The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18

Fondness for what is big and bulky Is
q characteristic trait Of the people or
the United States. This statement is
true. not only of what is natural DuU
also of what is artificial. We are given
To boasting of our long rivers ana ran
roads. our vast plains, ana our great
bridges. For some of these thinSo we
deeerva credit: others were here long be-
fore we We're In this world good many
things owe their value and Importance
10 their size, but size Is not always re-
liable test. Nowhere Is discriminating
Judgment more necessary than IN e7u-
mating the relative value ana lnhueHCo
of educational institutions. Unfortunately
here. too, mere bigness has come 10 DE
regarded by many as liking IaHA anu
precedence. d.,
There are, perhaps half dozen UNI
versities" in the land, East ana "esl,
that have an annual enrolment Oh OHS1
two thousand Shall We class these 10
eether and place them at the front! e
fear the faculties of some OF them WouIu
be not a little surprised at the company
In which they would find themselves
There is especial need of caution WIN
our easy way in the admission OF SUI
dents Where an educational system 'N9
the German has been established IAe C"S1
is different. There most OF those IN AT
tendance on the different grades nave al
ready attained the rank OF college sI@u-
yates before admission. But so ions aS
our universities graduate young peoPle
in law, medicine, theology, anu "iidI nv
who have had no academic training pre-
vious to admission, it is the Yeriest farce
to make the size Of the GRADUATING class
or the total enrolment the test OF rank
among similar institutions. IL does noI
require q very close examination OF lHS
work Of several of our most populouS
universities TO be convinced th4t tnVy
are largely preparatory departments, uh-
less they can make professional men tiiI
women of persons who have not acluileu
the rudlments Of an English eQuc@'lo-
When two young men OF equAl a1l"l'.-
ments enter school life, the one In an
academy 20 prepare for COLLEGE inc ~
I'm a university TO get a medical diploma
By the shortest way, are they not potn
preparatory students, and nothlhB Iloio.
In two or three years one graduates as
NJ. D., the other into freshman ciAaS
Of a reputable college; yet we are asAeu
10 regard the one as a university student
the other as q prep" In this case
things are evidently not what they SEEM
and there IS need Of the revision OF oui
educational nomenclature.
The question may be asked; hlch VI
our higher institutions or learning ap-
proach nearest to what may properly De
considered the true university standAIu
Of our timer We answer: THAT Dody
Of teachers will attain the nearest APP
proach 10 such a standard, who VIII ad-
nit 10 their classes such students only
as have spent the equivalent or IOuI
years of study beyond the requirements
for admission to the freshman class
adopted by the Ohio College Association,
or its equivalent, and grant professional
or academic degrees solely on the Dasie
OF such postgraduate study. a lew III
sututlons are striving TO reach TINS GOAL
but no one has probably, as YET quite at
tanned IL. The question Is pertinent
whether 1t will be easier OF attainment
by State or private institutions. on the
whole. the latter seems TO be the most
untrammeled and least amenable 70 pup
lie opinion. State institutions being de-
pendent on the public purse are, TO
considerable extent, dependent on the
public standard OF judgment as 10 the
value OF an educational establishment
To the community, and that standard Is
In most cases the numerical one. Those
OF our higher institutions. the endow-
ments OF which are contingent on the
title university" cannot be expected 10
forfeit these In order 10 take their real
rank. The wisest thing they can do Is
10 limit their work to one or two depart
ments. and there is 10 reason that II
should not be equal TO the best. They
can always count on a certain amount OF
patronage, although Il viii be more or
less local. Our country Is still too new
TO enable one 10 form just estimate
Of the relative effect OF our colleges
upon the thought OF the world. The time
VII probably never come In this demo-