Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-05
PRINCETON ALUMNI
IN REVOLT AGAINST
PRESIDENT WILSON
"Quad System and Graduate
College Row Leads to Ru-
NOR of Resignation.

1
versity living in New York are plan
ming revolt against President Wood
row Wilson, based IN the quad"
plan. This is DR.. Wilson's favorite
project for reorganizing the social sys-
tenn of the college. The insurgents are
declared to be fostering a complete
! break between the head of the univer-
sity and the trustees and alumni. The
issue is expected to be put up to the
| trustees at their next meeting, and it
is rumored that the president may be
forced to resign.
The basis for the rulnor is an
alumni statement, % called, issued
be the work oil Princeton graduate
who has the backing OF the alumni
The president refused TO become ex-
cited over the statement when 1t was
| brought to his attention He pointed
out that the attack was anonymous, and
intimated that it was his practise to let
anonymous statements of all sorts go
unnoticed He read the statement
folded it up and handed it back. appar-
emily little disturbed and less surprised
He refused to be quoted in regard to it
in any way. A person in a position to
know the views of DIR. Wilson and the
Princeton trustees said that as far as
he knew there was nothing in the re-
port that DR.. Wilson and Moses Taylor
Pyne, friends since youth, We're now
estranged over the matters of Prince
tons policy. That there was a differ
ence OF opinion was believed, but not
%1ok
personal.
1t is expected that even il Or. Will
sons views are reversed by the board
of trustees of Princeton. both as to the
git for the Proctor Graduate School
and as to the quad" system. he will
continue as president with the sup
port OF a majority of the trustees.
| what statement Charged.
The anonymous statement that ap-
peared yesterday was made by q
| Princeton graduate, purporting TO
| spet :, for a large number of alumni,
and took the form ofgan answer to an
! editorial appearing in one pf Wednes-
day mornings New Work news
papers. The charge lvas made
| that this editorial condemning the
Proctor gift was from the pen
of DR.. Wilson himself. The ac-
cusation was made in no uncertain
terms that DR.. Wilson was shelving
all other university improvements for
| the sake of furtherlng his quad" sys-
| tenn. And DR.. Wilson was charged
with railroading his quad system
proposal through the faculty by exert
ing pressure on the sixty or more tutors
and proctors voting in that body. 1t
was predicted that either President
Wilson would have to be defeated in
the meeting of the board of trustees of
| Princeton, which is to consider the
measure on February 10, or else the
financial support of the alumni body
would be Withdrawn from the univer-
sity during President Wilson'S incum-
/ bency.
! "Dr. Wilson has raised the deepest
/ resentment among the alumni by his
course during the past two or three
years" said the alumnus. "He has en-
ployed the methods of spellpinder.
He has brought plain politics into col
! lege affairs, and there is no use mine
! ing words, he has destroyed the spirit
of harmony that was formerly in eN-
istence at Princeton more than in any
university in America.
DIR. Wilson has called forth this
comment by recently bringing Prince
ton matters into the p''' print. The
opinion of most of the alumni is that
the editorial appearing i'll a newspaper
/ Wednesday morning in this city Wds
written by DR.. Wilson himself 1t bears
| the marks of his style with which
many of us are pretty familiar The
statement published is most injurious
| to Princeton interests, and the letter
published in answer by Mr.. Pyne rep
resents not on.y the apparent views
OF the committee on the graduate
school, but most certainly the sympa-
thies OF the alumni at large. The
alumni of Princeton feel that MIR. Proc
ter, who SO generously offered S500,00C
in support of the graduate school APP
proved OF by DR.. Wilson himself seven
years back, has been badly treated. 1t
is a wonder to them that his patient
and hpefai loyalty should have sur
vlVed the amazing treatment that il
mas received.
The implication that the graduate
school Planned by the trustees is un-
democratic, exclusive and out of har-
mony with Princeton ideals is utterly
unfounded. The school proposed was
fully outlined in a prospectus by the
| trustees IN 1893, to which DR.. Wilson
wrote preface indorsng the scheme
in all respects.
THE plan had the enthusiastic sup
port of Grover Cleveland. During his
later years his aim at Princeton was
to promote the interest of this very
school. That the gift of Mr.. Proctor
should be considered demoralizing is
inexplicable to any friend of Prince.
! ton.
Rightly or wrongly, most of the
alumni believe that all the troubles al
Princeton in the last two years are the
outgrowth of the un-American iinpos-
sible scheme of social reorganization
for Princeton known as the quad sys-
tenn. II the alumni can prevent it ii
/ will never be put into effect. The con-
slant agitation against it has proved
d wedge which has split the faculty
trustees ard alumni wide open. and
! has proved detrimental to that unity
which up to three years ago was I'M
exampled In American colleges. It is
to be feared that the discord promoteo
and the political methods employed to
enforce 1t have permanently alienated
many of, the most influential alumni
from Princeton.
III Is doubtful now ii the present adj
mlnistration can ever regain the sup