FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Insistent communications, received of late by the University Office and by several of the University publications, have made a clear issue of the stand the University is to take in the matter of the Unrestricted expression of opinion by men, who by reason of their position, may be considered representatives of the University. The question raised is: Shall any censorship be placed by the University on the public utterances of its professors? The University authorities could adopt two methods of procedure in governing the conduct of its members.

It could allow its members to voice freely their thoughts and sentiments either in public or in private, or it could impose a strict censorship upon the character of all speech and "muzzle" the mouths of students and professors alike. No censorship should be imposed upon thoughts or their utterance. If the University were to decree what its professors and students should or should not say, then it would be making itself responsible for any statement made by its members. A university does not profess to exist for that purpose. All of its energies and resources are to be expended in training minds to seek the truth, some in branches of the arts and sciences, others in simply learning patience to endure the work of the world.

This column is devoted daily to the expressing of thoughts and opinions from undergraduate viewpoints. Much of its value and usefulness to the student body would immediately disappear if the thoughts expressed here were those of University authorities. As the students of the University have the privilege of expressing their own opinions, so have the professors--and this is just and proper.