The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-08-12
A BOOMERANG.

dictation of trust-magnate Rookie
Teller continues to attract attention
and is proving a boomerang to the
would-be stifers of free thought and
free speech. Upon the idea that "it's
an i'll wind that blows nobody good"
the incident will not be entirely with
out benefit, inasmuch as the manly
and emphatic protests that are being
entered against this sort of thing
will teach the trusts and moneycrats
that they do not own American
thought and cannot buy the honest
convictions of honest men, nor stifie
the expression of these convictions.
Be it said to their credit, a number
of the protests referred to come from
men and newspapers differing with
President Andrews In his views upon
the currency question, but recogniz-
ing the danger to American freedom
in permitting this effort to suppress
honest opinion to pass without
rebuke.
Some days ago we made reference
to the fact that a majority of the
faculty of Brown University had
made manly remonstrance against
the course of the trustees. Below we
make extracts from the paper, which
was addressed to the University
corporation:
"Private and Individual remon-
STRANGE is one thing; action of the
sort described by the body which ap
points presidents is, we submit, a
very different thing. 1t is open to
the gravest objections, and rests
upon a theory which, if extensively
acted upon, would eat the heart out
of our educational fnstitutions-the
theory that the material growth of a
university is of more Importance
than independence of thought and
expression on the part of it's presi-
dent and professors, and that boards
Of trustees have, as such, the right to
suggest limitations upon such indie
pendence.
"It is not to be believed, and we
are far from believing, that this
theory in all It's amplitude was pres
emit to the minds of your honorable
body on the occasion named, and
distinctly accepted by them. But
the logical connection between that
theory and the concrete action taken
is, on consideration, SO plain and has
found SO complete a Judgment in the
public mind to the manifest injury of
the university, that we respectfully
beg you to take again into consider
alton the principles involved, and at
your ensuing meeting to take that
action which alone can permanently
relieve Brown University from all
suspicion of illiberality OK bias.
"We address ourselves first to the
pecuniary question. We do not for
a moment admit that 1t stands first
in Importance. On the contrary, we
regard it as distinctly subordinate.
We enter upon it only in defensive
spirit. The statement has been made
in public and in private, until it Is
believed by many, that the admins
tration of President Andrews has
been in peculiarly sense unsuccess-
full, ard this alleged want of success
mas been attributed to the course of
the president in advocating financial
doctrines unacceptable to possible
benefactors of the college
1.-The annual receipts of the Univer-
sity are now more than twice what
they were when DR.. Andrews came to
the presidency. If income be a fit
criterion, he is entitled to be regard
ed as, in a pecuniary sense, the
greatest benefactor Brown Universe
ty has ever had.
"The history of American college
administration, from the Dartmouth
College case down, furnishes only too
many examples of the demoraliza
ton which results from political iu-
reference and from the suspicion of
bondage. Better by far to follow the
example of Harvard, the mental free
dom of whose president is not only
tolerated, but priced; better by far
to initiate the authorities of the
Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology, who valued Francis Walker
too highly, even if they had not
known him too well, to think of
checking his utterances in the cause
of bimetallism; or rather, let us say,
better by far to follow the nobler
traditions of Brown University, with
in and without whose walls Francis
Wayland, in a protectionist com
munity for SO many years taught
without restraint the doctrines of
free trade.
Gin any cause less sacred than that
of freedom of speech and thought we
should not have spoken at all. But
WO OCiiCt0 UA6u Ahsoiuooio IuUcFocOc
of the college, and of all colleges in
the land, requires us to make this
protest, and to indicate for Presi-
dent Andrews and for all presidents
and professors q perfect liberty of
utterance upon all public questions.
i'm the most obvious man.
ner in the material prosperity of the
institution, more anxious than any
others can be for it's development