The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-15

l
social purity. Instead OF seeking to lift up
the fallen in the merciful spirit OF the
Friend OF the Magdalen. no would drag
down to their deplorable level some OF the
lovellest examples Of pure and beautiful
womanhood
The Great University for New York.
Chancellor MAcCnAcKEN Of the University
| in Washington square argued on Tuesday
| evening before the Nineteenth Century
Club that the only possible federation OF
that institution with Columbia College Is
| "a covenant to give over all examinations
for degrees and comforting Of degrees to a
new corporation. In which they shall be
| equal partners"
| Such federation would not be worth un-
dertaking. 1t would be nothing more than
| the perpetuation OF the present waste of
money and energy in keeping up two sys-
tens OF education where only one Is neces-
sary. To enable his own feebler college to
go on with useless competition. Chancel-
lor MACCRACKEN. moreover. wants rich cit
liens OF New York to increase its endow-
ment six or seven fold" SO as to bring 1t
up to a financial level with Columbia. AS
money. he says that the institution would
make better use OF it than "some lucky
heir who knows nothing better than to
squander his income in London or Paris"
If the lucky heir spent his income in Lon
don or Paris. he might not squander it. He
might put it to good use. II the capital
was bequeathed to Chancellor MAcCRAcK-
EMS college as the lucky heir. 1t would DO
squandered inevitably. 1t would be used
in keeping up an unnecessary and hope
less competition In university education.
Experience has shown that the number Of
young men in the purely collegiate and I'M
dergraduate departments Of these two New
York colleges, Columbia and the Univer-
sity. is always small as compared with tho
number at distant colleges like Harvard
and Yale and Princeton. All told. they are
not so many as are contained in a single
Harvard class. They could be brought to-
gether in either OF the two institutions
without producing q large total and with
great advantage to the young men them
selves and great saving OF expense for
their instruction.
Hence money given to Chancellor MAO
CRAcKEN to enable him to keep up the un-
necessary and injurious division in this de-
partment OF education. would be squan-
dered. The only possible excuse for his
competition would be that Columbia cannot
or does not supply advantages offered by
his college. AS matter Of fact. his college
cannot do so we'll by its students as the
other. for it is comparatively deficient in
it's educational facilities. Columbia can take
all his undergraduates and do better by
them than he can. Why. then. should any,
body turn over to him money to be ex-
pended on that department
What is the use Of two schools Of law
OF medicine. OF science. and OF philoso-
ply in New York Two different and
opposing kinds Of law. medicine. and
science are not taught In the two
sets OF schools. The cost OF maintain
ing such instruction Is enormous. Tho
schools must be supported by great endow-
ments: for at the bottom university cduca-
ton Is gift to those who receive it. They
| pay only small part Of its cost. 1t is not
| supplied as a money-making business but
as a matter of philanthropy. Moreover,
the possibilities OF philanthropy are
too many to make it requisite for would-be
public benefactors to expcnd their liberal
tional coach. Rich men might put capital
in such n competition If they saw a good
| chance OF getting handsome interest on
it: but when thcy are giving the money
away for the public benefit. they want to DO
sure that the benefit will be secured.
When one ladder OF learning will do better
than two. they are not likely to expcnd
their bounty in strengthening and length
ening the second.
Every sensible man knows that only one
great and comprehensive university can be
built up inNew York. II there Is q second
and competing institution. the money
expended on 1t will DO wasted. Instead
OF contributing to desirable result.
the expenditure will tend to defeat it.
One or the other will be OF very second
airy importance. and such success as
1t has will be at the expense Of the really
valuable and necessary institution. Money
given to 1t. therefore. will not be squan-
dered merely: 1t will do public injury.
The question to be decided by the men
who are disposed to give for the endow-
mcnt OF university education In New York
| is. accordingly. whether Columbia College or
| the Washington square University Ia the
better able to put to good use money be-
slowed for the purpose. For practical people
Chancellor MAcCRAcKEN seems to have
settled the question when he said that, as it
| is. Columbia is ton times richer than his own
college. That is Columbia has tho plant
| from which a great university can be de-
veloped. with the help OF u small part OF tho
money which his institution Is trying to
get To enable 1t to approach tho elevation
already attained by the other.