The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-01-12
LETS SOCIALIST DOWN EASY
L. OF p. Half Eyonerates, Half Reprl-
mands Man who Praised McNamaras.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa. Jan. II Follow
ing "a two and half hour meeting of the
trustees of the University of Pennsvl-
vania. hurredly called to obtain more
light upon the expressions of Professor of
English Thomas Denis Oholger. Il Socali.,
who was quoted as having praised the Nc
Namara brothers as martyrs to the labor
cause. the board tonight issued a state
ment half reprlmanding and half exon
Grating the tea her. upholding free speech
az essential to the life of the institution
and ordering the provost TO see that the
students who listened to the Obolgcr ami
capitalist oration to be clearly Informed
upon the Mcnamara case, 10y a representa-
tive of tho university"
Prof Obolcer, who is assistant to DIR
Felix Emanuel Schellng. head of the
department of English literature. for
more than half an hour was upon his feet
explaining his beliefs
The statement issued by Edward
Robins, secretary of the corporation of
the University Of Pennsylvania, at the
direction Of tho board after the session
! last night follows.
The hoard of trustees of the University
| of Pennsylvania at a special meeting held
to-day adopted the following minutes.
Whereas an assistant professo" in the
college department of the University of
Pennsylvania was reported in certain
Phlkdelphla newspapers Of January 10.
and II as having made III the classroom a
laudatory reference to the Mcnamara
brothers and 10 the act for which they are
now paying the penalty Of the law. there
upon a meeting Of the trustees of the uni
versity was promptly convened, the
newspaper publications and IN. profas-
sor : written and oral explanation of hi,
utterances Were duly considered and
the following resolutions were adopted
as expressive of the unUimous judg
ment of the board.
First, that academic liberty Of speech
is recognized a. the University of Penn.
sylvania as essential to the very life of
an institution of learning; second. that
neither IN the classroom or elsewhere is
liberty to be confused with license. no,
can academic freedom be pleaded as a
| justification for approval Of what The
| criminal law condemns. third, that if wha,
WAS actually said by the professor ir
question could fairly h" interpreted "A.
an approval or condonation of the
! hideous crime of the MCNamaras hi,
summary removal from his office shoulc
promptly follow; fourth, that the trustee,
are satisfied that while the professor,
expressions lend themselves to misin
terpretation he did not mean to OK
press any such approval o,
condemnation and his statcmcnI
| To tho board amounts To an eXplici,
reputation of any intention To indurse
| NTH, that, recognizing that duty Of the
! university To protect the student body
against the effects Of i'll Judged and un,
se"mly ntterances, the trustees reaues,
the provost to so arrange at an early
! moment that the students who heard IN,
utterances in question shall be brought
mo contact with a representative Of the
university who shall clearly set before
them the principles applicable To the
! Mcnamara case.
! Beyond the mere handing out of this
statement nothing Of the intentions ot
the board could he cleaned from it,
members Mr.. Robins when asked if the
board would take further action refused
to make a reply.