The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
ACADEMIC FREE SPEECH.
CHICAGO UyITERSITY DISA rows talk
OF L1CGHLIN AND ROY HOIST.
The Congregation Resolves in Favor Of
Complete FREQ speech by It's Members,
hut Declares That the University Must
Not he Held Responsible for II.

The Congregation Resolves in Favor Of
Complete Free speech by It's Members,
hut Declares That the University Must
Not he Held Responsible for II.
CHICAGO July AT n prolonged session Of
the congregation OF the University OF Chicago
yesterday resolutions were passed dsavowing
all responsibility for tho utterances of Profs.
J. Lawrence Iaughln and Won Hoist on the
question Of eHpt ZION. Since the Central Music
Hall meeting. at CHI Prof. Laughlin criticised
the Administration. ill feeling has existed on
the question: az it was believed in certain
quarters he spoke with the approval OF DR..
Harper BY its action yests rday the congre-
CATION seeks to remove the stigma attaching to
the university by such utterances.
The discussion took place behind closed
doors. but after the session 1t was said that the
trustees and members OF tho faculty we're in
hearty accord. and that but one opinion was
expressed at the meeting, namely that free
dom OF speech was the fundamental principle
upon which the university was founded and
must be sustained. The resolution. which was
finally adopted. is as follows
RESOLVED. ID That the principle OF complete
freedom OF speech on all subjects has from the
beginning been regarded as fundamental in
the University OF Chicago. as has been shown
both by the attitude OF the President and the
Board Of Trustees and by the actual practice
Of the President and the officers.
't2l That tho principle can neither now nor
at any future time be called in question.
That it 10 desirable to have 1t clearly under
stood that the university as such does not
appear as u dsputant on either side upon any
| public question and that the uttcrances which
| any professor may make in public are to be re-
| garded as representing his own opinions only"
| The meeting was held in Haskell Museum
| and fifty five members were present in cap and
| gown when President Harper formally called
| the gathering to order. Prof. T. c. Cham ber-
lin introduced q declaration saying that.
while it is the privilege OF every member Of the
| university to entertain whatsoever opinion he
| may choose concerning controverted questions
| Of public interest. II is. nevertheless desirable
| that great care should be taken to avoid in
volying the university. even by remote impica-
| ton in such controverted matters"
| Prof Chamberin then spoke at length upon
| the subject and said that while he believed alb
| solutely in the principle OF freedom Of speech. he
| also believed that the members OF the faculty OF
| a university, when they expressed themselves
| upon public questions. should do 80 in a sensi-
| Bile manner so that the public would under
| stand that the institution which they repre-
scented was not responsible for their utter
| ances. The speaker said that he. OF
course. alluded to the anti-expansion meeting
where Prof Laughin had spoken. Mr.. Cham
|
have expressed itself SO strongly as it had, but
| the utterancss OF Prof. I.aughlin had led to q
| misunde Outstanding OF the position Of the uni
| versity in the matter.
| Prof. Laughlin took issue with Prof Cham
berlin and said that he thought the Central
| Music Hall meeting was the opportunity for
| showing the people that the professors were
| not afraid to express themselves openly upon
public questions Then general discussion
S,II- 1, snl, Hal
something to saw. Among those who spoke
we're Profs W. q. Hale. A. W. Small. Tollman.
| Harper. Anderson and Barnes. The Rev. DR.
| Conley Of the alumni said that he felt that as
| the matter had stirred up 80 much talk the
| congregation ought to make some declaration.
| and Principal Sisson OF the Bradley Institute
| expressed himse in a similar manner.
| DIR. Harper delivered a speech in which he
| said that he had always maintained that free
dom of speech was the right OF every Ameri-
| can whether he were college professor or
| not. and that this was tho principle upon which
the university was founded. He thanked the
| members OF the faculty and the trustees for
| the manner in which they had shown them
| selves to be in perfect accord with his own
views upon this subject.
| Objections were made to Prof Cham berlin s
resolution on the score that 1t might be con-
sidered too cloudsd and not sufficiently to tho
| point. PrOt (namDerlln SAID ne hau intro
duced it for the purpose Of promoting consid-
Grafton Of the matter. and declared he felt
there might have been too much talk on both
| sides OF the expansion question. There was
no objection to the framing Of n new reso-
| luton. and the one above was passed unani-
mously. After the session adjourned the
| professors present would not talk on the bust
ness they had considered: but it was an
nounced that the matter OF freedom of speech
| had the attention it received because OF the
publicity given to the matter in the newspapers
and to clear the whole question before the
people. The Committee on Resolutions that
! formulated the opinion Of the congregation
consisted Of Profs Small and Hale and tho Rev.
, DIR. Connolly.
1t was announced that no warning had been
! given to the professors against political COM
ments and that it was not to be understood that
they were to be restricted in their right to free
dom Of speech. The university simply disa-
vows any responsibility for personal uttoran"e
| and asserts that such responsibility shall rest
where 1t properly belongs-upon the individual.