The herald., 1898-01-31
Cautioned Concerning the
Use of Alcohol
PRESIDENT PATTON IS PLAIN
IN AN ADDRESS TO STUDENTS AT
PRINCETON
Drunkenness Is the objectionable
Sin at Tiger Town and Indul.
Gence Means Expulsion
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
PRINCETON, Jan. 3O--A few days ago
President Francis L. Patton announced
that he would address the undergradu-
ate body today upon the subject Of tenn
perance. AS a consequence Marquand
chapel was crowded at o'clock today.
In the audience were several signers of
the Princeton inn liquor license, among
them Grover Cleveland, Prof. Chas.
Woodruff Shields, whose resignation
from the Presbyterian church was
caused by criticism growing out Of his
signing the petition, and Prof. Chas.
Greene lockwood.
Dr. Patton said: "At our meeting in
October the attention of our trustees
| was turned to the recent agitation which
has so seriously involved the good name
of Princeton university. A committee
was appointed to consider the whole
subject and report at a subsequent meet
ing 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 and mpartialNenforcement
of the existing law respecting intoxicat-
| ing drinks be entoined upon the faculty,
and that the president of the university
| be asked to make a statement to the
students on the whole question.
II bear testimony to the high moral
| tone of the students of this university.
know that they have been misrepre-
sented and misunderstood Their hilar-
ity, their boisterous outbreaks Of exub-
erance, their songs, which often have a
more Bacchanalian sound than would
wish, and, in some instances, their in
excusable 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, ami
NAL 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
taken pains to find out the truth and I
am still unshaken in my conviction that
the tendency In Princeton is steadily In
the direction of diminished use Of alco-
| holic drinks STILL 1 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
| n the WiSaqt 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 drinks.
There is nothing unnatural in the
desire of the trustees for vigilant en-
forcement of what has for many years
been the law of the university in regard
to alcoholic liquors. While l am in full
sympathy with your feeling that the
university man is not to be treated as
though he were in preparatory SCHOOL,
l am ready to take my full share OF re-
sponsibility for the report which as
chairman, of the committee dealing with
the question made to the board OF trus-
tees.
There are two classes of men whom
have particularly in mind-those who
have already fallen into intemperate
habits and those who are in danger OF
forming those habits.
drunkenness Is practically an unpar-
donable 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 II ms
offense is known to the authorities.
II wish more particularly, however,
to say a kindly word to those who are
understood to be moderate drinkers. IL
any duty is intuitively given us In con-
seriousness it is temperance. l mean the
duty of self-coritrol. Let me caution
YOU against habit which puts self
control in peril"