The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-29
A Needless Institution.

The students OF what Is known ms the Col
lege Of the City Of New York detained on
Tuesday evening from the stage Of Booths
Theatre They spoke for prizes in oratory,
and one Of the judges OF their performance
was that incompatible orator. Mr.. RICHARD
O'GoRMAN; but why there were associated
with him as Judges two Generals, we cannot
understand Doubtless the boys did very
we'll.
The College Of the City Of New York IL the
old Free Academy, which, founded in 1sis
hlOssomed in 1865 into college capable Of
comforting degrees We believe it has an
interesting board Of professors, and that So
far as scholarship goes, tho students com
pare very we'll with those Of our other New
York colleges. 1t is free institution, the
largo EXPENSES Of running which are paid
by the people Of the city. Why it was
changed from public high school to coli
lcge Is hard TO see. unless the teachers We're
anxious to appear as professors and to han
die shccpskins. New York didn't need ar
other college and the principle upon which
IT. les based is unsound.
The theory 81 our common school system
IS that the safety and welfare Of the State
require it To educate its citizens sufficiently
topcrform their political duties intclligcntly.
1t is not the function OF the state to sustain
elegant culture. It's business is simply TO
give the young a practical rudlmcntary
training, S. that they shall not cause the
State the damage which must result from
an ignorant poi ulation.
But there is a limit to the FREQ cducntion
for which the people should be- taxed, and
4 a Work. fpr
beyond that limit, and imposes burden on
the citizens which they should not be called
on TO bear There are now in the State out
Of population Of about five millions. over
"A million children under instruction in the
public schools; and 81 this number only sG2
are in the College Of the City Of New York,
and an annual appropriation Of $4,000 Is
made for running the institution. Add
to this the interest on the value Of the
building and site, which IS Sl910Oo and We
have $4,000 Thus we see that it costs
about 500 apiece yearly, to educate these
s64 students, That is, the taxpayers are re-
| Quircd to give these boys that handsome
/ allowance 10 enable them TO learn Greek
and Latin, the higher mathematics and to
I pursue other branches Of study such as are
/ usually taught at colleges elegant accom-
/ pl,hmcnts which they can get AZ Columbia
/ College, for instance, AT the tuition charge
/ Of only SIS year Eut this does not by
any means represent the cost Of graduating
a student at this FREQ College. There is an
Introductory class, which is always large
in 1876 it was 5l2 but the number Of stu
dents rapidly dwindles down from year to
year. Thus in 1876 the Freshman class was
only 1853; the Sophomore, 50; the Junior
only 81; and tho Senior just 30, or less than
II tenth Of the number Of students who en-
tered Throwing out the Introductory class,
We find how enormous IS the cost of
keeping up the machinery Of an insti-
tuition for the graduation ~ fifty stu
dents. In the nature Of things these
half a hundred graduates are chiefly
the children Of wcll-to-do, and even rich
people, for the sons Of such can spend five
years in study, whilo those Of poorer
parents are obliged to leave at the end Of a
year OF two in order to mako their living
1t is on the fortunate youths who can AFFORD
10 delay going to work for their bread, that
the main part Of the $4,000 u year is cX
pended.
What reason Is there for taxing the pcopl,
that these fifty boys may carry of degree
of bachelor Oi Arts, or bachelor OF Sciences
while tho great mass Of the youth Of th,
city must content themselves with a rud
mentary education Besides, there is n
occasion for spending the money for The
purpose, and only the pride and vanity O
tho corps Of professors, and their desire &c
draw their salaries keep tho costly concern
going. Tho parents Of many Of tho younl
men are abundantly able to pay tho mod
orate eharscs for tuition at the Universitl