Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-04-23
SAYS PEWS ARE
PUT ABOVE SOULS
Princeton President CTltIClSeS
Protestant Churches.
COLLEGES ALSO SCORED
Declares Privately Endowed institu-
lions Are Menace Because Of Un-
democratic Teachings.

lions Are Menace Because Of Un-
democratic Teachings.
President Woodrow Wilson. Of
Princeton university. startled hun
dreds OF Princeton gradutes who lis
tened TO HIS speech delivered at the
siNty-fifth anniversary banquet of the
Princeton Alumni Association OF west.
ern Pennsylvania at Pittsburg So
radical were his views that the ban.
queters refused TO believe their ears
until President Wilson had verified
his quotations as correct after the
feast
In no unmistakable terms President
Wilson criticised the Protestant
church of the country as caring more
for pew rent than for the saving o
souls. declared that colleges. such as
Princeton. supported by private con
tributions. were a menace rather than
a help 90 the country. on account OF.
their undenominationsl teachings. and
in the same breath lauded state educa.
tional institutions. He touched lightly
upon the Princeton graduate school
and intimRted he was not In favor OF
accepting any donations 20 Princeton
20 which there WAS "A string"
After the banquet IN response to n
question as 60 whether he had been
correctly quoted. President wilson
said.
While these views OF mine may APP
pear socisli-'ic. I have said Just what
I mean. The time has come for an
awakening In college life and educa
ton. Foremost thinkers OF the country
agree with my sentiments. and the
sooner these sentiments are spread
broadcast the better for the country
at large"
In the course OF his banquet speech
President Wilson said.
The colleges are In the same dan
serous position as the churches. I.
hope that <le last thing Ifwin ever be
capable OF viii be casting a shadow on
the church. and yet the churches
the Protestant churches. at least
have dissociatod themselves from the
people. They serve certain strata. Ger
tain visible uplifted strata. and ignore
the men w"ose need is dire They
have more regard for pew rents than
for soul and In proportion as they seek
the respect OF their congregations 20
lift them in esteem. they are lowering
themselves In the whole scale Of
Christian endeavor.
The colleges are In the same class
looking 20 the support OF wealth rath
er than 20 the people. The state uni
Versity is being lifted In popular e..
TEEN and the privately endowed insti-I
tuition Is being lowered. The future Is
for the state university and not for the
privately endowed one The state uni
versity is constantly sensitive TO pub
Tic opinion. 20 the opinion OF the un-
known man who can vote.
Most OF the masters OF sndeavor
Of our day have not come from the
colleges. but from the great rough
and-ready workers OF the world. Col
lege mon serve the non-collsge men;
do yOI realize that?
no class can serve America The
great voice of America does not come
from the seats of learning. but in a
murmur from the hills and the woods
and the farms and the factories and
the mills rolling on and gaining vol
ume until a. comes TO us the voice
from the homes OF the common men
Do these murmurs come into the cor
ridOrs OF the university? I have not
heard them"