New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-25
ELECTIVES IN COLLEGES.
PRESIDENTS ELIOT AND MCosH HEARD.
INTERESTING PAPERS BEFORE THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY CLUB.

nj Ot0hfya meeting NtneL66nvu
CiuD was al Unusually 'a'o'0'""e 80 -.
IL a. 90, eaten, ~ co,,.oa Government were
on" ' ~ "a .h ,s.tiop of
.ho oI.otyo svstem of stud,es and of self-gOvern-
'ho o''0''o '.'' 80. ,;,.,,.s.a H., President
U,.o. of uarvord on presdent Met Osh of Prince
, A., JN. Co,r,,ord, Palmer
ton. The parlOrs OF Nr. ana MIS-. COurtiahut a'o'
,.oro .ro,,daa NJ S,oclock when Mr. Palmer intro
were cro"ueu ~ y o'o'n' WV" ~ 81, .
duced President Eliot TO his guests WIN a 10"
aDDropri ate words President Eliot BuStalped INC
"pP'opi~ :.;. . ,,dont ,uust
proposition that Ill university stuuoh' "'"''
choose his studies anu govern himseh' Ai"'"s
,thar tb;ngs be said.
other .h'hs' II. '''u ,,.. - ,,o-r, .ur
HOW 10 Uansioim = oouneo m.n oio - n.ot ,,urse
riculum into university without any rescrDcd co,so
OF study isa roDem wnch more ana more ciau,, , w.
attention OF all inVuShtiui lIois VI &
and education hope to convince you that uhveis.0
ri liberal arts and sciences must give It's students 40
fhngs freedom III cnoce oi STUDIES, w W s,.ciaI
win academic distinction IN shgle suJec,s VI ooes
lines study, aud discipline which distinctly Imposes
each III div dual the responsibility OF io's HIS wv"
A college with prescribed curriculum must proJ,aso'
say sixteen hours week OF instruction LOT e1 nr cai
or sixty-lou nonIs o. .mo t ,o ,,ructon needed In
teachers can easily give a inc lhs.ru , mSerai
such college twenty .eaene's wo",u ol"Jiny Nil N,
allowance ior coneeo III 'hiy III, rn hmndreds of
classes and optional studies There are NUM- ntv
American colleges AT TINS moment M,sh rnved this
teachers Now tere are eSn , awe aboui As hours
of public instruction week. Is en, l Sr If the in,
undcigraddie 40 'ne "od i, man student would need
strucon provlnea, anu q u,,'Se nt aeId a. a uni
about 10 cover VIZ pi''o"t o,d "a
versity must Try 10 teacn every ucin". 90 sary ~,
a student cannot take inc whoe HH'' !" 10 "o'o'''' "
permit mn 10 ,ahe p "a At what ace and at what
The practical question ,ei a., az ana American boy 20
stage OF his educaohh pLus.ess s an ny .,~. T,nr
10 full university Anu eeS. my NC - 49,. no,nt
preliminary oosers sns ., ,i vnyeT.ities AT yarI-
flrst the European w. go 800. and The American
boz IL decidedly moe mature ana more calape o IAN
Ing cafe oil hmscu than ,io ~, naif IN ~.
made soon as II WON" pe pelt, oi ',o yu mi,od
ciaie with older snuah.s nuor nSor ,sc,nine
to their age than Win younger PnPs M nch fn be
suited TO TIERS. lhe scnoo might sun w ~, 49,,
youh the university might as YET be 700 icn 'I n'
there must he a balancing OF advantages ana disau-
vanages Third. young man Is nuon thve.e9 ~! h
expect behave like child, his lingering chaisn
ness Will rule his actions, hut thcy ckpeci hh
IN behave ike a man his .ncpicnt manhood w oftener
assert itself Tho pretended parental or sham mohaso
OF the common American coiIese secu' W ht
bring out the chisness rather than the manhood OF
the average student The progressive argument Is:
Adapt college policy 10 The pest Stuueut-, anu NV w
worst. Fourth. II is desirable that the young men who
are {, enjoy university freedom shall have already e.
ceiyod q substantial uanlng In which lan&uase, MS
tory and natural science siouhi be a.ie
uuately represented. This Is gwen nov III very Few
schools hut this fact should not affect me policy OF an
tolcraby prepared students Education Is vital pro-
80 -, hoy has nat been "a nourishing and abundant
m ~ a,,,I have bren Al school vet men he goes To-
college MS uie' mus We ,rI Is rren,rcd students
~ apc W so' "'"''' WV
every year. ,,,o Oh, normal 40. a, which nm Am,r-
i",n"tolu n, Ga IN a nniycr.iy wner, choice Of
e. ,; wy - 1,.o ~ e e,rbieen 1hr poteniial man s
stluIes ~ . ~ ioni .,u,,c. we been reason
a a, finer. can be no doubt as 10 the
nt rrnutah. direction Of his sui sequent studies.
mos, ~ Vtia nn,,auc.. b. uo..Ihtti,. an. ,-,.u-
,i ,,.r,ineJ lie mas passed the age when com
llal ue',! ., ,as,,,, - no can mo- longer IA.
iusol! us a,i .,.rc,s. At M. mimi lie ca,, now
~ '.! h.,ter conrse ~ .udy than any col
select "l ,,l, sctec, fnr lin lie viii
lcgc faculty can pos-i1y seec' ~, n, Who have an
main, mn "e "a nm MIN When !, young man
ih.'i',o 10 ,,'r, ,.ls me VIVA, TO stniy / am
wnn msae SiT ne Tell. me- what ne likes and Doesn't
IT, -, .,art. M, cnr,. for what emf la, ma he
nh", VIA ~, ,,r,nt. and er,ndp,r~rt- were, and
ulx sbo "a IN noH a think
ont Ia. problem or himself.
FER youth OF ighe,n Is an infinitely complex ana
o,ary ,rg,niI zion lis Inherited traits, his environ
,nrrf IN. na,sln- emotions. hopes and desires AL
dgrrcnt from those OF every other young Ilis
r,i ,o,c. 4. arous.d ,tu,illard and exhausted IN
49, ,s',t,rIy ms own 10 discern aud take du. ac-
cn ~ these dyersitics no human insight or wisdom l..
,,e,,, 4, 4. rnr m. hnnpur.s of the nutyI ia and
10 hand Inc cniyated NOT OF pressed The pre.uup-
IT,, -, ,rcS,rc s,usi uniformity lu education and ia
favor of diversity at the earliest pos~ble what
erminc. tnt nonentf TO my thinking. the limit Of
conp-ory uniform alton .hodd hc determined 10y
elementary quality ami recosnied un,er.ai utility
subjects of that Instruction let prnhy srhorls
have "A uniform programme The limit al elementary
one easily Ia be- reached aud passed. under RESPECT
able union any youth oi ihir a'y p"io,o ho -
eighteen years old. There ceases Jurilhhpic hi"'.v
In rducation There election ol rl',s ~ , 49,
AMI the safest gnde- 10 "lsr cn"ro WI ,, ,,d,,nn
Meditation and -feolaI oalaolp I" tno 'n' wv w.,
Studies prphl wien tb.( inei.s -, , %, I'll " "
choice goo. iaI 10 secure 'ie
helpa youth. lie must thse up H,"'i! u" .,, 49,,
pursued about where ne 'cIt on' ".u ,,",,y,,s
al the Wslhulh[ NAM -. - ~,
involve preliminary subjects "ich mn'. DC s.cu n.,a
Then there Is pf"Vhiiihs ''ndrH'l 'h 'e p'i
competent student 10 carry aI any '"h-'h'a' r4y'.t
once entered upon. To r'prc-s tiis most u" 'uDa'e
tendency l. To make reai -'holarrn'p Iu'Po ,,'
effective these natural 80 eRuarIr "s"ls'
and inconseeutiVehe-s that 'lt1ciaa to. u, ,
snpernn"us nave hhI arg olpoI a"ni.i, NV, y, 1850
ing the working o' TN, electl'" rbStehi anu .! rop'
lug IL with prescfbrd curriculum DON ~ t,'s sum,
and IN InfOIr nave never hho vi Ht."'n' Va ~
four years which did hot apparently possess more
theoretical aud practical merit ior h- case IMAM Tue
mt curr q
are NECESSARILY elementary beginning To end, ana
ycry heterogeneous No teacher. however learned or
thI.a,c possibly hay" any advanced pupi', hpd
NJ scholar. however competent ana eager can uiaho
serous attainment IN any single -ubJeet ,h,er 'nc
elt ctiVc ~ stem HE great majority pursue soS n"ocI'e
with reasonable degree OF thoronfhness Ihosn VINO
have already decided upon Their profession "Se! pui
cue re alive subjects.