The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-07
OBJECTS TOA COLLEGE PARADE
REMARKS or DIR. NiCCRtCkEN
on Az IN4TGIRATION Plan.
II Asks Not for students Brains but Their
Legs and Feet, and That's False
Notion of Patriotism He Sa,s-N. !.
University Boys Won't lie In Line.

Chancellor MacCracken OF New York
University made a speech TO the under
graduates there yesterday about the pro-
posal TO have parade Of college students
at President Roosevelt's inauguration, and
said plainly that he didn't like the plan Of
attempting TO take -one-tenth Of the college
students Of the country 10 Washington TO
perform no higher mission than march an
hour or two along the avenue and stand
for an hour or two about the Capitol build
ing" and therefore had declined 10 have
anything TO do with It,
MY first objection said the Chancellor,
as that the whole plan would convey to
students a weak and false notion regarding
tho best way OF evidencing patriotism.
1t asks nothing from the brains of students
1t asks for their legs and feet. The Bible
says that the Lord taketh no pleasure in
a mans legs This is where the inaugural
committee differs from the Lord. for the
thing that they want Of our students seems
to be their legs. in order that they may
march.
Another objection is that the plan is
thoughtless breaking into the term Of
college work with a demand for three or
four DAYS recess. The college that keeps
its students at home these three or four
days. doing their accustomed work and
spending Sunday as II ought TO be spent,
VIII evinCe ten times more patriotism
than the college that sends 600 students 10
tramp from the White House 70 the Capitol.
The COMMITTEES says nothing III its letter
about the expense to the 1000 college men.
If II avera gees $50 man il Is $50 Geo. If II
averages $50 man II il 5000 Congress
has appropriated large sum. from $4,000
TO S20O00 to take the students from West
Point and Annapolis TO this affair This
may be justified because they are soldiers.
Soldiers and policemen are unwelcome
necessities because OF the selfishncss and
badness OF mankind We must needs pay
them to march and drill-let them do the
marching and drilling at Washington.
They can do il twenty times better than any
college or university. without any real loss
OF time to the body polite.
There Is altogether too much OF n ten
dency in the United States toward marching
and drilling. and armies and navies. Many
battleship costs more than the total
property lands. buildings and endowment
of New York University Yet they perish
in a few years either by rust or accident
The university endures forever. The army
and navy arc costing us. outside OF pensions
over Sl50,CO0cOo a year. IL is vastly more
than We ought to spend, but | am not now
70 much Directing to the cost OF army and
navy as | am to this attempt Of the inaugu-
raj committee to make holiday soldiers out
of college students.
we don't want college students TO turn
soldiers. We have higher use for them
We want them TO teach the nation from
press and pulpit. from tho bench of the
Judge and the rostrum of Congress. from
the laboratory of the scientist and the desk
of the author. Thus. believe. would
President Theodore Roosevelt have them
evince their love of their country. II he
were asked his opinion on this plan Of the
inaugural committee believe he would say.
let every man stick to his trade Let col
lege boys stick 10 their work. Let brAss
bands and soldiers, policemen and snilors
and any others who are trained and paid TO
spend their lives marching let them march