New-York tribune., 1901-04-30
THE HARVARD PROTESTANTS


Despite the protests of the anti-imperialists,
who made it plain that they would regard the
proposed degree not only prostituted to the
vile of peanut politics. but as bringing
"unspeakable shame to the university the Har-
ward overseers yesterday unanimously reached
informal decision TO confer the degree OF
Doctor Of Laws upon President Mckinley.
special dispatch to The New-York Evening
Post announcing that fact said "SOme OF the
''Overseers think that undue Importance has
been attached to the petition In opposition.
We do not see how that can be. There were
no less than two Garrisons whose names were
signed to the petition. and among those who
wrote letters to the newspapers were that infiu-
ential politician. Tommy Osborne, of Auburn
and ID. ]. NJ. O'Callaghan who sent to Presi-
dent Eliot his emphatic protest" and denounced
Mr.. Mckinley as "a traitor to public institu-
''tions. TO political liberty and TO the human
race" 1t may be wise on the part Of the over
seers 10 disregard the protest. even at the cost
of giving needless pain to a considerable num-
Der of graduates as the protestants patheti-
cally said the honorng of President Mckinley
would. but it not kind TO discount the
importance of the eminent and untiring men
behind it,
We really think they are entitled to SYM
pathy. They were bearing with shoulders
immense. Atlantean. the weight wenigh not to
be borne of their own sense of responsibility for
Harvard traditions. and their suffering at the
thought Of not being able 10 use Harvard TO
punish the murder of the Filipinos and the
siranguation Of human liberty was great
enough without deprving them OF the salts
faction of being thought an important and dan
gerous. if defeated, band. In this day of con-
temptuous spurning by the overseers Of their
own dear Harvard it behooves the rest of us to
have pity and for part promise not 10
drag Harvard or them in chains in any trium-
phal procession of Imperialism. They said they
were afraid that if the degree was given TO
President Mckinley it would be heralded by
the Republicans Harvards Endorsement of
his tyrannous and wicked policy We at least
shall not represent il. and hope that this
consideration will help TO soothe their saddened
spirits. We shall merely look upon the Incl
dent as proof that Harvard preserves her even
balanced sanity, refuses TO be made by few OF
her graduates an instrument of petty political
spite and self-respectfully confers her academic
hOnOrs upon confessedly able. eloquent and
accomplished gentleman who has twice been
elected President of the United States. without
In any way committing herself concerning the
political disputes his and his partys policy
OF course. there is help for their disap-
pointment in not being able TO make Harvard
officially a champion of their own political
policy. They wanted to show President McKin-
ley that Harvard was opposed TO his policy and
could not treat with unbiased respect Presi-
dent identified with it. So when Harvard
ignores political differences and honors him
they will be sad. The most that can now be
done for them IS not to treat the degree as an
imperial trophy. notwithstanding the invitation
TO that course given by their attempt to make
possible Withholding of it an antl-imperial
trophy. For the present they must be content
with that. Perhaps before long they may have
their innings and honor him Of whom William
Lloyd Garrison-not one of the two who signed
the protest but still member of the family
has said:
Thou hast great compeers of an earlier date
Toussaint, BozZaris, Kosciusko men
Misunderstood, maligned, defeated, then
Immortalized among the brave and great.
Now that he has accepted American sover-
eighty In the Philippines and is likely to hold
office under our government, this hero OF theirs
may come here Then Emilio Aguinaldo IL D.,
in the Harvard catalogue would perhaps wipe
out the disgrace of the entry in it of the name
William Mckinley. Ii. d. They may be happy
yet.