Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-11
SUNDAY....~..."".APRlL ii, 1856
College Education in the South.

College EoucaUoh III Ihe S0"'N'
The Providence Journal contains an
article on College Education in the
South, which, though we'll intended, is
full of errors--errors that are the re-
suit Of an ignorance very prevalent in
tho North in respect OF education IN
the South. The Journal begins by
making a plea for the better endow-
ment of southern colleges. So far
so good. There are few colleges in the
South that do not need more liberal
endowment. The close Of the war Left
most of them on the verge of bank
ruptcy, and they have had hard strug-
Gle in building up. But the Journal
does not stop with plea for better en-
dowment. II adds
Very few southern colleges enforce their
pubished requirements OF admission. Ihey
must take NIL students who apply, what,
ever Their preparation. or die from financial
starvation. The course OF study has been
dragged down 40 low that In many Instances
GRADUATES OF tO.Cdutu uuiNtIeltlcs hit w
low the grade OF freshmen in third-rate
northern colleges.
This state of things was all very well be-
fore the war. Then southern colleges es'
cafed failure by attempting nothing. No.
body expected them to educate. Those who
wanted 81 liberal education Went 10 northern
or European universities. This course, how
ever, mainly from financial reasons Is no
longer pursued. The southern youth are
knocking at the doors of their home col
leges and demanding "a higher education
that shall compOrt with their needs and nj
least spproNi innate the standard oi northern
Institutions.
That is the old story which has been
told and retold until good many even
Of our own people believe it. Speaking
for the Virginia colleges, we can say
that it is not true that they do not en-
force their published requirements.
Neither is it true that the course ofstudy
has been dragged down to the standard
the Journal describes. We have given
some attention to the comparative re-
auirements Of northern and Virginia
colleges in the matter of entrance-ex-
aminatiops, and we know whereof we
speak when we say that any youth that
could enter the freshman class of one of
our leading Virginia colleges could enter
the freshman class Of any Of the boosted
northern colleges. Again IL is not
true that before the war any large
number of Virginians went to northern
or European universities in order that
they might be literally educated. There
was no necessity for their doing so.
Our colleges were not only expected to
educate, but did educate, and many Of
our most literally educated men-men
who were ornaments not only
to Virginia, but to the nation
received their education in Virginia
schools and colleges. We admit that
in the matter Of equipment for educa-
ting specialists some Of our higher in
stitutions of learning are deficient
deficient owing to lack Of endowment
but in the domain Of "liberal educa-
ton " they have been kept abreast
with the times in respect both Of stand
ard and thoroughness Of work.
But, after all, the Journals article
may do good. The season for holding
educational congresses, &C., in the North
is near, and it seems to us that if any
thing could stimulate southern pro-
fessors to attend such meetings it
would be Misrepresentation Of the
character we quote from our Proyi-
dence contemporary. BY attending these
meetings and letting the general public
know what the institutions they repre-
sent have been doing and are doing,
they would not only put stop to q
good deal Of Growing on the part
northern colleges and universities, but
would make southern colleges and uni
versities more popular among our own
people.