The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-11-26
SHAME OF.
STANFORD
Prof. Ross Driven From
Its Faculty.
MRS. STANFORD'S ENM|Ty
A Learned Educator Punished For
Stating His Convictions on
important Subjects.


Ross, the eminent sociologist, has been
compelled to leave his place in the faculty
of Stanford University because of public
jutterances upon subjects of corporate in
terest which were displeasing to Mrs.
Stanford. Prof. Ross makes the follow
ing statement:
At the beginning of last May a repre-
sentative of organized labor asked DR..
Jordan to be one of the speakers at a
mass meeting called to protest against
coolie immigration, and to present 1.-The
scholars view" He was unable to attend.
but recommended me as substitute. Ac-
cordingly 1 accepted, and on the evening
of May 7th read a twenty-five-minute pa
per from the platform of Metropolitan
Hall in San Francisco. My remarks ap-
peared in part in the San Francisco dali
lies of May Sth, and in full, on May 10th,
in a weekly called organized Labor
1 tried to show that, owing to its high,
Malthusian birth-rate, the Orient is the
land of cheap men," and that the coolie,
though he cannot outdo the American.
can underlive him. 1 took the ground
that the high standard of living that re-
strains multiplication in America will be
imperiled If Orientals are allowed to pour
into this country in great numbers be-
fore they have raised their standard OF
living and lowered their birth-rate. / ar
gued that the Pacific is the natural from
tier of East and West, and that Califor.
MIA might easily experience the same ter
rible famines as India and China If II
lteemed with the same kind of men. Ii
thus scientifically co-ordinating the birth
rate with the intensity of the struggle fol
,existence, 1 struck new note in the dis
,cussion of Oriental immigration, which
to quote one of the newspapers, made &
profound impression"
At Stanford University the professors
are appointed from year to year and re
ceive their re-appointment early in May
/ did not get mine then, but thought moth
ing of it until, on May 18th, DIR. Jordan
told me that, quite unexpectedly to him
Mrs. Stanford had shown herself great.
displeased with me and had refused to re
appoint me- He had heard from her jus
after my address on coolie immigration
He had no criticism for me and was pro
foundly distressed at the idea of dismiss
ing scientist for utterances within tn
scientists own field. He made earnes
representations to Mrs. Stanford and OF
June I'd, received my belated re-appoint
ment for 1900-1901. The outlook was such
however, that on June 5th 1 offered tn
following resignation:
Dear DIR. Jordan: / was sorry to lear
from you a fortnight ago that Mrs. Stan
ford does not approve of me as an econ
omist and does not want me to remai
here. 1t was a pleasure, however, t
learn at the same time of the unqualifie
terms in which you had expressed to he
your high opinion of my work and you
complete confidence in me as teacher,
scientist and a man.
While / appreciate the steadfast sur
port you have given me- / am unwfllin
to become a cause of worry to Mrs. Star
ford or of embarrassment to you.
therefore, beg leave to offer my resigns
tion as professor of sociology, the same
take effect at the close of the academ
year, 190O-190l.
When I handed in the above, DIR. Jo
dan read me a letter which he had ju.
received from Mrs. Stanford, and whic
had, of course, been written witho,
, knowledge of my resignation. In tn
letter she insisted that my connectio
with the university end, and directed thi
be given my time from January 1st
lthe end of the academic year.
! Ny resignation was not acted upon
] once, and efforts were made by Presidel
Jordan and the President of the Boal
of Trustees to induce Mrs. Stanford
alter her decision. These proved unavai
ling. and on Monday, November 18th, d
Jordan accepted my resignation in Il
following terms:
II have waited till now in the hope th
circumstances might arise which wou
lead you to a reconsideration. As tn
has not been the case, /, therefore, wi
great reluctance. accept your resignatit
to take effect at your own convenienc
In doing 30, / wish to express once mo
the high esteem in which your work as
student and a teacher, well as yo,
character as man, is held by all yo
colleagues"
My cooIe immigration speech Is n
my sole offense. Last April I compli
with an invitation from the Unitaris
Church of Oakland to lecture before the
on '"The Twentieth Century City" I a
dressed myself almost wholly to que
tions of city growth and city health al
touched only incidentally on the matt
of public utilities. / pointed out, howe
er. the drift, both here and abroad, t
ward the municipal ownership of wat
and gas works, and predicted that. as
CARDS street railways, American citi
: would probably pass through a period
; municipal ownership and then revert
private ownership under regulation. \
: remarks were general in character ar
of course. I took no stand on local que
: tons. Only months of special investig
tion could enable me to say whether
particular city like Oakland or San Fra
cisco could better itself by supplying
own water or light. Yet this lecture w
: objected to.
Last year spoke three times in publ
l once before a university extension cent
, lon ''The British Empire" once before
: lchurch on ''The Twentieth Century Cit
and once before a mass meeting on coo
: immigration. To my utterances on t'
e of these occasions objection has be
) made. 1t Is plain, therefore, that this
no place for me. ] cannot with self-I
spect decline to speak on topics to WIN
II have given years Of investigation