The record-union., 1898-01-31
A Crowded Chapel Listens to His Remarks
on Temperance.
Who Signed the Princeton Inn
Liquor License Were Present
The Speaker Bears Testimony to
the High Moral Tone of the
Students and Says Undue Hi1ar-
ity Was Charged as Drunken
ness Against Them.

PRINCETON IN. J.), Jan. 3U.--A few
days ago President Francis l.. Patton
announced that he would address the
undergraduate body to-day upon the
subject Of temperance. AS a consequence
Marquand Chapel was crowded at .
O'Clock to-day. In the audience We're
several signers of the Princeton inn Ii
quor license, among them, Grover Cleve-
land, Professor Charles Woodruff
Shields. whose resignation from the
Presbyterian Church was caused by
criticism growing out of his signing the
petition and Professor Charles Green
lockwood. DR.. Patton said:
AT our meeting in October, the at
tention of our trustees was turned to the
recent agitation which has 50 seriously
involved the good name of Princeton
University. A committee was appointed
to consider the whole subject and report
at subsequent meeting of the trus-
tees. That report was presented and
adopted at the meeting held on the sd
of December. 1t was resolved that a
strict literal and impartial enforcement
Of the existing law respecting intoxicat-
ing drinks be enjoined upon the faculty
and that the President of the University
d
students 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 hi
larity, their boisterous outbreaks of ex-
uberance. their songs, which often have
a more Bacchanalian sound than
would wish, and in some instances, their
ineXcusable acts of wrong doing, have
produced impressions which the facts
will not justify: and they have on many
occasions been charged with drunken
ness for no other reason than that un-
der the influence Of the gregarious in
stinct which sometimes assumes an al
most irrational mode of expression an
imal spirits have been allowed too much
freedom and speech and action have not
been kept within those 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 dur
ing the period in which it has been so
unsparingly bestowed upon us. / have
taken pains to find out the truth and
am still unshaken in my conviction that
the tendency in Princeton is steadily in
the direction of a diminished use of al
coholc drinks. Still must not be blind
to the fact and after making allowance
for willful Misrepresentation 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 put
ting their future in peril by the excessive
use of intoxicating drink.
There is nothing unnatural in the de-
sire of the trustees for yigilant en-
forcement of what has for many years
been the law of the University in re-
gard to- alcoholic liquors. While / am in
full sympathy with your feeling that the
University man is not to be treated as
though he We're in a preparatory school,
am ready to take my full share of re-
sponsibility for the report which as
Chairman of the committee dealing with
the question 1 made TO the Board of
Trustees.
There are two classes of men whom
whom l have particularly in mind
those who have already fallen into in
temperate habits and those who are
in danger of forming those habits.
Drunkenness is practicallyan unpardon-
able sin in our academic life. 1t must
be understood that a 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 more particularly, however,
to say a kindly word to those who are
understood to be moderate drinkers. If
any duty is intuitively given US in con-
sciousness it is temperance. ! mean
the duty of self control. Let me caution
you, then, against the habits which put
self control in peril