Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-06

ton to him.
Here is a report made Of his views
at this time, in October, 1907:
He felt that in this country at the
present time there was too strong a
tendency to glorify money merely; that
with the increasing wealth Of the coun-
try this tendency would be accentu-
ated. In short, he feared that we
would rapidly drift into a plutocracy.
To meet this condition, he felt that the
corrective Of an education along pure
ly democratic lines should be given TO
our boys in our institutions Of higher
learning. At Princeton, whittier come
many sons Of millionaires. he felt We
should so impress these boys with
ideas Of democracy and personal worth
that when they became. in the ordi-
nary course of nature, masters of their
fathers fortunes, they should so use
their undoubted power as TO help, not
hurt, the commonwealth"
BATTLE OVER s1.OOO,oO0 GIFT.
Then came the climax of the trouble.
A bequest of s25O,O0O had been made
the previous year for the beginning OF
graduate school. Plans had been
drawn up for such a school by Dean
West and he had refused a call to the
presidency of the Massachusetts, Insti-
tute of Technology in order to carry
out this plan. The trustees selected a
location for the new school on the col
lege grounds.
In the spring of 1909 came an offer
of $500, 900 from william c. Proctor of
Cincinnati for a graduate school on
condition that a like sum be raised by
others and that Dean Vests plans be
adopted. Mr. Proctor condemned the
site already selected and named two
other locations-remote from the pres
ent college center-which alone would
satisfy him.
The fight between aristocratic and
democratic ideals again blazed up. The
trustees decided that the issue of site
was vital and could not be decided off
hand by a donor, however generous
They asked for a modification Of the
terms OF the donation, so that they
might be left free to place the gradu.
ate college where they thought best
for the interests of the university and
to develop it's plans according to their
best knowledge.
In reply the offer was withdrawn. By
this time the other half million had
i-early been subscribed, and the loss OF
the entire million Of dollars was there
fore the result.
BLAME WILSON FOR Loss.
President Wilson was held response
BILE. The alumni protested vehement
ly. The newspapers throughout the
east were ringing with their protesta
tons. The anti-Wilson sentiment, &C
cording to Mr.. Hale, was practically
confined TO the cities of the east" The
faculty was practically unanimous" OF
his side. The board of trustees wa.
nearly evenly divided.
By this time Wilson had come to b.
, looked upon as dangerous man." H,
, was growing more emphatic. Here il
, the way he was, by this time, express
, ing himself before a body of alumni il
Pittsburgh:
You can't spend four years at on
Of our modern universities without gel
= ting in your thought the conviction
which is most dangerous to America
, namely, that you must treat with eel
;. tain influences which now domino 80
the commercial undertakings of til
country.
DEMANDS DENOCRArY IN CoHHcI
THE great voice of America doe
.. not come from the seats of learRin,
= 1t comes in murmur frfom the Ill
and woods and the farms and factorie
: and the mills, rolling on and gainin
= volume until it comes to us from tn
= homes of common men. Do these mu
= murs echo in the corridors OF univers
ties? ! have not heard them.
The universities would make me
- forget their common origin, forget the
universal sympathies, and Join a elias
and no class ever can serve Amer
- ca.
: 81 have dedicated every power tn;
there is within me to bring the &C
leges that | have anything toNo wit
TO an absolutely democratic regener
:, ton in spirit and l shall not be sati
:. f1ed-and hope you Will not be-unt
J. America shall know tn&t the men
:. the colleges are saturated with Il
same thought, the same sympath
that pulses through the whole gre,
body polite. know that the colleg,
II of this country must be reconstruct
&c from top to bottom. and | know tn,
~ America is going to demand It."
. A month after that speech was deli
cred a Princeton alumnus, Isaac {
&c Wyman, died in Salem. Mass. leavir
O. an estate of about $4,000 900 for tn
& same graduate college as designed
Dean West. The bequest was accey
- ed and steps taken at once to constru
70 the graduate college On Dean Vast
" lines.
~ Wilson, despite the fact that his m;
:" won in the ensuing election for a ne
q trustee. felt that his work at Primo
~ ton was finished. Then, in the folio
a ing September, came his nominate
- for governor Of New Jersey. and he
~ signed his presidency to engage in I
~ campaign.
HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTERS.
UyfIoop Nts. IrIlz-