Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-08-09
moNuRARY nranEEs.

In a college calender July may be called b
"the month of degrees" The present sea- al
son has been as prolific as any of its prede- tC
cessors IN these academic distinctions. Not u
only has there been the staple harvest OF c
bachelors, and q full assortment of masters, n
"in course" and "out Of course" "bonor- a
ary" and "dd sunden, but there has been, ii
considering the cool weather, very fair a
crop OF honorary docloratea in law, medl- C
cine, and theology, with some show OF irult, a
As the gardeners would say, in the Yareues 4
which have been newly introduced into TINS v
countryside doctorntes of philosophy ana I
music. One institution which, SO far as we I
know, is not distinguished for its advantages 1
in the way of instruction, has bestowed, Tor 1
| several years, more honorary titles than 1t
has numbered students iu its graduating
classes For some time past we haYe I
watched these coronation ceremonies, when
modest worth and ambitious intrigue are i
both rewarded with university distinctions,
endeavoring to discover the law OF selection
by which some men come 10 doctorates ana
other men do not Our curiosity has at least
been repaid with amusement. knowing
some of the managers of our Oldest and most
honored institutions, we have been favored
with glimpses behind the scenes, and have
learned a little of the arts which are employ
, | ed TO secure the doctorates In divinity and
law, these being the grand prizes in the
commencement lottery. We have followed
the steps Of one candidate and another, and
have sometimes seen the same person doubly
dubbed with the mystic initials bestowed in
Two different colleges, by surprisingly |
simultaneous recognition Of his merit, when |
e all the world was wondering that he was
!, dubbed at all. The conclusion to which we |
y have come is this, that the mode in which |
l. honorary degrees are conferred in this coun-
l. try is sham and shame. Institutions oil
10 learning which should be vigorous and indie
q | Dandnnt nnOuOh In rnQiai aluana led DV
IL tho fashion, or by the demands of their grad
/, yates and friends, consciously or uncon-
A. scously, TO perpetuate an evil which has
gradually crept In, and which Is fast becom-
oil ing positive nuisance.
g. TO understand how these modern abuses
III have grown up, we must bear in mind the
W history Of academic titles. Our fathers
be brought them to this country from England,
o. where they formed part OF the pharapher-
ly MALTA OF medieval society. A college was
an association or guild. Mono could enter
by it except by conforming to the prescribed
ire formalites. Once admitted, various prlvi-
To- leges were open to the scholar, and the dip.
u Iona he received conferred in fact, as well
lal as in form, JurG, Insignia, HOnores, PTiui-
ills leqid, Dignitdtes. Many positions in life were
in, accessible only to those who had passed
IT'S, through the academic portal. In this liter
OF ary guild were grades or ranks. The bache-
OF lor had the right pralegendi, or of teaching
eld proftendi, or of being a professor, and OF
teaching without a manual his own accumu-
md lated wisdom. Gradually the DOCTORS rank
lu' became even higher than the masters, and
but was considered as the mark of superior dis
OF tinctiOn in some branch of learning Like
'ho the lower degrees it was conferred upon ex
re- animation, and was the certificate OF the col
.es- lege or university which conferred 1t tina
ith- the recipient was proficient in medicine
zed divinity, or law In accordance with thu
ess, modesty which distinguished the foundation
'rk of our Oldest American colleges, honorar.
OF doctorates were not, for many years, con
ling ferred at all. Even the honorary master
un. degree WAS sparingly bestowed. Afler
ca while, when the primitive simplicity OF man
ines ner was yielding to the dignities and form
mol OF the revolutionary period, dOctoratea q
ond divinity and law were freely bestowed o.
men distinguished In church and state
7 by never, we believe, in this country, for mer
per in examination, but always hOn0ris cause
10 As letters became profession, the doctorai
1nal of law was conferred on men of scientih
and literary attainments, without referenC
nj to their skill in jurisprudence While Ill
ai Ano population was scanty and the colleges wei
~, but half-a-dozen in number, no great harl
arly came from this bestowal of degrees. tt
" colleges were chary OF their honors, and u
~, Wy recipients were commonly men who wer
@ ieoi al least, as worthy OF academic distinction
% lsoh any in the land The college managers we
puo responsible also TO public sentiment, b
=, VI now, the number OF colleges has largely Il
: 'i hiu creased. No one pretends TO keep the II
III Of raisn,,r,orah,a nos;0r;Y, 49,, ~ o
"ei' quently enabled to make use of their acad
mic titles 10 impose upon unwary peopl
, NJ They use their degrees TO sell their liteTa
n wares, puff their schools, and secure consi
AZ Grafton from their neighboss. The real
S6 tinctions of scholarship are popularity undt
Na1 Il -1a.t
AZ Of letters are deprecated because their mo
az pushing neighbors have borne away the c
"a dorsement OF the colleges. We hold, the
8s fore, that the older colleges ought to reci
10 their mo ie OF comforting degrees. Let HI
"a ward and Yale inaugurate a change, and
40 smaller colleges will soon follow suit.
III There are several considerations viii
"a ought to be borne in mind in thinking
"a such change. In the first place, all I
10 colleges Of the land, some hundred In nu
70 Der, claim the same privilege of creating d
70 tors. A " female college, out West, OF
rs chartered corporation without any studen
y0 can furnish the same brand as Harvard
20 Yale. LID" looks just as well at
ia end of a name, and the "Reverend d
IN sounds just as well for prefix, when
80 degree is conferred by the unheRrd.pf U
so versity of Montana, as when it is recsiI
81 from Oxford or Cambridge. The public
so very forgetfnl, and though the dons in
~ Oluoh SOiAeBoo Hia1 bSOlf II l4b dpBlpub
rs their younger sisters, there is no one else
79 care. Again, all these institutions, old {
"a new, "mala end female" bestow I'll
"a honors, so far as we can discover, with
any guiding principle. Certainly there
=. "A no avowal of reasons, nor any show Of
oi lns animation, nor any publicity of discussi
. nelu At the close o. commencement exercises
lesuay gaping assembly is sstnunded by the
Tsnm- nouncement that A and B and G are cor
ocated tuted doctors OF theology and law, and
neers, grave distinction 10 telegraphed at on
Of this through the associated press, to every CIT
> loca- the land; but no key is given TO the prooi
ROSES ing. Who can tell why Professor ri.
baiti- was honored this year at Cambridge, or
win rotary Stanton at New Haven't
line OF But this ndiscriminate bestowal Of i
sion oi by weli-known and unknown colleges is
, unul the worst evil. 1t is SO easy To get deg
urtheI so many men OF slight acquisitions have
BOARD tanned degrees that it is now the wa.
sp!eni- apply for these honors; and if the secret
ting of rni,,,c thsre Would he an astounding +
iation of lntimations and open requests
9. Lei. Endorsements. Members OF the faculte
il from colleges are constantly applied to 70
al the their influence to SECURE doctorate for
Iington person or that By desigHed coincider
letters are sometimes received from dii
points and from very different writer's
WOMAN ing attention to the peculiar merits OF
months or that candidate and recommending hi
n gem favorable consideration.
,e was What now 10 the remedy for this sta
rlace thinPs2 Three occur to us ae possible.