New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-10
PASSES LIE TO BUTLER
Spjnuarn Accuses CoIumbia'S
President of Bad Faith.
PROMISED TO KEEP HIM
Says No Man Can Keep His Self
Respect and independence OF
Thought and Stay.


The fact is said Professor Joel L.
spingarn Yesterday. that no man can keep
his self-respect and independence Of thought
and remain IN the faculty Of Columbia
University under President Butler"
Professor Spingarn was talking about his
involuntary retirement from the chair OF
comparative literature and giving his side
OF the story that had been told from the
oficisl side IN the current number OF The
Columbia Alumni News" The Alumni
News" said that Professor Spingarn had
been relieved OF further academic SER
vice. az the result ot complaint from tho
English department and not because Of any
controversy with President Butler
MY trouble with the English department
was settled in January" said Or. Spingarn.
land tho truth is that I was relieved from
service because l insisted on my right to
Introduce a. the faculty meeting reso'u-
ton recognizing the twenty-five years OF
service of DIR. Peck. I never have known
Professor Peck, but he was MEMBER OIL
the faculty Of Columbia from the date OK
It's organization, and 7 thought that the
academic work of man who had served
for Twenty-Five years should be recognized.
/ introduced the resolution. and Or. Butler
told me that ! would get in trouble II
persisted in my attempts to have 1t adopted
Threatened by Or. Butler.
"He denied aftervard that he had said
ANYTHING TO me about the resolution. but I
have n letter from him I'm which hs said
that would get in trouble II | wrote
letter to Professor Russell about the PECK
resolution | can't see any practical dlf-
ference. When I introduced the Peck re- :
olution Professor Russell moved that II be
laid on the table, and I wrote letter 70
him asking him TO withdraw his motion IN
order that 7 might have chance to speak
on my resolution. DR.. Butler saw my letter
before IL was sent, and he wrote me let
ter. in which he said: I told YOU YOU would
ger into trouble II you persisted in your in
tention to send TO Professor Russell the
letter regarding the Peck resolution, OF
" hich you read mo draft
THAT letter was sent 10 me on January
{. and on January Is 7 got another letter
from DR.. Butler. in which he said that the
trustees had decided to abolish my chair of
comparative literature, as the financial
condition Of the university did not warrant
the maintenance Of two chairs Of compare
tive literature
I'm the mean time. on January .. | had
settled all my trouble with the English de-
partment. which dated back to October,
when the college year opened. Ny depart
ment Of comparative literature had been
cal .x.f.I, ha CHI RI
This did not seem fair 20 me. and ! had
said that while I would cooperate with
the English department in every way
would not subordinate myself.
Truce with Butler Misleading.
The trouble ran along until January, but
when 7 saw that Or. Butler intended 10
make trouble with me over the Peck reso-
luton 7 determined that I would not give
him the controversy with the English de-
partment to hang an excuse on. on Janu-
ary . | agreed 10 everything that the Eng
Iish department wanted. and on January
u got the letter relieving me, from duty
al the end Of the year, though my contract
runs unti 1872
II did not reply 70 Or. Buffers letter Of
January ~. but SAT- tight, to see what would
happen. One Of the other professors came
10 me on January % and congratulated me
on the settlement OF the trouble with the
English department. He said that Or. But
Ter had met him and two other professors
and told him that every difficulty with me-
had been brought 20 satisfactory and
pleasant termination showed him the let
ter I had received SIX days before. and he
was surprised. He went ar once and told
Professor Matthews, and they said that
they would see Dr. Butler
-Four DAYS later I saw DR.. Butler for the
last time I met him IN the faculty club
on January %. and he seid TO me that Il
was all right, everything had been fixed I'D
and 7 was 70 remain IN the university and
keep nv chair OF comparative literature.
lie said he was glad that a. satisfactory
Arrangement with the English department
had been reached. and complimented me on
nv work The same afternoon he informed
several members Of the English depart
ment that my professorship would be con-
tinued Yet on March 9 he. wrote me a
letter IN which T was CURLY and insolentiy
relieved from academic duties az once,
though my salary was continued 70 the end
OF the academic year
His Letters Independert in Tone.
IL have not seen Dr. Butler or any mem.
Der of the English department since Jarf1
airy q. / have written only two letters tc
DR. Butler. letters written with great mod
Grafton though with manly independence
in answer to his own insulting notes. Thes.
two letters. for what reason cannot say
resulted in my being relieved from my
academic duties in the middle Of the col
Iege wear. II is perfectly absurd to say
that my relations with the English depart
,nent had ANYTHING 10 do with this result
or that the president throughout was no
animated by personal malice.
The article in The Alumni News say:
t:qt its facts are obtained from the officia
records r. this is so, the official record:
do no: contain the true facts. 7 specifically
charge that President Butler has withheld
deubera teIv the true facts from the trustee:
as well as from the public. The trustees
have heard only such facts the president
has decided 10 communicate 10 them, ant
these facts they have accepted without fur
Their investigation or without granting ms
a personal hearing Since they have acted
on the deliberate misrepresentation Of
President Butler, charge that he. and III
alone. Is responsible for my separation
from the university. He and he alone must
be held responsible for this arbitrary exer
Csc Of executive power.
But the case against him is OF far more
Importance than this one, which involves
ms own personal fortunes. lie has stiiled
all manly independence and individuality
whenever IL has exhibited itself at college
III noble ideaIism and all the graces OF
poetry and art have been shrivelled by his
brutal anil triumphant power. He has
made mechanical efficiency and administra-
tive routine the goal to the universities en-