Evening star., 1940-09-21

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. IL
FolloDing Is the tert OF President
Rooserelts address yesterday at
ceremonies In observance of the
University OF Pennsylvania
200th anniversary:
l am greatly honored to have the
privilege of accepting this hood. I
am very happy in the present Uni
versity of Pennsylvania. 1 cannot
say I am wholly happy that the
founders of the university chose
the year 1740. 1t might have had
that great attribute which I have
so long sought of looking ahead
and planning. They would have
founded the university in 1889 lest
the 200th anniversary should fall
in an election year. Thereby I, at
least, would have been saved much
embarrassment. and what I have
to say to you today I might have
written as readily and easily in
the autumn of '39, for even then
We were in a period Of relapse in
the history of the civilization OF
the world-for in some lands 1t has
become the custom to burn the
books of scholars. and to Ak by gov
ernment decree the national forms
Of religion, morality and culture.
In such a time it is more than
mere formality to join with you in
celebrating the 20Oth anniversary Of
this free and independent institu-
ton of scholarship. | am hOn0red
| in becoming an alumnus Of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
The very foundation of this uni
versity was concerned with freedom
of religious teaching, and with free
! learning for the many who could
not pay for higher education. 1t was
originally proposed as a place where
the good and revered DR.. George
without certain difficulties which the
old conservatives Of Philadelphia
threw in his path. Instead, 1t was
desired to make it unnecessary for
him to preach in the sun and rain
of the open fields, when the doors
of the established churches were
closed against him. And 1t was the
dream of the founders to make 1t a
source of education TO the children
of the poor who otherwise would 60
untaught.
Symbolic of Eternal Strength.
The survival and growth of the
university through these two CEN
turies are particularly symbolic of
the eternal strength which is in
herent in the American concept OF
the freedom of human thought and
action. Here is living proof Of the
validity and force Of single minded
service to the cause of truth.
| Events in the world are making
the vast majority of our citizens
think more and more clearly about
the manner of the growth of their
liberty and freedom, and how hard
their people have fought and worked
to win and to hold the privilege of
free government
With the gaining of our political
| freedom came the conflict between
the point of view of Alexander Ham
ilton. sincerely believing in the su-
periority of government by small
group of public-spirited and usually
wealthy citizens, and the point OF
view of Thomas Jefferson. an advo-
cate of government by representa-
tives of all the people, an advocate
of the universal right of free
thought, free personal living, free
religion, free expression of opinion
and, above all, the right to free
universal suffrage.
High Motives Admitted.
Many of the Jeffersonian school
were frank to admit the high mo-
tives and disinterestedness of Ham,
ilton and his school, Many Amer
leans of those days were willing to
concede that if government could be
guaranteed to be kept always on the
high level of unselfish service sug-
gested by the Hamiltonians there
would be nothing to fear. For the
very basis of the Hamiltonian phi
losophy was that through system
of elections every four years, limited
to the votes of the most highly
educated and the most successful
citizens, the best of those qualified
to govern could always be selected.
1t was with rare perspicuity. how
ever, that Jefferson pointed out that
on the doctrine of sheer human
frailty, the Hamilton theory was
bound to develop into government
by selfishness or government for
personal gain or government by
class. which would ultimately lead
to the aboliShment of free elections
For he recognized that it was our
system of free, unhampered elec-
tions which was the surest guaranty
of popular government. So long as
the voters of the Nation, regardless
of higher education or proper pos
sessions, were free to exercise their
choice in the polling place without
hindrance, the country would have
no cause to fear the hand OF ty-
ranny.
Cites Eliot's Views.
At all times In our history since
Hamilton there have been many
Americans who have sought to con-
fine the ballot to limited groups OF
people. A quarter of a century age
President Eliot of Harvard sum.
married his views when he said to
me:
Roosevelt, I am convinced that
even though we have multiplied our
universities in every State of the
Union, even though higher learning
seems to have come into its own
If the ballot were to be confined
| to the holders Of college degrees thu