The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-03
Colleges and College commandments.

Colleges and College commencement
Next week the series Of annual college COM
mencements, which occur in the months OF
June. and July, will begin with the Boston
University. AS nearly every city and State
has lis university and every town and village
its college, there will be busy time in many
out Of the way places, as well as at the seats OF
the older and more prominent institutions,
before the festive season closes. The list IN
cludes not fewer than one hundred and fifteen
places of learning, and it is curious to observe
that while mono Of them are satisfied with
less pretentious name than college or seminary
many affect the higher title of university
New York, Boston and Chicago, Pennsyl-
yania, Vermont Virginia, Kentucky, Michl-
gan, Iowa, Georgia and Mississippi are only
among the cities and States giving their names
to institutions pretending to the highest grade
There are besides many universities of which
most people have not even heard, and these
are multiplying every year. If matters 60 on
as they have been going we shall not be sur
prised if every public school dubs itself uni
versity, and it is naturally to be expected that
every crossroads will set up college as soon
as ii is able to afford blacksmith shop. In
this way we may have plenty OF college COM
mencements, and the village folks everywhere
be able to talk grandly of their university, but
beyond these insignificant advantages the re-
suits are almost worthless. We have too many
colleges and universities so called and too few
real institutions of learning literally endowed
and capable Of fulfilling the functions Incl
dent to their names. What, for instance,
does Boston want with its Boston University
when it has that grand old institution at
Cambridge, worth hundred of the other? 1t
requires years Of growth to make university,
and yet old gentlemen when they die think
they have nothing to do but to give hundred
thousand dollars in trust to somebody and
university will be the result. The long list of
institutions of learning claiming attention in
these summer days contains only three or four
names worthy of much recognition or respect
by the sincere friends of education in tho
United States and until we have fe wer col
leges and universities and more concentration
OF effort the commencement season will be
one rather to be regretted than welcomed.
At the same time we must admit that the
present anomalous condition of things is the
necessary result of the causes which produced
it The tendency has been to multiply and
not to strengthen; and this tendency was
owing TO distinct causes. The early colleges
in America were the opponents of some re-
hgious Sect and so every sect came to think it
must have its college at convenient distance.
Thus in Pennsylvania tho Presbyterians have
two colleges, one IN the east and another in
the west, though it is plain that Lafayette was
not needed while Princeton hourished, aud
even Princeton was not required SO long as
Yale was orthodox. In consequence none OF
the colleges, not even Yale, are supported as
they should be- while the Keystone State, like
every other, is full of half fed, half starved in
stitutions. The German Reformed Church
has a college and theological school at Lam
caster and another college at Mercersburg;
the Lutherans have college and divinity
school at Gettysburg; the Methodists college
at Carlisle; the Episcopalians an institution
Of some kind at Meadvlle, and the Roman
Catholics three or four colleges at different
localities in the State. The same thing is
true OF New York, while here the
cities like Rochester and Syracuse all
pretend to the possession of n university.
Then, as we have before observed, nearly all
OF the States have set up university, but
failed properly to endow or to organize it,
and those mortuary nuisances, the people
who leave universities in their wills, have
added TO the number, without comforting any
real benefit upon the cause Of education.
And what is worse even than all this is the
fact that the same causes are still at work aud
apparently will continue to operate as long as
the multiplication table endures.
Should any of the friends of education ask
us what remedy we have to suggest for this
evil VIC would be compelled to admit that
there is none which can be brought into i'm
mediate or well directed operation. The only
thing to do is to wait Before many years
the poor colleges must die from sheer pow
erty, and the fat kline, unlike those in
the dream Of Pharaoh of old, may thus eat
up the lean ones. 1t will thus be seen that
we believe in poverty tor our poor colleges
and plenty for tho rich ones, and until these
two forces shall have produced their legiti-
mate results we shall have many college COM
mencements but the season will be ono of
little real significance.
AmanvFf