, 1879-05-11


/ then be should appoint linn, hut until ha ca'
tnd such man he had better let tbs ofllc
relne1u vacant, no matter how strongly b
may be- pressed by the friends of candidates
That office is not one which should be illei
for the mere sake of obliging this or tha
:, man, or this or that faction or interest. Th'
- public want a man In TINT Office who vii
be fearless, and who will have no interest:
to serve hut those Of tho city ona who can
not be t1attered, seduced, or driven into any
I private scheme or combination, and Whose
profits In The Office will begin aud end witt
the legal salary attached thereto.
! -
COLLEGIATE INSTRUCTION FOR WOMEN
/ The COMMITTEE having in charge the estab
llahment Of collegiate. instruction for women
at Harvard College have recently issued thei,
second circular. The developments which II
makes, however: do not show very encour-
aging prospects for this pet scheme Of Har-
ward. According to the report of the Chair
man of the Examining Committee, the num-
Der Of new applicants appearing for exam
nation during successive years was as fol-
lows: Seven in 1874, four in 1875, four in
1876, four III 1871. eight in 1878, and but
five have made application this year. A
writer in the Boston Advertiser compares this
statement with that of the Smith College, at
Northampton, Mass, which is devoted ex-
cluslVely to tho higher education of wom-
an and was only opened in. 1876 The
number OF candidates in that year was
twelve in 1876, nineteen; in 1877, thirty
nine; in 1878, seventy-two. In the light of
such q comparison as this, it would seem
that the Harvard plan is sheer failure, and
does not pay for the time and trouble in.
yolved s:
The same writer to whom VIC have referred
points out that these examinations are in re-
ality great burden upon the preparatory
schools, since, in addition to the heteroge-
neous requisites existing for admission to COL
leglate instruction, which are still further
complicated by the want Of unity. in the
standards of various colleges, they still fur
ther crowd the schools with new courses of
study to possibly accommodate two or three
women who may wish to pass the Harvard
examinations, As he says; *sThe Principals
OF these schools frequently have under their
caro- several pupils, at the same stage OF ad-
Vance1nent, who are fitting for different COL
leges, and have often been perplexea beyond !
endurance by tue merely mechanical difficult
ties Of organizing sufficient number of |
classes and an adequate force Of teachers to
meet the various requirements imposed"
This, however, is only an incidental mis-
fortune Of the plan, and one which might
easi}y be remedied if the plan itself were
sufficiently successful to warrant it. The
great obstacle which stands in the way Of
success is the disinclination Of the young
women of New England to go through severe
courses Of study, and pass examinations
which lead up to nothing definite. III these
Litter days of female ambition and determine
ton to succeed in cartain avocations which
have hitherto been filed exclusively by men,
d plan of examination which testifios TINT
the successful applicants have PASSED test
OF proficiency in course Of elementary
study Of liberal order, and perhaps
entities them to attend lectures, is not
likely: to bs considered OF my special
Falue by any specially endowed young
woman, when such offers Of facilities for
obtaining Il higher education are made to
hem BY colleges like those at Northampton,
1assar, and. Wellesley. The one gives I
hem m empty honor, tho other solid, prac- :
ical education. # Harvard College wants 4
o educate women, and compete with the ]
1omens colleges, it must throw its doors I
'ido open, and the certificate Of examination l
must give the holder free entrance, not c
aerely testify TINT she is qualified to enter, {
nd keep her on the outside. Until such r
me there is no danger that Harvard will s
o troubled with: applicants or hurt the d
respects Of the female colleges. And, even II
Harvard should extend FREQ permission to t
u young women to enter its walls upon the 9
'me terms as young men, we doubt whether q
se rush would be very terrific until the Isl
oung women were guaranteed imnu- Il
ty from the hoodlumism that is so 6
equent!y characteristic Of the male search ST
5 for knowledge who make its cloisters h