The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-09-21
Wherever and whenever there Is

Wherever and whenever there Is |
a college or university defacto, char
tered and operated with the accus-
toned departments leading to the
bachelors degree, and sometimes to
honorary degree in cursu, 1t might.
prove a compliment to the subject |
to accept an honorary degree from
1T, and sometimes the school or uni.
versity is 0onored in having some
eminent scholar, clergyman or states
man to accept degrees from It,
But when an unmeritorious or un-t
qualified person upon a common
sense standard, obtains an honorary
degree from a regular college or
university by a trick or through |
corrupt influences, it makes the per-
son appear ridiculous in the eyes
of intelligent people, and whenever
either an uneducated or intelligent
person accepts a degree Of any kind
from mere "degree shop" orl
quasi college or university, when he
is aware Of the fact that such an
institution has no real existence or
value, he deceives himself and en-
|'barasses his friends.
Several years ago there was dis
covered a degree shop in North
Carolina, namely Bethany College,"
and for five, ten or more dollars it
scattered it valueless degrees over con-
siderable parts Of the country, especial
ly in North Carolina, Virginia and
| adjacent states, principally among Me-
groes in the Methodist and Baptist
churches. Some good men with recogn-
| lied abilities became victims Of this
| degree shop, and the wonder is that
some Of them still hold to these de-
! grees knowing that the institution was
I not college in any true sense
Later on or about the same time,
"degree shop" was chartered in
one Of the New England states and
sold to white and colored any kind
of degree one desired, from A. B.,
fand A. NJ, to M. D., Ph.D., and LII.
d. The law got behind the move
ment and stopped it,
The latest "degree shop" so far
as our knowledge goes, is "Prince-
ton University, of Princeton, Indi~
ana. 1t is not a university except
in charter and name The editor
Of the Seer has occasions to pass
through Princeton, Ind, three or
four times year. He made special
inquiry about the university and
was Informed that a certain physi-
clan, a certain school teacher and
another certain individual procured
the charter for the so-called "uni-
versity' and that their chief stock
IN trade is to sell degrees and that
| too to any one who has the money
to purchase them. A certain min
listers in our own church who re-
Gently died in Mississippi town Is
said to have been travelling veD-
der for princeton University, de-
| grees and as a result a large num-
Der Of the ministers. of our church
are wearing the valueless degrees
from the degree shop"
| 1T is burning shame that so many
of our ministers should have been tn ds
victimized by such misdirected creGi-
bility. The shame appears all the more
4
there Is in the state Of New Jersey a
Princeton University which belongs
in the category of the best schools of
! the world. The unwary and credulous
individual admiring the euphony OF
- the two names is apt to give credence
to the fact that the degree was con-
ferred by Princeton University Of
New Jersey.
We are not opposed to worthy and
meritorious' persons tobtainng and
wearing degrees, but we are unal-
terably opposed to our men apply
ing to mere degree shops" for bo-
gus hOnors which do not carry with
them the confidence of their breth-
| rem, If-you will have degrees,
brethren, apply or have your friends
apply to some real operating educa-
tional institution with personalities
behind it which mean something.
indianapolis, Ind.