Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-04
SCOTT NEARING ALLY
OF FREE SPEECH CLUB
Declares Pennsylvania Should
Not Have Closed Columns to
Gompers Item.

Members Of the Free Speech faction
among University of Pennsylvania stu
dents gained a notable ally today in the
controversy over Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation Of Labor,
VINO was refused permission to speak
before the students when Scott Nearing
came out uneduivccally against the failure
Of the Pennsylvania to publish any notice
of Mr. Gompers address The labor
leader tomorrow afternoon will address
the students in hall rented by them at
'Thirty-ninth and Market streets
Mr.. Nearing was one of the most inn
portant figures in a battle for free speech
among the faculty of the University
little more than year ago For weeks
his position was said to be hanging in
the balance, but public opinion ana that
OF the students became so strongly IN
favor of the instructors who demanded
the right to express their honest senti-
ments that finally they won.
II will not discuss the other phases OF
the situation" said Mr.. Nearing today,
"but | will say I believe it is the business
of the college newspaper to print all the
news. 1t is my opinion that this story
should have appeared In the news col
umns, but If not there, then certainly
the editorial board had no right to close
lue correspondence tOluilluo " a lSANtl
on the subject.
II can see no Justification for this" he
continued. The students are certainly
Interested in the discussion and there is
no doubt In my mind hut that the Penn
sylvanian should HaNe taken notice of it.
PROVOST REMAINS ALooF
Provost Edgar Fahs Smith, of the Uni
versity, declined to be drawn into the
.,s,V t,ll 10 nslF
rectly If he had given instructions to
James NJ Austin, editor-ln-chief of the
Pcnnsylvanian, the student daily publi-
cation, not to give space to a letter on
the Gompers address written by Walter
\. Craig, editor-in-chief of the Red and
Blue. monthly University publication
Craig is a senior in the Wharton School.
81 said nothing on the subject to Mr.
Austin" replied DR.. Smith.
When asked If he would have made
a protest had the Pennsylvania printed
Craig's letter, he said:
II don't propose to bother my head
about it at ALL
The provost then was asked if he be-
lieved the trustees of the University are
against the publication of such a notice
in the Pennsylvania.
I'm not talking of those things just
now he answered,
TROUBLE BEGAN LAST YEAR.
Gompers sought to make an address at
Houston Hall last November and per-
mission was refused by the University
authorities. Since that time strong fac
tion among the students, led by Craig,
has been making efforts to get the labor
leader to speak to the students in a hired
ha!i, Finally he consented and arrange
meuts were made for the address to be
given tomorrow afternoon. Posters an
nouncing this were torn down by students
Of the objecting faction.
Craig declared today that the breach be-
tween the students favoring the meeting
and the trustees had been ,videned by the
refusal of the editor of the Pennsylvania
10 devote space to the coming meeting
for Gompers
Walter \. Craig. editor-in-chlef of The
Red and Blue, monthly publication, de-
Clared today that the breach between the
students favoring the meeting and the
trustees had been widened by the refusal
Of the editor of The Pennsylvania 10
devote space 10 the coming meeting for
Gompers.
Il went to James NJ. Austin" he said.
"lIe is editor-i n-chef OF The Pennsyl-
vanian, and l wanted 10 have notice of
the coming meeting published | also
wanted TO voice protest against the
tearing down of our posters. / told him
that we needed a free-speech club here.
Austin said that the Gompers meeting
was against the Provosts wishes, but l
explained that we were against the gem
eral policy of the trustees, and not
against Provost Smith. The next issue
of The Red and Blue will contain Il full
explanation of the situation"
The Fennsylvanian yesterday published
n lengthy editorial declaring that only
questions which Interested the entire
student body OF the institution would re-
ceive consideration in its columns