The morning call., 1891-05-31
ANoTHFR TNIxERsITY.

An Eastern dispatch states that new
educational institution, to be known as the
American University. has just been org an
lied at Washington, D. c.. with a State
Governor. several leading members Of Con-
gresS, four Bishops, one Cabinet official and
a number of other per sons of distinction
among the eOrporators and Trustees. The
dispatch sdds, as an incidental matter, that
an appeal is TO be made to the American
people for contribution of S5,OO0,O0O to
start the enterprise,
IT is said that one cannot have too much
OF good thing and if so, the more institu-
tions that are started for the promotion of
learning the better it will be. Ignorance van
ishes in proportion TO the-spread of knowl-
edge, and with ignorance an appreciate
measure OF vice and crime. But it will always
be a question whether education is best pro-
NOTED by the multiplication of colleges, or
by perfecting the methods of the colleges
we have. There are some wise people who
think that it is with colleges as with books
that quality is of more Importance than
number 1t is impossible to have too many
schools for the teaching Of the rudments.
The mere there are the less chance there
will be that children will grow up in ignO-
II
situations which are designed to complete
system Of edu alton. As to these, perfec-
ton of design and completeness of method
are the main essentials.
There are, or there were when statistics
of education were last collected, 361 colleges
and universities in the United States, at
which some 20, 800 students were completing
their educatiOn-an average of 100 students
to each university or college OF these
there were twelve in this State, college TO
every 100000 persons Of the entire popua-
tiOn, and at these twelve 1041 students were
Ell rolled. 1t is gratifying to observe that
every section OF the State Is provided with
facilities for higher education; but he who
considers education in view of its object
and its uses may perhaps wonder whether
those uses and that object are as well at
tanned by distributing the thousand students
among tweve separate institutions as they
would be if the entire body were gathered at
one or two places.
One effect Of the multiplication Of colleges
is to paupeiZ- them all. The money spent
in education does not go very far when it is
so widely distributed Every university in
the United States, except ! eThaps Columbia
and Cornell, is in want Of money, and by
reason of that want is unable 10 command
the services of the ablest men as professors
or to purchase expensive instruments for
the laboratory. Every college report con-
tains the stereotyped sentence that if the
trustees bad larger fund at their command
they would be able TO accom- pliSh more for
the cause OF education.
This. however, is not the chief inconven-
fence which results from scattering students
among several hundred institutions Of learn
ing. The work of education at college is
not mOpopolized by professors; the best part
of 1t is done by the students themselves. 1t
is by the attTitiOn of young, intelligent and
ambitious minds that the highest mental
attributes are developed. Boys learn from
each other we'll as from their professors.
One particularly bright student will Undue
his Whole class with emulation and bring
out qualities in his competitors which might
have LAIN dormant but for his example If
that IS the case, it follows that the larger the
number OF students, if the Institution be not
OvercT0wded, the better the chance of find
ing among them young men who are fitted
to lead, and who can really make the college
serve its true purpose Of awakening young
minds.
Education in France is backward as COM
pared with education in this county. A
few years ago large number of the French
people could not read or write, and the pro-
Yincial colleges are generally to this day
poor third-Tate schools. But the College of
France turns out the ablest men of the
period. 1t counts OH its register an average
attendance Of 600 students. The number