New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-25
pFcryJARY AID TO STUDENTS.

PECUNARY AID TO STUDENIS.
In his address before the Harvard Club in
this city on Wednesday evening, President
Eliot made these striking remarks on the
danger of pecunarS aid in education: 1--WE
have before us an example of a great and
" noble profession which has been deeply IN
"iured by beneficial endOwments. | mean the
clerical profession, profession In when
there is the greateAt dearth of great men, al
though a. n profession it has received moro
beneficial endOwments than any Other prcics-
sion in this country What il remarkable
about this utterancc il not its originality but
the fact that it is made 10y college president.
A great many friends OF education and of rclig-
ion. including, as Ne have reason to believe,
many college presidents, have held similar
views for many years, but they have hesitated
about avowing them publicly. Their silence
has been in no sense due to cowaidlce. The
subject is very delicate one and its proper
solution very difficult task The authorities
of all Eastern colleges have been considering 1t
seriously for many years, and have been wait
ing Tor the proper time to come IN which an
omen and definite stand of some KIND could re
taken. President Eliot took the responsibility
of speaking first several weeks ago, and lac has
repeated his views mere publicly now. His
bold and uuequvocal declaration is likely to
start the discussion along the whole line.
Upon one point we venture to predict that
there Will be "a practically unanimous agree
ment All authorities wilt admit that the pres
ent plan of extending ala to needy and deseTy-
ing students is defective. From small begin
nngs ii has grown into a vast and troublesome
system. Rivalry between the different colleges
has been the main stimulus, each striving tn
outbid the others in Offering inducements to
students Scholarships have been established
in great numbers, and the impression has been
gtudOusly disseminated that an alunnus could
in no way at once delight bis alma alter and
honor himself more easily than by founding
scholarship for the education of needy young
men. Many such scholarships were established
at the outset by religious societies, and many
others were founded for the express purpose of
educating men for the ministry. In this way ii
came to be understood that young men design
ing TO enter the pulpit had the first claim to
pecuniary aid. and they have from the first re-
ceived very large proportion of all the aid ex-
tended The result has been to create in the
clerical profession what President Eliot APPLY
calls the greatest dearth of great men" The
profession has been Gre wded with men who
never would have entered it, or indeed
any other profession, if left to their own
resources The scholarship System Offered
them an easy road not only to knowledge but
to higher level in life than their natural gifts
would have, lifted them to if left unaided, and
they hastened TO take the offer. In other
words, a scholarship was simply prize for en-
terlng the ministry, and if there is any profess
sion which ought to he sought for its own sake
and not through pecuniary inducement it is the
ministry.
The effect has been disastrous in many ways.
College presidents lament that few of the
brightest students now study for the ministry.
Many who enter college with that end in view
abandon il before the course is finished. There
are each year few earnest, able, strong young
men WHO persevere to the end and become
preachers, but we believe it is fact that these
are in nearly all cases men who either do not
need aid or who refuse to accept it. The spirit
of the American hoy revolts naturally against
accepting aims, and if he consents to receive it
The almost immediate effect is to weaken his
manliness. In many colleges the beneficiary
students are looked down upon by their fellows,
and the possession of u scholarship is carefully
Of their associates. All this is harmful to the
ministry. IL repes strong independent youth,
driving them into other professions, and it
weakens the already weak menIwho are lifted
by artificial means into the pulpit.
The existence of the evil is admitted. How
TO remedy it is the problem which has had
the earnest attention Of oar college presi-
dents for many years. We should hesitate to
offer advice to such competent judges, but it
seems to rs that no reform can be effective
which does not abolish entirely the aims giving
character of the aid extended. The money
might be lent, not given. Let the deserving
student borrow it without interest for an in
definite period. When he receives it he can
sign promise to repay it as soon after leaving
college as he is able. II he is n manly fellow,
he will rejoice in this opportunity to have / is
manhood tested, and will keep his promise. If
he is not manly fellow, he will be made no
worse by failing to keep bis promise. A few