The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-02-04
TEMPERANCE TALK.
President Patton Addresses the
Undergraduate
UPON THE SUBJECT OF TEMPERANCE,
Defending Them Against Unjust Reports
and Pleading for the Maintenance
of the Good Name of an Old
Seat Of Learning.

PRINCETON. y. j.. Jan. 3l.-A few
days ago President Francis l.. Patton
announced that he would address the
undergraduates body yesterday upon
the subject of temperance. As con-
sequence Marquand Chapel was
crowded at five o'clock yesterday.
Among those present were Grover
Cleveland, Prof. Chas. w. Woodruff,
whose resignation from the Presby-
terian church was caused by criticism
growing out of his signing the peti-
tiOn, and Prof. Charles w. Green Rock
wood. DR.. Patton said: AT their
meeting in October the attention of
our trustees was turned to the recent
agitation which has SO seriously in
volved the good name of Princeton
university. A committee was ap-
pointed to consider the whole subject
and report at a subsequent meeting of
the trustees That report was pre-
sented and adopted at the meeting
held on the 23d of December. 1t was
resolved that a strict literal and i'm
partial enforcement of the existing
law respecting Intoxicating drinks be
enjOined upon the faculty, and that
the president of the university be
asked to make a statement to the stu
dents on the whole question.
Il bear testimony to the high moral
tone of the students of this university.
l know that they have been misrep-
resented and misunderstood. Their
hiiarity, their boisterous outburst of
exuberance, their songs, which often
have a more bacchanaliau sound than l
Ia in,
their inexcusable acts of wrongdoing,
have produced impressions which the
facts will not justify; and they have
on many occasions been charged with
drunkenness for no other reason than
that under the Influence of the gre
garOus instinct, which sometimes as
sumes an almost irrational mode of ex-
preston. auimal spirits have been al
lowed too much freedom, and speech
and action have not been kept within
those metes and bounds which mature
men in the busy walks of life are apt
TO associate with sObriety.
But there was never less reason for
adverse criticism of Princeton than
during the period in which it has been
50 unsparingIy bestowed upon US. l
have taken pains to find out the truth,
and l am still uashalxen in my convic-
tiOn that the tend ency in Princeton is
steadily in the direction of a diminished
use OF alcoholic drinks. Still, l must
not be blind to the fact. and after max
ing all allowance for wilful misrepre-
sentatiou or mistake | am constrained
To believe that there is far more of
what is called moderate drinking
among US than the wisest and best
friends of Princeton could wish, and
there are those among you who are
putting their future in peril by the ex-
cessive use of Intoxicating drink.
There is nothing unnatural in the
desire of the trustees for a vigilant en-
forcemeut of what has for many years
been the law of the university in re-
gard To alcoholic liquors. While l am
in full sympathy with your feeling
that the university man is not to be
treated a though he were in pre-
paratOry school, l am ready to take my
full share of responsi bility for the re-
port which, as chairman of the COM
mittee dealing with the question, L
made TO the board of trustees.
There are two classes of men whom
l have particularly in mind: Those
who have already fallen into intern
perate,habits and those who are'in dam
ger of forming those habits. Drunken
ness is practically unpardOnable
sin in our academic life. 1t must be
understood that u man cannot be guilty
of repeated acts of intoxication and
continue in this university, If his Of
fense is known To the authorities.
IL wish ruOr,a Darticularlv howe YER
to say kindly word to those who are
understood TO be moderate drinkers. If
any duty is intuitively given us con
sciousuess il Is temperance. l mean
the duty of self-cOntroL Let me eau
tiOn you. then, against the habits
which put seIf-cOntrol in peril"