New-York tribune., 1885-03-02

work to graduates OF institutions Oh hs "moin sent
men Of the faculty is really against one son,s
making Greek optional ana TINS DC ine cSv u%obc 10
tell what should and what should mol be the course u
sued BY student hss u aey t to be
that boys Of eighteen have the "potehhai man a''"u'
revealed to themi" .ooa tho ncws.
papers and who mslead aud Unsettled Dy ine Hant
on education found therein lazy suRsria u.tsad
q editor may 1 Obtain Il. Special a
business from being forced master subjects wnch no
did not like and may write that literature when . hhs hs
been his special study since he was graduate ers Rus' to
tHs WS.se %u.nas % should Ss ssyrDs the
sTsSsh ~.ss "tc0 OF the argument he advsces favor
OF his special pursuit The discussion oi ms.,eas w an
gues which served to destroy college discipline anu
which never serve to increase our respect ior r
university life and cannot be so fitted. If young man
cannot receive education such as sought IN fea %
college He will profit more by learning rNon %o
what wiser men may choose for him than Sy 4. eon
about among the various electives seeking WhAI ho ''
sders suitable for himself.
President Andrew d. White, of Coruell University
said on Saturday TO a TRIBUNE reporter:
In this matter of elective studies stand midway
between the two extremes as represented py Dr'
and President Eliot. / cannot indorse the eieetye
system as President Eliot expounds and defends It, for
his position to me open TO many oi tne o
which Dr. McCosh urged at the recent meeting OF sne
under system of complete election student may &c.
degree ior the study of music the French drama anu
similar dietante branches, although Is perhapS 'u
that "a student who pursues this course woui9, get
about as much good from these studies as ne wou ges
from auy Others Now there two kinds OF modioed
election which indorse. believe that agooa pan
10 give students choice between number OF dlnerent
courses each made up of studies which he Is obged 10
follow when he selects that course; and secondiy
believe in fixed curriculum of required studies 10
which q student may add certain NUMBER Oh ss eS
of his own choice. In Cornell we have also a class oi
men known special students. young man wiz m
present himself and ask for special instruction IN
chemistry for instance. The chemical professor
examines him and himself that he is capable OF
doing good work in that department lie s men !,
allowed TO choose two other studies which he VIII
pursue at the time. In all these cases tDee is
basis of hard work required The idea OF curriculum
without any election Goes not seem to me wise =; A
young Of sixteen seventeen is certainly capape
of choosing two three elective branches: In TINS
country young men at that age are called upon 10
decide for themselves far more weighty questions:
They obliged to choose their calling tor the whoie
of their after lives, to decide what professions hey wiz
study and where they Will study them whom they will
associate with them in business, and other matters
equally important fthey are capable of doing tins
will supplement the college curriculum with Greek or
mathematics, whether they Will choose an acsdeic
or "a scientific course. .
One great argument against making all the students
in a college purs 10 the il that the drones
keep back those who capable OF gong ahead ana
making fine progress In college class ior instance,
twenty men good Greek scholars and like the study
the others don't like it, and the professor mast acapt
his instruction to all 1t illogical that the pro
gress of the better scholars should be impeded while
the others crib and pony Now some say that these
latter will never do well in anything else. ms Is not
So In my own experience, have met with men who
could or would do nothing in the classics Yet found
that sometimes they made splendid mathcmaticans or
modern lnguists. In such cases, often the study OF
those branches for which these men seem to have
natural inclination seems to lead them hnally TO
interest themselves in the very studies for which
before they had much repugnance. For instance.
have seen young men who wouldn't study Greek bat
in the Greek literature through their German studies.
Perhaps they read Faust" aud this gave them
desire TO know at first hand the Grecian models upon
the elective system gives good results. but 1t must be
kept within bounds"