Life — September 5, 1907 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“LDPE - 281 College Presidents and Student Dissipation LOR DAY, of Syracuse Uni- is the funniest educator in the is a great backer of the Standard Oil Company and an enthusiastic “enemy” of the Roosevelt policies. And he is just as much out of date in educational matters as he is in pol Syracuse is a Methodist University and it was at the New York Con- ference of the Methodist Church that Dr. Day expounded the culpability of most of the contemporary college presidents in their neglect of the moral welfare of their students, “I need name no names,” he said, ‘but we are all apprised of the de- praved conditions and scenes of debauchery in many of our universities. “While heads of colleges scem zealous in guiding the student along lines of study, few there are who place morals first. I ven- ture to say that if the college presidents would unite along a com- mon line of thought and action, this dissipation among the students could be wiped out in thirty days. “At Syracuse, thank God, we place morals first. A student, prior to entrance, must show that he is morally equipped as well as intellectually, and once in the school he must maintain the strict standard required or get out. At a majority of the other universi- ties, however, the student is allowed to come and go as he pleases; to spend his nights in riotous living, to drink, enter poolrooms and waste much energy that should be devoted to his studies.”” We believe that pretty much all the college presidents place morals first, and they belong first, but their ideas about morals are not identical with Dr. Day’s ideas, nor would they agree with him that the college presidents by uniting in a common line of thought could wipe out student dissipation in thirty days. A century ago what college presidents there were in the country were very much more nearly of Dr. Day’s mind about the duty of college presidents to undertake strict regulation of student morals, and about the methods proper for discharge of that duty, than the college presidents of this day are. But the damage to student life by dissipation—especially alcoholic dis- sipation—was vastly greater in proportion to the number con- cermed than now. Student dissipation cannot be peremptorily squelched by the strong hand in any considerable college The reformatories have the appliances and the police force for the sort of,supervision that aims at that kind of suppression, but the colleges haven’t. Dr. Day brags that he dismisses stu- dents who enter saloons. Few of the other college presidents would do that, but through their officers of discipline they keep tab on all their students, and those who prove to be so earnest in acquiring experience in saloon life and other like details of mental enlargement that they cause scandal or cannot keep up with their college work they eventually dismiss. Some few students, too, they expel for gross offenses against morals or discipline, but as far as possible they place on each student the responsibility for the details of his own deportment, and judge him by results. We like that method better than Dr. Day’s, and believe it works better than his does, and tends to make stronger, safer and more responsible men. Colonel Watterson Speaks Up “BACK to the Constitution,” cries Colonel Watterson, and invites the Democratic party to inscribe that motto on its banner, and to go in and win under it. He says he has a candi- date for the party and it is not Mr. Bryan, but who it is he will not disclose except to Mr. Bryan. For he believes that though Mr. Bryan is not himself a suitable candidate for the Demo- crats next year, no candidate can be successful, or even have the chance he ought to have, unless Mr. Bryan accepts him heartily and backs him actively with all his influence and power. It is rumored that when Mr. Bryan invites the Colonel to whisper in his ear who is the proper Democrat to run, the Colonel is going to say: “Johnson, of Minnesota.” At any rate, whoever thinks that there is any good left in the Democratic party, and that it makes any difference whom the Democrats nominate, will do well to give attention to Governor Johnson and try to form an opinion of his qualities, for he is not a man to be overlooked. Tt is a sound motto that the Colonel offers the Democrats— a sound motto for both parties. Having due regard for the Constitution, the country can get whatever it needs. Dis regarding it, it can get nothing safely, nor hold what it gets. 1M A LIAR! YOURE A LIAR! HES ALIAR! EVERYBODYS LET Gronce ALAR LIAR LIAR LIAR! WASHINGTON ‘Our oF MERE! BIOS Warden: THIS POOR FELLOW WAS TOLD SO OFTEN THAT HE REALLY WAS HE. comicbooks.com