The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-02
President Andrews is Begged
to Withdraw His Resignation
By Unanimous Vote of the Mem
bers of the Corporation.
A BJECT APOLOGIES
Are Made-EVerything Done to
Smooth the Matter Over.
Pressure of Public Opinion
Proved Too Great.


poration of Brown university voted,
after a long meeting, to request Presi-
dent Andrews to withdraw his reSigna-
tion as president of the institution. The
request was embodied in a resolution
containing the following:
To the President of the Brown Univers-
ity:
has this date received with the greatest
regret your resignation as president 1t
most earnestly desires that you will
withdraw it. 1t conceives that it was
written with full knowledge of the po-
sition of the corporation. With the
earnest hope that statement to you,
bearing the formal sanction and ap-
proVal of the governing body of the uni
verSity as whole may bring us again
into hearty accord, the corporation de-
sires to assure you that it in no way
sought the severance of our official re-
latiOnS, which, so far as it knows, have
been most cordial from the time of your
acceptance of the presidency The only
vote and only expression hitherto made
by the corporation bearing upon the
question at issue, was a the last June
meeting, and consisted of the appoint
ment of a committee to confer with you
as to the interests of the university.
The extent of authority thus given its
committee was that of conference, which
it fully believes you would unhesitat-
ingly admit was a legitimate and friend
ly exercise of its privileges, relating in
the terms of the vote to the interests
of the university, which you nave
closely at heart.
II is perfectly true that the vote in
question was occasioned by the differing
views entertained on the one hand by
you and on the other hand by most and
possibly all of the members of the cor
pOration as to the free and unlimited
coinage of silver by the United States
so far at least as affecting the interests
of the university and the fear that your
views, publicly known or expressed,
might perhaps in some degree be as
sumed to be representative and not
merely Individual. 1t was not in our
minds to prescribe the path in which
you should tread, or to administer to
you any official rebuke, or to restrain
your freedom of opinion or reasonable
liberty of utterance,' but simply to in
innate that it would be the part of wis
dom for you to take a less active part
in exciting partisan discussions and ap-
ply your energies more exclusively to
the affairs of the college.
Having, as il believes, removed the
misapprehensions that your Individual
views of this question represent those
of the corporation and the university,
for which apprehension you are not
responsible, and which it knows you
too, would seek to dispeI, the corpora
ton, affirming it's rightful authority to
conserve the interests of the university
at all times and by every honorable
means, and especially desiring to avoid in
the conduct of the university the impu-
tation even of the consideration of par
ty questions or of the dominance of any
class, by that language OF Its charter,
''in this liberal and catholic institution,
all mem bexs hereof shall enjoy full, free
absolute and uninterrupted liberty of
Conscience which includes freedom of
thought and expression, it cannot feel
that the divergence of views upon the
silver question and its effect upon the
university, between you and the mem
berS of the corporation, is an adequate
cause of separation between US, for the
corporation is profoundly appreciative
of the great services you have rendered
to the university and of your great sac
rifices and love for it. 1t therefore re-
news its assurances of highest respect
for you and expresses the confident
hope that you will withdraw your resig-
nation.
In addition to this matter the now
famous protest of 25 of the faculty of
Brown university and number of petit
tiOnS, including one from college pro-
fessors and public men, asking for the
retention of President Andrews, were
also presented and considered The
last named petition declared that 1.-The
future influence of the American univer-
stiles and the interests of free thought
and free speech under a just sense of
account a bility would be prompted by
such action on the part of the corpora
ton might naturally lead to the
withdrawal of the resignation of Presi-
dent Andrews"
Among the signers are Daniel Gill
man, president of Johns Hopkins uni
versity; Charles Eliot, president of
Harvard; G. X. Adams, president Uni
VerSlty OF w lScOnSin, O6In Low, pTeSl-
dent of Columbia college; w. G.. Sum-
ner, professor of political economy of
Yale; John Fisher, the historian; Will
liam Lloyd Garrison, ]. T. Trowbridge,
the author; Josiah Quincy, mayor of
Boston; Prof. James r. Jewett, Uni
versity of Minnesota.
The following elections were an
nounced: Chancellor, Colonel William
Goddard; treasurer, A. B. Chase.
A letter to the corporation from Dr.
Andrews, explaining his views on the
silver question and stating the position
he had taken with reference to the re-
quest of the committee that was ap-
pointed last June to confer with him
was read.
A number of short speeches were
made on both sides, and then Congress
man Walker of Massachusetts was rec
ognized by the chairman. He made a
speech advocating the action that was
subsequently taken.