Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-09-27
POSITION OF NEBRASKA UNIQUE
Has Largest Percentage of Students
From It's Own State.
TOO MUCH SOCIAL DRINKING
American Schools Compare Favor
ably with Those of Europe.
WORK FACToR IN AIL PRoBIEMs
Nebraska ~ Made Conservative By
Its History and It's student Body
Is sober in Thought and
Action.

LINCOLN, Neb.. sept. S-Deerying
the abuse Of intoxicants at university
social functions. Chancellor Samuel
Avery at the convocation OF the Uni
versity Of Nebraska today declared he
agreed with a recent newspaper article
BY r. T. Crane OF Chicago as 20 intem-
perance in educational institutions.
IT is true" said Chancsllor Avery.
that student life is everywhere charsc-
terized by some undesirable features and
always will be, since education cannot
well be deferred until the student has
become as staid as his parent In Rus
sian universities we see exhibitions OF
the highest form Of idealism, mingled
with out-and-out materialism and per
vaded by a spirit Of anarchy. In the
German institutions respect for law anG
order reign supreme. but II is coupled
with an abused personal liberty which
too often degenerates into the grossest
forms Of living
The great institutions Of the east
which Mr.. Crane so fiercely attacked
are far superior in point OF morals to
many institutions on the ether side Of
the Atlantic, and believe that even a
hostile critic would be obliged 70 con
cede that Nebraska and others which I
might mention would hold a relatively
high place in the moral scale.
The abuse OF intoxicants at social
functions has been denounced by the
kaiser himself and in the native country
of Gambrinus at that and by David
starr Jordan Of California"
Every institution Of higher education
must recognize two obligations. The first
must be a devotion to knowledge with
out regard TO local limitations II must
be limited by neither time nor space.
1t must recognize the universal brother
hood of scholars. and regard the mass
OF knowledge which has accumulated
through the ages as the common prop
erty Of the race. In this sense, then.
there are no state or national univer-
stiles. no denominational institutions:
but the activities Of all are limited only
by the sum total Of human knowledge
and their ability to communicate with
intelligent beings.
ON the other hand, the direct ana
special service Of any institution must
be more or less localized. An institution
like the University OF the City of New
York may in the narrower sense serve
its city only; in fact, it may give real
also practical service to few outside OF
limited classes Of people within that
city. Other institutions may serve a
limited class scattered over a number
of states, the restriction being social
rather than geographical. some OF the
smaller New England colleges are now
becoming very largely devoted to the
education of children of certain sects
or denominations. The University of
Nebraska is a unique institution. in that
a larger per cent Of the students of the
state attend il than in the case OF any
other state university. 1t is probably
closer to its constituents than any other
state institution. II is in the strictest
sense a state university and is there
fore more able to receive Impressions
from the state and give impressions 10
the state than most other institutions.
wish TO talk 10 you this morning, then.
on this second phase of the university's
tunction-namely that OF serving the
state and contributing to the formation
OF certain ideals within the state.
Nebraska is conservative.
Nebraska, compared with most Of its
Aels uboIst Is q conservative state We
have had rsdicalism, to be sure but 10 2
less degree than most OF the surrounding
states. Political innovations have com
monty come later, and often receded
earlier, than in many OF the common
wealths about US. In legislation we have
been wtser-or slower. according to ones
way Of looking at it-than many OF our
neighbors. We have not fought. ana
bled, and died so frequently; but we
have nevertheless made very substantial
progress with very few bscksets. This
attitude. or mental habit. has been re-
tected in the development OF the uni
versity. For example, we are still among
the most conservative OF state institu-
Sons in the number OF fixed subjects re-
quired for admission. but We are gradu-
ally changing. Our temperament keeps
US moving steadily along the path OF
progress without those sudden advances
and retreats that have characterized sis
ter states and sister Institutions.
This sobriety of feeling and express
sion shows itself in the student body.
This university has never had to face
acute student situations such as have