New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
nonrrAr sc1rvcr MnNrHIY. AUarsT.

In paper entitled american Colleges
,,rs.s American Science" Professor T. W Clarke Of the
Cincinnati University presents some pungent criticisms
on the present of physical science IN THIS country
which viii not found precisely in the centennial tone
or altogether Gstiering TO our national pride The
writer asserts, without the fear Of democracy before
his ewes that America compared with other hrsclass
nations occupies low position IN science For every
research published in country st least my appear
elsewhere. England France Germany, Austria Russia
LAZY and Sweden, ouuanE Us as producers OF kuoWl-
edge Our original investigators may almost be counted
nm c fingers Fifteen or twenty chemists and physicists,
as many mathcHaciaus and astronomers, ana some
what larger number in the different branches Of natural
history, would complete the meager catalogue. nc"
OF the brief list of discoveries are Of high rank.
Perhaps, all told, there are twenty men OF
eminent scientific standing in the United states
But there is no one to compare with Sir William
Thomson Hclmholtz, or Bcgnault. Several causes
have c0uspred 70 bring about this state OF Things:
One of tie chief is the system which has shalec our
higher education Our country is dotted over with
host Of colleges which have sprung up from sec'a'ah
jealousy personal ambition, local pride, rather tnan
from broad and clear ideas OF scientific and literary cu
ture states have conferred charters without reason OF
forethought No provision has been made as rule for
the original pursuit OF science. II young man OF cut
ture genius and enthusiasm wishes TO devote his life TO
n scienufc career, and obtains professionally IN an
average American college, what is the RESULT In the
first place. he encounters board Of trustees not one Of
whom has the rcIuOtest idea Of what science 10, OF
what is essential TO its growth. He is called
upon by these gentlemen 10 teach chemistry
physics astronomy, botany, zoology, mineralosy'
and perhaps PaleS's evidences on top of all. For
study and research he has neither time nor books nor
apparatus. If he should press the necessity OF study
upon his employers, he would probably be told that he
ought to know his lessons before attempting u teach
His students little for his instruction. regarding II
merely as an mpodment their degrees For oil this
he NAV receive less than thousand dollars year. and
that with feeling OF prccarOusness ana uncertainty.
The multiplicity OF colleges is at the bottom OF the e'
OF these institutions there to-day more than h'e
hundred in the United States Ohio alone has more than
forty Every cious Sect or fragment OF Sect Is rep
resented There are several ways by which this sec
tarianism education is msctievous to science Ihe
very fact that college has been established for ecces-
astical purposes is adverse to scientific research Inc
studies which of special value to theological students
viii inevitably receive undue prominence. Great injury
Is done TO science moreover by the subdivision OF forces
Forty institutions spring up where only is needed
and nearly all of them are necessarily weahIhgS'
libraries cabinets, apparatus, buildings and tach's
are foOshly duplicated. Each college lives III eIetuu
struggle for existence, paying miserable salaries to
CORPS Of teachers who do inferior work IL there were
such things as Presbyterian mathematics, Episcopal
classics and Methodist geology, this scattering OF forces
might enured it is simply nuisance Ihere Is
conflict between religion and science, but between
the wroncheadedness of religious people and the de-
atory we have forty small and inferior sets OF apparatus
wholly nnsued to thorough Investigation. The splitting
ND of forces operates unfavoraby to science III the
selection OF professors Poverty coinpes college TO
demand more work from professor than any man can
wel.do teacher who is called upon to give elenen-
tary instruction half dozen branches cannot accom-
pish much real work IN any OF Them Every branch
of science now rapidly growing and can he well taught
only by one who has time TO keep abreast OF its
growth. large majority Of college professors
are now incompetent because they are kept so by the
policy Of college management. Many s0cdilei istUu-
tious of learning employ Jack-ofalltrades to do the
work OF instruction, when his teachings can be nOthh-
but fraud Nor is il the smaller colleges alone that are
10 blame in this matter OF proieSOrships. Institutions OF
considerable wealth often inure science by the selection
of teachers false grounds Every year professors are
chosen not for scientific ability but for theological con-
alterations If Baptist and Unitarian were cand-
dates for professOrshp in Baptist college the Batis'
would be pretty sure carry the day. Even in the most
CONSPICUOUS institutions the abcst candidates nave Deeh
rejected on purely dOgmatic grounds. theological
soundness in such Outranks scientific ability Il
Iapiace had lived in America no college would nave
tolerated him for a moment Almost any decayed min
ister seeking asylum would have beaten MN III the
race for prOfessOrsip The ablest chemist IN America
afe years ago. candidate for The chair Of chemistry
IN monument Eastern college and rejected because
ne did not believe I'm the Trinity Tho inadequate pay
ment of professors is another evil arising from the
tenn Of college scattering large salary not necessary
Ia q scholar but he may justly demand certain means
of comfortable subsistence But with the remuneration
now offered there scarcely any nducemcnt tr young
man 70 enter upon scientific life. Almost every other
occupation affords flirer prospect of competency
Young lawyer Doctor merchant, careful and Indus
trious may look forward to possessing home OF his
own The young devotee Of science has rarely any
such possibility His labor is as arduous as that OF the
Others and his rec0mpense vastly less. It's oy no means
strange under such circumstances that the best talent
of America should repealed from the cultivation OF
seience and attracted into other fields OF labor The
posons of Professor Clarke will doubtless he deemed
extrsvagant by many readers. No doubt lie urges
his views TO an extreme point, and often per
hans with unnecessary vehcmence, while good deal
may be said in favor OF diffusion rather than OF con
eeptration az more in accordance with the
spirit OF American society. The smaller colleges II
cannot be denied, have eXerted a powerful ehect ID
stimulating the love Of learning, and III raising upa
large ellss OF educated in every quarter Of the
country. Offset to the prevalence OF unletiereo
barbarsm" The pride OF State and the Interests OF sect
have certainly had great share in the establishment Oh
our numerous educational seats but II would be difficult
to overestmate their who esome influence popular
Intelligence and vrtue.-I Il announced in this number
that Professor Huxley purposes to visit the United States
I'm the month Of August remaining for few weeks only,
and that he has consented to give three lectures in Sep
TENDER on "The Direct Evidence Of Evolution "-other
articles Of interest are "yoice in Man aud Animals"
.'What are Species" by Professor Huxley Science III
the Argentine Republic" and Social Experiments ia
Utah"
n A