public an(
college teaching of it's representatives
The experience of the centuries ha.
proved that, like churches and their min
listers who represent them, institution:
Of learning and the presidents and pro
fessors have the positions of most com
manding influence for good or iii oi
any in the world, and that they in,
variably mar that work when they turr
aside TO meddle In current politics
whether right or wrong, and that they
do incalculable damage when wrong.
The only safe source of income to 6
university is mainly from its invested
funds. Brown cannot long prosper OF
even exist as President Andrews ha,
carried Ii, himself being Judge.
Fearing the most disastrous conse
auences from this misunderstanding OF,
the action of the corporation and pos
sibe defeat OF Its most conservative