New-York tribune., 1912-03-06
CORNELL ALUMNI! Dimes
HonorS Professor Bailey, Who
Recently Withdrew Resignation.
DR.. H. D. WILEY A SPEAKER
Saws Universities Here Have Be-
come Monarchies, in Which
One Man Is Supreme.

A grand ballroom full of Cornell alumni
gathered at the Waldorf last night to hon
or Professor Liberty Hyde Bailey. director
of the New York State College OF Agri-
culture. of their Alma Mater, who recently
withdrew his resignation at the earnest
behest Of the graduates, undergraduates
and faculty. and decided 10 continue his
cultivation Of farmers.
For the first time since he became presi-
dent of Cornell DR.. Jacob Gould Schur-
man remained away from the annual feast
the thirty-second- this city. and II was
remarked that not one of the speakers
mentioned him by name though President
Ira A. Place Of the Cornell University
Club. Of New York City. referred in highly
eulogistic terms to DR. Schurman's prede-
cessor in Office, Andrew d. White.
The presence Of DR.. Harvey D. Wiley
added to the dinner touch also Of national
politics. since Professor Bailey who was
chairman OF the country life commission
appointed by President Roosevelt. has been
mentioned often as possible successor Of
Secretary Wilson OF the Department Of
Agriculture. As for Dr. Wiley himself. DR.
Leland o. Howard. chief of the Bureau of
Entomology OF the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture, also a guest and
sneaker. said that the pure food champion
had confided to him that he was mot going
TO resign his office and run for Vice Presi-
dent on a ticket with Mrs. Wilson Wood
row" DR. Howard paid this tribute 10 the
guest OF honor:
Bailey is to-day the strongest attrac-
tive personality in the faculty of Cornell.
He must he kept there, If necessary. by
force"
DR. Bailey thanked his audience for its
generous backing.
II can never express my gratitude to
the trustees of Cornell" said he. for the
support they gave my work during the
days when they couldn't know its out
come: for the faith they had in me-
Then he said of the generous praise to
which the diners as a whole had eagerly
responded in the course of the speeches
which had preceded his
Il can express my sentiments best in
the words OF Henry Ward Beecher. who on
a similar occasion remarked: 1 know how
the pancake feels when the molasses is
poured upon it. -
Not only had Louis Agassiz Fuertes,
the ornithologica POSTMASTER. introduced
Or. Bailey with language like the plumes
OF the bird OF paradise, but the alumni
had arisen as one man and ripped out that
mad yell: Cornell. yell. yell, yell. Cor
nell"' with three long "Baileys" on the
end
Or. Wiley. beginning with Liberty" said
in part:
Have VIC. for instance true liberty in our
universities? | am inclined To think from
my limited experience with the American
university that IL Is about AZ free from
liberty as some Of the modern applications
OF the Declaration OF independence. !
speak i'm no derogdtory manner OF the la'k
OF liberty I'm universities, because II seems
to me such a lack Is to be regarded as a
necessity of their existence. in other
words. tine university. instead OF being. a.
1T is I'm Germany, a senate whose members
are Of equal rank and authority has come
10 be a monarchy in which the will of one
man rules supreme. Fortunately for amer
lean universities, he academic chairs hdN"
been of high quality and, of course. no onr
can deny that the monarchy Is the ideal
form OF government IL the monarch IL
imDeCCable.
Does the high character Of our American
university presidents atone Tor tle system
which they represent? In my opinion mere
is a grave doubt on this matter The dear
est and most sacred OF all things connected
with the university Is academic freedom,
freedom. or course, WHICH fo'S hON Hl'''i'
license nor disregard for properties. ignor-
ing the rights Of others and tearing TO tat
ters the rules Of conventional life. But IT
does mean the right 10 think. the ri6nt To-
express and the right to act and stdnd
always within the limits OF propriety.
was not at all surprised when ! read the
other day I'm the informal vot" Tor IicSl-
dent held in Cornell. eight members or the
faculty voted for Debs. Why not. II they
think that the principles FOR "hich Deps
stands are the right ones?
Have you ever thought OK the curious
phenomCna that in the Old World those VINO
stand most radically for the rights Of men
are usually found in the university facul-
ties and in the university students? In the
heart Of the greatest OF modern despouSms
the professors and teachers of the Russian
universities keep alive the fire of liberty,
and that, too. In the face Of dangers and I'm
spite of efforts at repression.
And go II seems TO me that liberty Is one
OF the things which Is characteristic Of the
career OF the guest We honor tonight.
liberty illuminated by imagination anu