The evening times., 1899-07-03

ests OF the Standard Oil Company. OF
course. if the professors OF chemistry
should happen to discover any facts re-
garding the quality Of the oil which Mr..
Rockefeller's trust furnishes to the Ameri-
can people, they will be expected to do
the polite thing. When man has made us
a present of comfortable house and is
sending our sons and daughters to school
We are not expected to comment on his
business morality.
It is no exaggeration to say that free
dom of speech will gradually come TO be
suppressed, by gag law, in Chicago Uni
versity, if Mr.. Rockefeller SO desires. That
has been done before, and viii be done
again. in schools and colleges. In the
days when people of strong religious ten
dencies were expected to leave fortunes
teachers place was worth to be seen read
ing Paine's Age OF Reason" or fail to
be regular attendant at prayer meeting.
Nowadays, when capitalists contribute
huge sums toward the endowment of col
leges, we may expect to find university
professors muZzied so far as the trusts are
concerned.
This is rather worse than the former
state of affairs. Political economy is an
important study in our higher institu-
tions of learning, and should be made
much more prominent than it is. for 1t s
the one study which is above all useful to
the educated man, who seeks to be force
in the world, and it can be taken up to
great advantage in college. 1t is of the
utmost Importance that in the study of
this subject, absolute freedom OF speech
should be exercised. OF course, it is not
desirable that the teacher should be
crank. but even if he were an enthusiast
on some particular reform question, he
would not do as much harm as dryasdust
bookworm. If young men are carried away
by admiration for some magnetic. whole
souled, impetuous devotee of socialism,
or Imperialism. or some other political
ISM they will at any rate understand
one side of the subject, and there will
always be some determined soul who will
oppose the professor either from conyic-
tion or stubbornness. But. il the pro-
theorist hampered by considerations of
personal expediency, he can produce no
enthusiasm for the study, and half his
teaching will probably be wrong. More
over, he will have to discourage individ-
uality and prevent free argument in class.
for in these days. especially in the STIR
ring times which are coming in the next
twenty years, the trust question will be a
very much alive issue, and there will be
plenty OF students, earnest and quick
witted and well-read, who will insist on
bringing it up in class. The professor
can do one of two things; he can argue
the student down, talking in behalf of the
trusts-in which case he will be throwing
his influence, such as it is, for Mr. Rookie
feller-or he can dodge the question with
the skill OF a trained logician, and leave
the would-be arguer baffled and disgust
ed, and half the class puzzled as TO the
facts of the case. By the latter course
however, he will TO some extent save his
own prestige, and that is the one he is
likely to choose. If he meets the student
fairly and argues with him, the student
is likely TO be the victor. for there are a
great many plain facts in this question
which do not look pretty when marshaled
before the public in broad daylight, and
almost every well-read and intelligent
youth can find out what they are But is
the picture a delightful one, when it is
considered that this is an American uni
versity, whose object should be the MAX
ing of efficient, upright, and patriotic citi-
zens of the highest culture and the broad
est convictions?