The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-04-19
ABOVESOU[S
Woodrow Wilson Scores
Protestant Churches.
SPttCh SIlRS BANQUET
President of Princeton Also says
Privately Endowed Colleges Are
Menace Because of IN
democratic Teachings.

Pittsburg. Pa. April Is - President
Woodrow Wilson. OF Princeton univer
sity. startled hundreds of Princeton
graduates who listened 20 his speech
delivered at the sixty fifth anniversary
banquet of the Princeton Alumni asso
citation OF western Pennsylvania. 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 IS caring more
for pew rent than for the saving OF
souls; declared that colleges such as
Princeton. supported by private con.
tributions. were menace rather than
a help TO the country. on account OF
their undenOminatioual teachings. and
In the same breath lauded state educa.
uonal institutions. He touched lightly
upon the Princeton graduate school
and intimated he was not in favor OF
accepting any donations to Princeton
10 which there was "a string"
correctly OuOtcO. ne says.
After the banquet. in response to q
question as TO whether he had been
correctly quoted. President Wilson
said:
While these views Of mine may ap-
pear socialists. have said Just what
I mean The time has come for az
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
az large"
In the course OF his banquet speech
President Wilson said;
Position Of the Churches.
The colleges are in the same dan
gerous position as the churches. I
hope that the last thing will ever be
capable Of viii be casting n shadow on
the church. and yet the churches
the Protestant churches. AZ least
have ASSOCIATED themselves from the
people. They serve certain strata. GER
tain visible uplifted strata. and ignore
the men whose need is dire They
have more regard for pew rents than
for soul and in proportion as they seek
the respect OF their congregations TO
! 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 70 the people. The state uni
versity is being lifted in popular es-
TEEN aEi the privately endowed insti-
tuition 2 being lowered The future is
Tor the state university and not for the
privately endowed one. The state uni
yersity Is constantly sensitive 10 pub
lie opinion. 10 the opinion OF the I'M
known man who can vote
Strength Of the Nation.
Where does the strength OF the ma
tion come from? Not from the men
OF wealth: they have been lifted: their
need has been satisfied. Il comes from
the great mass OF the unknown. OF the
unrecsgnized. whose powers are being
bettered by struggle. who will form
their opinions as they 20 along in
that struggle and who will emerge
with opinions equal to their strength.
opinions which win rule
Most Of the masters OF endeavor
OF our day have not come from the
colleges. but from the great rough
and-ready workers OF the world. Col
lege men serve the nOn-college men:
do you 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 il comes to US the voice
from the homes OF the common men.
Do these murmurs come into the cor
ridors OF the university? have not
heard them.
7 have dedicated my efforts to
bringing the colleges 10 absolute dem
ocratic regeneration in spirit. and i
shall not be satisfied until the Ameri-
can people shall know that the men
in the colleges are saturated with the
same thought that pulses through the
whole polite"