New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-17
THE TTSIOY or 1 UNIVERSITY

The announcement that Mr.. JOhn ~ ho'h'-
Teller has determined 10 eNpend S-o'ooo'"o0
in founding an institution OF advanccd IcIrh-
ing is not confirmed in any quarter ana j. !"
fact di>credited. AT least temporarily 10y MI
Rockefellcr himself There i, nevertheless
no doubt that this dazzling project has oeen
seriously and even hopefully discussed Ior
considerable time by conspicuous members VI
the Baptist communion, some oil Nhom nav
evidently failed To discriminate accurately DC
tween natural desires and reasonable eNpcc'a-
tions Having convinced themselves that ms
vast endowment would be- actually offered III
tho near future. il j. no wonder that their en-
thusia,m assumed corresponding proportions
II i certain that if great university could ho'
come into existence under such conditions iacH
of fund, would not explain the failure NO
educational enterprise ever had the auN'nuaSV
80 starting with such a financial guarantee
and those who believe that money j COM
pctcnt a. accomplish all things can consistent
~ argue that project with twenty mliiiohN
behind il could not fail
But this assumption suggests once more inc
venerable dogma that such an institution ~
now rises before the Imagination oil Dr. Mac
Arthur cannot be created ont oi hahd tha'
university worthy OF the name must lheN'ap!
find its place and shape slowly ana laDorlou'
/, and crow great by small accrctlonN Ana
vet ,ccepting this theory at It's full value.
!, j. nevertheless proper and pertinent To
reason that. since everything must have be-
ginning. it is gratifying and altogether deSir-
oble that GOOD thing should gain time by
! Lcginuinc on large scale aud with an i'm
! 81 ,tif anf Oh IL
hodv imacines that another oxford will "ri'e
! like an exhalaton from the earth ana trans
form either bank OF the Harlem within two or
five or ten years. But il the time has arrived
for having the foundations Of new scholastic
fabric it is we'll that they should be nobly
! laid Has that time come? That J. qucs-
tiou which some ardent friends OF education
NAV be expected 10 answer In the negative.
There are those who feel themselves rmpclled,
~ often as they hear Of gifts 10 feeble col
! lagos or efforts 10 found new ones, u protest
/, Lobalf of institutions which are already
great and successful in spite of their poverty.
| 10 doubt large sums of money have been eX-
rorded unon educational objects which simply
absorbed them and made no return; and. II
yvo are not in error, Mr.. Rockefeller has wit
messed with personal concern and regret some
governments of that kind. II is true as gen
cral proposition that in this stage of National
DEVELOPMENT money may be quickly and easily
wasted in educational ventures, and that IA
small OUTLAY on a new foundation is unlikely
"a Weld even a small result of value. But
the danger of wishing to cOnfnc the c0pOus
stream of private muniiicencc within old chan
noIS has been concluSivcy shown many times
within the memory Of men who are still young.
Some prophets Of evil, we remember, predicted
that Johns Hopkins University would prove a
melancholy failure.
TO admit the brilliant disproof Of these
Respondent augurcS is not, however to as
sumo inat n great gift to this cause might not
more wisely and hopefully be applied in de-
volopng one or more existing establishments
than i'm calling new one into existence. The
problem of computing comparative utilities can
seldom be solved to the satisfaction Of all whom
il concerns When some man actually appears
with twenty millions in his hand all ready To
be devoted to educational purposes there are
at least four institutions in the country which
will be able To prove that they could accom-
, plsh enormous results by sharing it equally
II is true, moreover, that various uticrances
, which preceded and accompanied tho prcmi-
3 ture announcement upon which these retlec-
tons are based suggest doubt whether tho
( auspices under which some Sangunc leader,
of a great denomination would like 10 see a
: new National university taking shape would
, prove altogether favorable to the foundation
of such an institution and to It's permanent
distinction and success. Ii will occur to MANY
judicouS persons that sccarian preference,
{ and projects have been made rather too con
. spicuouS in the prospectus which a few ardent
| spirits have been promulgating. We think il
quite safe to predict that if in this country
{ university ever earns the title OF National
{ it will make no appeal whatsoever to sectariaI
Y pride or support. Our most eminent schools
of learning haYe become great and famoul