The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-17
T.ie Colleges and Temperance.

The Philadelphia Bulletin expresses
so well our own opinion on this now
much agitated subject that we intend
with this brief word cf introduction to
let it have the floor:
Dwight l.. Moody declares that he
does not believe the charges regarding
the prevalence of intemperance at
Yale, and rs proof of his confidence
points to the fact that he has sent two
Of his sons to the university. Mr.
Moody's position will be endorsed by
most sensible people, Intelligent pub
lie opinion will commend the determi-
nation of fale's faculty to take no for
NAL notice of the petition addressed to
it by the Woman's Christian Temper
anCc Union. Professor Dwight and his
associates in the government Of this
great American university. would he
unwise if they permitted themselves to
he drawn into controversy with the
feminine critics of the institution over
which they preside. The sincerity of
Miss Willard and the protesting MEM
hers of the union is beyond doubt; but
the conscentiousness of the faculty of
Yale is equally unquestionable; and
the experienced educators who COM
pose that body are surely entitled to
claim a wider and mole accurate
knowledge of the subject than the ear
nest ladies who view the problem who'll
ly from the outside.
1t would be most unjust to charge
the faculties of leading American uni
versities with lack of devotlcn to the
cause If public morals. The men en-
trusted with the highly responsible
task of supervising the conduct of our
foremost institutions of learning are, as
a rule, qualified for their duties, not
merely by profound scholarship, but
by intimate acquaintance with the
needs of collegiate life, and by thor
ough experience in dealing with stu
dents, both individually and in the
mass. They may make mistakes. hut
il is safer to trust their united opinion,
based on practical knowledge than to
take the theories of enthusiastic re-
| formers who have had no such school
| ing, as a guide.
The value OF temper ance SHOULD as
suredly be impressed upon the students
Of all colleges, and while public opin-
| ion is becoming more condemnatory OF
| the vice of drunkenness with each pass
| ing decade, there is little danger that
American colleges will become centres
of intemperanCe. 1t must bc remem-
| bered, moreover, that the college is not
Cloister; thai 1t is its purpose 10 turn
| out not monks, hut mer. Self .discip-
line and self-control are among the
most valuable-if. indeed, they do not
stand as the supremely important--re-
suits to be attained through cOllegi-
ate course. The young men who go
! from our colleges into the whirl and
| stress If life each year must, perforce,
| confront q multitude of temptations
1t should be the purpose of their edu-
| Gators not SO much to keep them in ig-
| norance of these evils, as to strengthen
their will power and moral principle in
such wise that they will he able to re-
| sist them"
| Unquestionably more harm has been
| done to the students in our universities
| by the dsorganlzation of their confid-
| ence in the faculties consequent upon
this recent frenzied attack upon the col.
legc governments than can POSSIBLY be
Offset by any number OF prohibtory
rules, no sooner made than broken The
one idea reformer Of course means well
but that doesn't compensate for the
mischief he invariably makes.