The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-06-27
SHOWS GREAT ADVANCE MADE
University Head Declares That Great
Institution is one of Which the Whole
State May Well be Proud and That
Its Work is National in Scope.


with those who hold that the present
state Of affairs is the best possible, who
believe that existing conventions, NOR
ais, political and religious faith, are
fixed. All are fluid. For enc nation
they are not the same as for another.
For each nation they are modified from
generation to generation. This will con-
tinue as long as the race endures. In
the university, one of the chief func-
tions of which is to inquire, ever to adj
Just, ever to improve, ever to advance
knowledge, the fux is greatest, the pro-
gress most rapid; and therefore these
institutions are the very centers of dis
turbances."
So said President Charles R. Van Hise
of the University Of Wisconsin in ad-
dressing the graduating class of the
state university at the ffty-ninth COM
mencement Thursday morning on "The
Spirit of University"
'EThe conflict between the university
and the reactionary is irrepressible and
will continue throughout the future, as
for thousand years in the past, with
out quarter on either side," continues
President Van Hise.
There is no way to escape this sit
nation but to destroy the university as
an ms titution. If it we're possible to
change governing boards, if even fac.
alties were dismissed, and safe gov
prning boards and faculties appointed,
this would but temporarily check the
advance. The moment the grip of re-
straint was released from the throat of
the university and the air again freely
inhaled, The spirit of progress would
dominate. This is proved beyond the
shadow of doubt by the history Of the
universities Of the world.
"Nowhere in the world do free uni
versities and despotism, either of might
Or Of spirit, develop peacefully side by
side. In consequence of this unalter-
able fact, those who hold fxedly to the
practices of the past have again and
again denounced universities as the
nurseries of revolution, of social demo
eracy, of anarchy"
AS a matter Of fact, the reverse is
lhe case; the universities which give
free expression to progress, are the
safety valves of the nation. Only when
wrongs go unredressed, only when the
expanding aspirations of the people are
remessed do there follow revolution
and anarchy. The truth is that the uni
Tersities are the real sources of evolu-
ton, and orderly advance, because of
their CONTINUAL searching after truth,
because of their striving to find the
way, to open up the path of enlighten-
nent to the people of a nation.
"Uplrr the principles of liberty it
Goes not follow that all steps of uni
Fersity of state finally will stand the
lest and be shown to he truly progress
live, even when so-called. Where we
lave liberty, where the truth is freely
developed through the eternal conflict of
IDEAS errors will be taught, steps will be
aiken which must be retracted, for no
machinery has yet been devised by
which the fallible human mind can with
certainty determine all the results of
complex political or social step. Thus,
While infalhbility is not claimed and
lrrors must be rectifed, if the univer-
ity and the state are not bound but
retain freedom of spirit, fewer mistakes
will be made and progress will be more
rapid that when authority limits in
auiry.
In this country the state university
has reflected the spirit of the times, has
been in sympathy with the needs and
aspirations of the age to much greater
sxtent than any other group of uni
versities; indeed, it is the aim of the
>tate university of America to demo
eratize higher education.
''But while this is the aim of the
state university, it must never yield its
essential spirit. 1t must do all these
things in an Incorporating spirit of
truth without regard to the preiudices
Or misconceptions of either the minority
or the majority.
The recognition of this principle
will require that the people retain large
ness Of view. They must be willing to
give freedom for its own sake. without
regard to the teaching of the staff. They
must have faith to believe that it is
best that truth should prevail, faith to
believe that truth will finally prevail, if
there be full liberty of teaching and of
learning. The support by public taxa
tion Of a university Of this type, the
urden being imposed upon democracy
y itself will be the test whether state
university in this country shall merely