New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-08
COMPETITION AT HARVARD.
TIE EXISTING SYSTEM DEFENDED.
a On. Ch{for or Ths Trfbuns

SIR There appeared in your columns last sunday
letter from william p Harlow, Phi. D., in which he set
forth some length the evils Of the system of ard
ing scholarships, prizes, deturs etc, s present In
use at Harvard University Although the writer,
Oh the ground that he graduated from Harv ard,
claimed know "whe-eo! he SPOKE" he is certainly
laboring under gros. misconceptions to the system
In and the efforts that follow 1t. Whatever may
have been tho state of affairs when Mr.. Harlow was
In college, the existing conditions widely from the
description given in his letter.
Mr. Harlow cites several cases in which men have
gone insane have ruined their health BY too close
application He says the root Of this evil competl
ton for scholarships, competition made more hard for
account Of their poor preparation for college,
and made hard for all because many men who do not
need pecunary aid apply for scholarships and thus add
to tho number Of contestants. He states that of the
whole college, about one-half apply for aid This
statement is incorrect Statistics show that only about
fifth Of each class apply for scholarship, and Of
these fully twohlrds receive the aid they seek The
statement is equally Incorrect that very many OF the
scholarships received by who do not need them
Before man receive pecuniary aid he must sub
NIT to examination of his circumstances before the
dean of the faculty and must sign papers In which he
forth his actual need Even II these precautions
were not TAKEN the state OF honor is not low at
Harvard that many who were not IN need would
take advantage Of system OF scholarship designed
Tor the use of the poor students Nevertheless IL true
that there IS and then a man who takes aid he
does really need but such rare-far too
rare to warrant such a complaint appeared In Mr..
Harlows letter. 1t Is poor philosophy which says a
useful system should be abolished because 1t is Liable
to abuse.
The writer further complains that some students
handicapped by their poor preparation for college
and are obliged in consequence to work harder for
honors. In this connection he finds fault with the
system Of awarding prizes because It is made basis
of scholarship purely In this he Is only partly right
Scholarship s of course the basis Of awarding prizes
What else could bel But the whole complaint Of Mr..
Harlow loses its force when It appears that the gentle
men who have distribution Of the scholarships IL
charge have the privilege Of using their discretion
to whether not high standing shall no the only
thing considered In awarding scholarships In many
cases aid is given to tho student who Is judged 10
need the scholarship most, although his standing In
his class is lower than that OF some others who applied
for help.
IL may be seen, therefore, that Mr.. Harlow's long
complaint Is based on evils that exist In his imagi
nation only for have made only statements that can
be proven by apple alton 70 the officers books Of the
University, and have not stated anything, Mr. Har
low have done based on the memory OF things
they existed several years ago. JUSTIT1A
Cambridge April 60, 1883