New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-31
1C1UENIC DEWOCR1fIES.

Many accusations are brought against Ancri-
can colleges, and much advice is administered
TO students and instructors in the course OF
every wear. Some of the censure is deserved,
and some Of the counsel may be useful: though
it would be difficult 10 detect in any recent
development OF academic life the direct coi'c-
ouonces of criticism from without. II there Is
a Dissemination on the part of these busy com
muniticS to accept and apply the reprooi ana
instruction which are So freely offered 10 them
il is doubtless due in part to their recognition
of the fact that their critics are not always
or even generally. fair. The occasional eS-
capadc. the rare outrage the Improbable tu-
mutt on occa .ions Of fe>tyity and triumph are
infinitely described and vchemcntly rcbukcd
while the steady improvement in morals man
ncrs and scholarship is inflcqucnly acknowl-
edged by the youblc cenSorS who find so many
things TO complain OF and are so prompt IN
dcnunciaton.
one service which the colleges are constantly
rendering 10 the country and which Is too sell
dom rewarded with recognition and graft
tuic. is the democratic spirit which they cher
ISL and disseminate continually, rs class after
class j. sent forth into the world. \ striking
illustration Of this prevailing temper has Just
been seen at Harvard, which perhaps more thah
any other academic institution in the country
has the reputation OF cultivating arStociaflc
,vpes and tendencies 4 few days ago Cam
bridge barber whether because OF his own eX-
ccssiyc sen,bility because he misunderstood
the feelings Of a majority Of his patrons, re-
fused to cut the hair of colored student. 1t
il possible that a few individuals have privately
expressed their approval Of his course, but he
has been overwhelmed with condemnation and
contempt expressed in the most emphatic and
practical manner. so that his shop is the most
unpopular place in Cambridge and his business
half ruined And this action has not been
taken by the students by way Of display and
for the purpose Of exploiting the colored man.
but quite naturally and as matter of course.
Comparatively few persons were probably
aware until the incident occurred that liar-
ward undergraduates, and one of the most valu-
able members of thc University football team,
wa, negro. His fcow-studonts have not
been making a virtue of their relations with
him and asking credit for liberaty; but when
occasion offers they resent the implication that
he is not rs good rs they are.
4 conspicuous example Of this character Is
not often seen, but the spirit which this incident
di,coses is the spirit which prevails in Amer-
can colleges The false standards which are
20 common even in this country of constitu-
tiona equality have few followers within aca-
dcmic walls We venture to say that there
arc not many outside communities so free from
snobbery and unwhplcsomc prcjudices as these
communities Of American students. They cher
sh customs which appear silly to the unln-
tiated, and occasionally arc discrcdItcd by
antics which may be quite as ridiculous as any
which can bo witnessed in political campaigns
or on the stock Exchange; but they maintain
an honest rivalry of talents and diifusc a
healthy spirit of equality which the great de-
mocracy beyond their bounds might prolitably
| initiate