362 
be careful in the appointment of professors 
But 
the freedom of the individual must be sub- 
and doubly careful in their dismissal. 
ordinate to the freedom of the university. 
Academie freedom is the right to speak 
academically, and the university professor 
not only enjoys privileges, but also under- 
takes obligations. 
There is no reason why as an individual 
Mr. Ross should not have supported by 
illustrated pamphlets and stump speeches 
free silver and Mr. Bryan in the campaign 
of 1896, but he should not have done so to 
the injury of the university. rofessor 
Ross’s methods of treating social problems 
may be illustrated by an extract from an 
article published by him the month of his 
dismissal. He writes in the American Jour- 
nal of Sociology : 
A predatory minority, then, presents itself at first 
as a governing class that by its toils, cares, and risks 
contrives to draw to itself the surplus goods of the 
governed. But, ata later stage of development, en- 
joyment and control are no longer vested in the same 
persons. The anatomy of a parasitic organization 
now shows at the center certain idle enjoyers sur- 
rounded by a great number of unproductive laborers 
who share in their spoil, and who in return busy 
themselves, as retainers, mercenaries, police, priests, 
teachers, or publicists, in intimidating, cajoling, or 
beguiling the exploited majority. 
As President Jordan has stated, Pro- 
fessor Ross has many admirable qualities 
and his extravagances were long born with. 
If we understand the matter correctly Presi- 
dent Jordan fully concurred with Mrs. Stan- 
ford in recognizing Professor Ross’s dis- 
abilities, but wished to avoid the publicity 
which has been brought on the university. 
There is no doubt but that Professor Ross 
has shown his unfitness for an academic 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Von. XIII. No. 323. 
position by the way he has acted since pre- 
senting his resignation to President Jordan. 
He said he resigned because ‘‘ Iam unwill- 
ing to become a cause of worry to Mrs. 
As 
soon as the resignation was accepted, which 
Stanford or of embarrassment to you.”’ 
was done in as kind a way as possible, he 
does all he can to annoy Mrs. Stanford, to 
embarrass President Jordan and to injure 
the university. 
The fact that Mrs. Stanford has recently 
given twenty-seven million dollars to the 
university and has retained for the present 
the rights that will later devolve ona board 
of trustees makes it somewhat easy to at- 
tack the university, but puts heavy re- 
sponsibility on those who carry on such 
an attack. Weare aware of the dangers 
due tothe fact that many of our institu- 
tions are supported by rich men and to a 
certain extent controlled by them. Butan 
impartial review of the history of univer- 
sity development in America shows that 
great tolerance has been allowed to univer- 
The call of President An- 
drews and Professor Ross to a university 
sity professors. 
supported by a State and controlled by a 
political party seems to be more dangerous 
for academic freedom than their dismissal 
But on the whole 
there is no valid reason to criticize either 
from other universities. 
our privately endowed or our State uni- 
versities on the ground of suppression of 
legitimate freedom of speech. 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAN FRAN- 
CISCO ALUMNI. 
Your committee elected at the meeting of 
the association held November 20, 1900, to 
ascertain the confidential and other reasons 
