The tribune independent of Michigan., 1935-06-22
ACADEMIC
FREEDOM
BY Kelly Miller
S'ssss'sss'';ss;;s,s,
CONTINUED from Page a.

pn'ase which well fills ana ho,.
tne mouth OF the demagop ana aus .1
mop orator It is easy to beguile ,he he
lhi'amaole minds of youth by sn~,
demagogical appeal. win % suen
phrases he calculates ~ r., '"'n
weikin ring and the eagle scr. 'ue
bnt when-~one enters nnoa 49,
teaching profession. he talos -, Wv
OF poverty and obedience ,,s
freedom Of utterance is ros,.,, |
by thr latitude allowed bv 49,
VINO support and control ,bo ,ns,,
tuition In which he teaches In ~.
connection II is well to differen,a,a
petweeh the two classes 10 ,na,
tutions. In privately endowed ora
controlled schools the facnltv a..
student body are subject "a ,hn
government and discipline ~ ~
Board OF Trustees. who aro NJ No.
rect liberty TO encourage o- cur,au
any extent OF liberalism uhlch
meets the approval OF parents ana
patrons. But In tax-snnro1,.u,
schools the case Is entirely dlfte,
ent. The public has the undisrn,s1
right. to determine the charaoter
ana extent to which freedcm ~ ~.
terance is 10 be tolerated. II Tho
state OF Tennessee forblIs- ne
teaching of evolutions in>anv tax.
supported school. aDy professor
who accepts service Is bound n
i've within the enclosed res,ric.
fion. This limitation Of academic
freedom is self imposed. The state
establishes and IN a intafns
m institution 10 up n ou1
.nd defend tho body Of dnr,rlne
beliefs. received and accepted opln-
ons which the people have aaopi-
a md approved AMI wishes 10 be
a'ilca.e' upon the minds of fu-
~ citizens. DR.. Nic',lls Murfay
Butler. Pres. Of Columbia Tniver-
'ity in which academic freedom Is
constantly an issue. declares .fhe
tate must always have care lest
| act to its own undoing through
e'ure ~ intelligence and 9 - .qe
surely the unsupported schools
maintained by republican form If
government cannot In honesty al
lecency exert their Influence to
undermine or TO overthrow that
government"
The immediate question az issue
4 several OF our schcois and coll
eges Is as to whether .ax-sup-
'orted institution should maintain
IN open forum for the discussion OF
he relative claims OF democracy.
socialism fascism and nazism. This
AN not evidently be tolerated I'M
il the overwhelming majority OF
american people. come 10 look with
greater complacency upon those
'adical departures than they do at
present. The Social Department Of
ax-supported institutions are ey-
Dected to extol the virtues of de-
nocracy and not to serve as Il Ia
,oratory for experiment In rival
economic and political theories.
But rejoins the red and the radi-
cal. there can be no progress In
any human institution without
freedom OF thought and opinion M
sensible person Is disposed TO dis
pute this elementary principle, but
throughout history the genuine re-
formers have had the courage OF
their conscience. The borer from
within is regarded as an ignoble
insect. Payroll radicals do not IN
press us with their nobility OF
character. Socrates drinks the hem
lock. Jesus Christ dies on the
Cross, Martin Luther Is expell'
from the Catholic communion John
Brown hangs on the scaffold NJ
Harpers Ferry. Eugene DeDbs IAN
gulshes in Jail at Atlanta Inc
boundary OF human freedom Is eN-
tended by their noble sacrliiees'
Stain, Mussolini and Hitler step
ped outside the pale OF existing OF
der to more effectively destroy H.
II professors and instructors ~
tax-supported institutions are
genuinely convinced that some
other form of economic and pom
tical government should be SUI
stituted for the one by which they
are maintained and supported INV
should have the decency anu cou,
age to withdraw from the pay'o"
OF such institutions and deVoe'
themselves. with detached ene,sy'
TO the new order In which tne'
profess so devoutly to believe
No liberal minded Americas
would maintain that there sno"'o .
not be provided open forum ~
the discussion OF relative ana ~
val claims OF different forms o'
political and economic insu'u,'Sx
But no sensible American ! % 'n'na'
would maintain that such io,u" :,
should be held under the aeg'S "
unsupported institutions. -,
Annapolis West Point ana na'
ward are supported in the nn''n ~
taxes contributed by all inc peS
|ple. No risky experiment Gun
tolerated. They must therefore ~
here. subSsantially 20 the ~
|trine 10 which all the people SUI -.
scribe. Any officer or instructor y"
the payroll OF any one OF these ~
Istitutions who insists on aeaoe"'~
freedom TO the extent OF o'e.
Throwing the government by re'o
Tuition and violence. does not sno"
his courage but his folly.
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