The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-02

of the License OF the Princeton Inn
Taproom-An Injunction of the Presby-
terrain Church Was Thus violated.
Adjacent to the grounds of Princeton
university there is hostelry known as
the Princeton inn IL is a handsome and
commodious structure and was built sew
eral years ago by Princeton alumni of
wealth for the accommodation, more spe
officially, of graduates and friends of the
students visiting the university town. The
establishment has no direct connection
with the university. but is recognized in
the Princeton catalogues and guidebooks
as associated with IL indirectly.
In this very inviting inn there is tap
room remarkably tasteful in its appoint.
ments as such and its artistic decorations.
1t is one of the prettiest and most com
Portable drinking places anywhere to be
seen, and students Of the university are
admitted TO IL and served with its bever-
ages, but only after they have reached
their junior year. Under the law of New
Jersey and the ordinance of the borough,
in order to obtain license for such sa-
loon it is necessary that stipulated num-
Der of adjacent residents, property hold
ers, shall sign an application for it. In
past years the requisite signatures have
been secured, and the sale of liquors has
gone on without provoking serious public
discussion. Nor has any instance of any
abuse of the inns drinking privileges on
the part of the Princeton students been
complained of so far as we have heard
Friends of the university seem rather to
have regarded its tasteful and refined sur
roundings as conducive to the welfare of
the students in diverting them from UNI
seemly drinking places of the town into
which they might be tempted.
When this year it became necessary to
secure the signatures of the stipulated
number Of adjacent property holders to an
application for q renewal of the license the
existence of the taproom was brought into
public discussion by the circumstance that
among the signers was President Cleve-
land, but more especially that another was
the Rev. Charles w. Shields, ID. d., the
venerable professor of revealed religion in
the Princeton Theological seminary. 1t
seems that the names of these two gentle
men were requisite to make up the num-
Der legally necessary. Thereupon the Pro-
hibitionists of New Jersey and of the
Union generally started a great hue and
CIy dSdlnSb LII. lOultlNlS llOIt
on the ground of his direct completely in
the maintenance of drinking saloon in u
university community.
Unquestionably DR.. Shields was charge
able with such completely, for under the
the renewal OF the license
of the Princeton inns taproom seems to
have been impossible without his sigma
ture. Accordingly, after long and bitter
AisnuSsinn tho prnhihit ipnistc tho
course of DIR. Shields in the matter was
brought before the New Brunswick pres
bytery, but recently he forestalled its de-
cision by sending to it a letter withdraw
ing from the Presbyterian church and con-
sequently from its ecclesiastical jurisdic-
ton and announcing his intention to
"enter some other portion of the visible
catholic church, to which the good hand
Of God may guide me in due time. llAc-
cordingly resolution was adopted to
erase DIR. Shields name from the roll Of
ministers in the presbytery and recite in
the minutes the circumstances of his case.
The course of Dr. Shields in withdraw
ing was the alternative he had to accept,
provided that he was not willing to recon-
slider his proceeding In signing the petition
for the liquor license. The general assem-
bly, of the Presbyterian church made
deliverance in 1877, declaring that 1--WE
regard the signing of petitions for license
as reprehensible completely in the sale of
Intoxicating liquors." and this injunction
he had violated squarely if not knowing
ly But DIR. Shields would not withdraw
his completely" preferring rather to
withdraw from the church against whose
discipline he had offended.
That is, venerable professor in the
foremost American divinity school of
Presbyterianism leaves his church rather
than submit to its Interference with his
personal freedom of opinion and conduct
touching matter outside of the realm Of
faith and theology. DIR. Shields
leaves the church TO which he had given
allegiance through "a long life and in
which he has been foremost teacher of
theological doctrines, because it under
takes to dictate to him when he feels en-
titled to exercise his private Judgment
freely.
The New Brunswick presbytery is not
in the premises, since it mere
ly regarded deliverance of the supreme
of the Presbyterian church, but
none the less is DR.. Shields praiseworthy
because of his course in insisting on the
exercise of his personal freedom. The in
cident is remarkable, however, as show
ing how light have become the bonds Of
church allegiance. New York Sun.