The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-08
NEW YORK'S FREE COLLEGE.
\ HISTORY or THE FOTSTTNG or 7YfE
BURDEN UPON THE PEOPLE
Nfo-e than n Hundred Thousand Dollar. n
Year for Ornamental Professionalism, ~ htie
the Children OF the Poor are Vnabic to
ltnd ADEQUATE school Accommodation.


srom remarkable and Instructive. and will. |
perhaps. not make the speedy abolition Of that
institution look less desirable than it docs
othcrwsc.
The FREQ Academy " the City of New York
was created by vot" OF the people in June,
1ei7. an act Of the Legislature having pre-
Vlously been passed authorizing the Board VI
Education TO erect suitable odinrc at an cx-
pcnsc not exceeding s25000 ana to employ in
.tru tors at n cost " not moro than s20OOO
pr annum provided the people approved the
measure.
Tho instruction in the public schools was then
ofthc most elementary nature. h"ing literally
confined to the three Rs reading. writing.
and arithmetic Algebra and geometry were
not taught in t1cn. nor we're my ~ the modern
for"i,n languages. nor Latin and II WAS for
that rons"n proposed to c-tuhli- al AN institution
whcrrin boys after going through TN" grammar
erhools, might rc'oivc moro advanced instruc-
ton " in those branches. n I WIS expressed.
which are necessary to the proper pursuit Of
tn ordinary daily avoc1ionS of 'ifc."
Tl"te wa- 4. me quest aS .o what ia = in
a hiei .hooi" or an ''n.nicniv." II was finally
decided tn nam" II The lfH' Hd"my.
The popular Nof ION tn du'- tiun ell creating
thr inst iOn raV" r.se ~ mu.n excitement.
Appeals " r." nude 9th" working classcs cs-
r"mlly, 'o cast thcir Onllo's in it's favor. rs it
WIS To- hr go workingmau's aHdcmy.' Tho
i.IuWug anrul gr Wa~ used hv q committee OF
tNn lNurN ct lNuHUt nu. Df NnIrn uulsp
Joseph s.. Bn-worih was Cha rmun:
nl-t'' mt,n ,.-ht g. De- created. .o chat the labor
~. cl".-- ' "ur ',e" ,u1n- iu", ln'' goa "rp"ruuuv
,n'rta' h r h,u i"r ug 'arion, delarue Mt g labor
and uu. d.a.. euowlrdlc anon- our working classes.
And in the report Of the committee twas par
trulariN recommended that prnmun~hip
should b. taught. andth the higher branches
anu tn 'as7i'- should receive collateral niien-
ton. Tho fdu Wtion Of Youths for TIL" aVocdtion
"a t.ao hinc WAS To be made special feature uf
the inst tuition.
Hornr, Greeley who was then prominently
connected with the "du"ational system. strenu-
.u-y uppu-ei ihr measure. He declared 1t To
ln his l,'lirf that the academy would soon grow
into AN aristorratic institution t. educate the
H." And events have proved his foresight
II was not long before the instructors aspired
g. b. something more than the citizens of New
York intended them 70 le. They agitatcd until
they had the name Of the academy changed to
the inipcs ng title it now bears. and then they
dubbed themselves professors and suppressed
unworthy Of their attention. Endoayors 10 have
normal instru 'tion provided for male teachers,
us II H. to-day FURNISHED To- girls in the Normal
School were Indignantly rcI..tcd ~ beneath
the dignity OF The institution; and instead.
Greek. Latin. and the higher mathematics were
cultivated A. Tor the unsal staiory provision
in the aN creating the academy which limited
the expense of conducting 1t to 900 OO0 year. II
WIS made {" CIV" way through the persistent
Efforts Of the faculty and their friends t. moro
generous mn tm.ni: lErm iihs an Increase OF
polling the Bonri ~ Appropriations. which IS
deprived IT all dis 'rtt9n. 10 nrptoprint" that
amount Whenever called upon 20 do So hy tho
Board of Trustees oi th. college which 10y law
+ composed of the members Of the Board Of
In this way. with the connlvancc and aid u
members II the Board of ldutatluu. TIA high
school was cnrried entirely AWAY from the de-
sign with which it was established. II > not
now an institution TO which III. sons Of lahorlng
men and mechanics can 70 10 set instruction
that Will =" better III them for the various depart
ments Of labor and TOLL 1t has becom" instead
a pretentious aspirant TO equal " with the old
tFFlH Vtl fHaH- a nf
pnrading a so-callrd classical course. full Of
Greek and Latin, comforting its parchmenls
and degrees and furnishing comfortable
resting place-all nj tn public eXp.n~"-ior
long list OF professors. II is taken advantage 81
mainly 10y the sons OF men in easy crcum-
stances. who can Just as we'll ulord 10 send their
children 70 institutions wherein their in-tru'-
morally no right to ask a gratlitous college
education for them. An Inspection of the cll-
loge catalogues VIII show among it, students
the miilionnirrs Of NrW York. ani whose homes
are IN the fine blocks OF brown stone fronts up
five are graduated every year as the ultimate
result Of the nhors of fifteen professors.
eighteen tutors. and several assistants ~ yari-
Gus kinds but among this handful Of
graduates the sons Of poor men ARE very
seldom found, Tor while some may have entered
upon n course Of study In the college, few can
hold on ong enough % finish II.
The ideas with which the faculty OF this re-
markable institution have been regarding il.
are Expressed with naked simplicity ~ report
Webb to the Board OF Education. when that
body. IN 1863. was endeavoring 70 reduce what
ri,en tne eHIraNFsant c nnd w,st.I ooo N
year-an ahortive effort that seems to have had
no result except an increase Of the professors
=" II our institution" he writes. " is not to be
Inferior To other colleges, IN addition IT, the IN
frenrh, q, rniv. aud Spanish languages. our
classical course should be- more perfect and
end Ya or ,i%' @W So sEoH E the IT. CT
leEe OF the Clty Of New York be- second L. any in