19003 An JJ?iusual Situation 



gladly pass it by, heeding Elbert Hubbard's advice: 

 "Never explain; your friends don't need it and your 

 enemies woij't believe you anyhow." 



In this particular case, however, 1 had a double vnin- 

 problem — on the one hand to shield the University Z"':'"^.'^ 

 from uninformed or unsympathetic criticism such as 

 then beset the University of Chicago, and on the 

 other to protect the reputation of a young professor 

 from the natural consequences of his indiscreet adven- 

 tures in thorny paths of partisan politics. I failed in 

 both efforts; but the complex situation can be fairly 

 judged by no one unfamiliar with the details of our 

 "Long Fight," during which almost every other 

 consideration was necessarily subordinated to the 

 one prime duty of saving the endowment for higher 

 education. Founder, president, and professors then 

 worked as members of a cooperating family rather 

 than as university officials. 



Yet I am bound to declare, and beyond all possi- 

 bility of denial, that Mrs. Stanford did not at any 

 time or in any way step outside her right and duty 

 as trustee of the University; also, that in her opinions 

 and judgment she was guided solely by what she 

 correctly interpreted to be the letter and spirit of the 

 governing statutes as clearly laid down at the outset. 

 Above all, I must again affirm that no one has now 

 or ever had a particle of evidence to show that 

 "Money Power," "the Interests," or "the Repub- 

 lican Machine" influenced her in the least. Her 

 frequently expressed resolve never to concern her- 

 self "with the religion, politics, or love affairs of any 

 professor" she faithfully kept. 



C 3 ~\ 



