The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-29
WHAT The STATE UNIVERSITY
MIGHT Do FOR CALIFORNIA,
by w. g. MORROW.

Among the suggestions received by
Regent Reinstein of the State University
in response to his call upon the alumni OF
the institution for an expression of their
ideas one of conspicuous merit comes
from Stockton. 1t is this faction should
be taken by the Alumni Association in
time before the next meeting of the Legis
lature to secure throughout the State the
election of alumni or friends of the univer-
sity to the State Legislature" A reason
for the suggestion is appended: THE tax
levy for the State University should be in
creased to l cent and appropriations for
buildings and Improvements at the univer-
sity should be at least 81 100000
This suggestion was intended solely 10
meet the physical needs of the university,
and as they are urgent and the remedy
proposed a wise one. it is admirable. But
let us see how different tine idea would
look if put in a broader form, as follows:
Why does the public provide for the ed
ucatlon OF its children? Is it merely for
their individual good and is it supposed
that the raising OF the individual intellI-
gence by such means will directly bring
benefits to the State? Instead OF that let
us imagine that an essential purpose OF
free public education is the making of cit
liens and an imbuing of them with sense
of public responsibility; that the young
men and women graduated from the higher
institutions, particularly the State Univer-
siiy, the highest of all, have had the civic
sense strongly developed within them by
a special and persistent course of train
ing; that they have been charged with the
duty of seeing to the welfare of the State
in all essential ways, being in sense pub
lie officers-is it difficult to imagine the
great good that would result2
The fact that the students of the uni
versity do not leave it with any such idea
is sufficient proof that the institution is
not grounded in a broad understanding.
1t is incredible with what unseeing eyes
we read history. Is it not plainly before
us that the schools of Sparta made hero
citizens OF their pupils, and that the teach
ers of the Athenian Young laid the founda-
ton of the imperishable artistic greatness
OF the Greeks?
To a thoughtful person it seems almost
silly that in many of the public schools
throughout the State the pupils are taught
to sing America" and to witness the rails
ing Of the National colors on certain days.
| This is riding a comets tail with large
magniicence. How many of the children
are persistently taught the ground princi-
| pies of patriotism? The alteration of SYM
| bols is foolish in the absence of an under
standing of their meaning.
| In comparing the splendid buildings
which the State provides for the care of its
! lunatics and criminals with the shabby
| structures and neglected grounds of the
State University, We have abundant evil
/ dence of vital shortening in the free
educational system of the State. Institu-
lions for the care OF the unfortuaates of
society are provided when needed, but in
order to secure them there must be ele-
ments at work other than the need of
10 hot o1yn, ifcal
manifest. That is a selfish quantity, but
none the less useful, and as it is the
groundwork of our Government, National
| State, county, district and municipal the
cleaner its character and the higher its
aims the better for the people.
| The situation is simply this: The
| thoughtful, earnest, educated persons
turned out of the State University exercise
an influence of the smallest order on the
| vital interests of the State in comparison
with that brought to bear by politicians,
many of the strongest of whom are utterly
unscrupulous, wholly uneducated and
! thriving on public plumber. No situation
more absurd and illogical could be i'm
agined.
The fault lies primarily in these higher
schools themselves: but what can be said
III defense of those alumni who IN the
course of time have acquired the hard eX-
perience and wisdom of breadwinners and
ClGlZeuS anu Slli1 WIFI Tile UTMOST COmpla-
cency observe that men with no civic re-
sponsibility, with no debt of honor to the
State, with no pride or patriotism, are ex-
ercising SO large an influence on the
morals and prosperity of the people? The
alumni of the State University have a
strong association, which ii lligently
directed to serve the nobler ends of the
commonwealth would alone be able to
suppress many of the evils which aff1ict
us. The first great reform which they
could achieve would be the introduction
into the course of university study of the
one element which it now so grievously
lacks-the teaching of the young how to
be useful citizens. Every other good thing
would flow from that beginning. A sense
of shame from realization of neglected
duties, obligations and opportunities
would possibly follow a conscientious study
of the constitution, bylaws and proceed
ings of the Alumni Association by such of
It's members as would like to be citizens of
the highest usefulness if they knew how.
The need is all the more urgent by rea-
son OF the novel conditions which environ
our people, and which require original
study and bold mastery. The origin of all
these is found in a peculiar climate; it
gives rise to unique industries which bear
the most intimate relation to the happi-
ness of the people. The value of this
strange element is complicated with diff
cult geographical problems, and neither of
gently without full consideration of the
other. Hence both industry and COM
MERGE with US present possibilities and diff
fculties in the handling of which the ex-
perience of other States and countries is of