Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-01

as regards facilities for instruction and
illustration, our University is rapidly ap.
preaching the front ranks. The labora.
tories of some of the departments can
hardly be excelled, and those of other de.
partments are being as rapidly developed as
the resources at the command of the Regents
will permit. In :he laboratories of the several
colleges of Science, Agriculture, Mechan.
les, Mines, Engineering and Chemistry, the
student has opportunities for becoming
practically acquainted with the leading
features of his profession, while the class
ical and literary courses compare favorably
with those of most Eastern colleges. The
new course in Letters and Science, or Let
tiers and Politics, as the Faculty prefer to
call it, is not to be surpassed, if it can be
equaled, elsewhere. There is an excellent
library of over 20 600 volumes, with
yearly addition of some hundreds of vol
umes. A good beginning has been made
IN the way of an art gallery. The miner
illogical cabinet is
UNUSUALLY FINE,
And the museum is far better than is to be
met with at most of the Eastern colleges
of far greater age. 1t should be kept in
mind that we are trying to build up here,
not college after the pattern of most
Eastern colleges, but an aggregation of COL
leges. Our college of letters, or classical
course, fairly represents most Eastern COL
leges, and we have in addition the colleges
of science, that are as rule separate insti.
tutions in the East. In other words, it is
the purpose to offer on our own coast the
best facilities for education in all the lead
ing departments of industrial education
and college work. These attempts have
been, as we believe, remarkably successful,
and yet they have not received the recog-
milton that they deserve. One reason is
evident an Institution OF learning uni
versity, of all o.here-mnst be surrounded
by an atmosphere of quiet and security.
Professors are paid, at best, but inadequate
salaries, as compared with other profess
sional men of equal requirements, but their
positions are supposed to be secure and free
from anxiety, and to carry with them GER
tain social and intellectual considerations
that serve in lieu of large salaries, and for
that reason they are willing to work for
this comparatively slight pay. The nature
of their work calls for undisturbed quiet.
They are, or at any rate
SHOULD BE INVESTIGATORS
As well as teachers, and in their investiga-
lions they find the special enjoyment that
the business man finds III the accumulation
of property. Now this atmosphere of
quiet SO necessary, has been peculiarly
wanting in our University. Almost ever
since its incorporation 1t has been more or
less in state of disquietude. And most
unfortunately for its interests, it has come
to be asserted, and by some possibly, be.
lieved, that the University is subject to
political influence; that positions In it
share the instability of political positions.
Talk OF this character, and the uncer-
tainty as to how much truth there is in it,
have already done more Injury to the Uni
versity than it can fully recover from for
years, and ike seasons of disquiet have
but to be repeated to place it absolutely
beyond rehabilitation within the next gen.
Grafton. This fault-fnding with the Re-
gents, the Faculty, the students, and, in
truth, with whatever belongs to the Uni
versity-unintelligen fault-finding-ha
most seriously impaired its usefulness Just
as doubts cast upon the solvency of bank
will often ruin it. A thing is worth just
what it will bring. A twenty.dollar gold
piece is worth nothing if it is believed to
be counterfeit. A college is to all intents
and purposes worth only what it is reputed
to be worth. Whatever the excellence Of
its courses of study, however well those
courses may be given, as long as these ex-
cellences are either
UNKNOWN OR NOT APPRECIATED,
The University is as if they were wanting.
And a false judgment of this kind is Pc
culiarly difficult of correction, because it
is generally the outcome Of ignorance or
ill-will, and there is therefore not the basis
and many times not the motive for a cor
rect Judgment. :
Now, if mistakes have been made in the
past they must not be made in the future.
Except financially, the University is at
present in every way upon a good footing,
but it is in peculiarly sensitive condition.
1t must be said to be the general belief that
the next few months are likely to deter
mine whether or not it is in politics.
Threats that such would be the
case were freely made but short
time previous to the last election. If it
proves to be in politics, If it cannot be al.
lowed to go peacefully and quietly about
its work without the fear of periodic dis
turbance, it would better be closed. On
the other hand, it needs but the hearty
confidence and support that it deserves, to
make of it an institution Of which WI may
all well be proud. It remains for us to de-
termine whether by our encouragement and
help it is to attain this excellence in our
day and for our children, or whether by
our i'll will its development is to be deferred
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