Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-02

Z L
/ tracts attention or excites remark at
the university. If a change in this re-
spect ever takes place, a large part of
the glory of the institution will have
passed away.
+ Thatk God, there is no indication that
such catastrophe is impending. There
never was a time when students of
limited means could work their way
through the university more easily
than now. There certainly has not been
a time since 1860 when so few dollars
would answer the purpose. 1t would
be impossible for circumstances to exist
where a self-respecting student, sup
porting himself would be more indie
pendent and in greater favor than he
is at the present time. Any one that
thinks over the roll of those chosen by
the students themselves 20 engage in
the great intellectual tournaments of
the university-the Joint Debates
will see that it is not wealth but pow
erty that seems to be on the intellect
ual throne. The lesson is. Look out
for the man who has neither time nor
desire for a dress suit" All he asks
for is to have an open road and
free and encouraging opportunity. He
wants, and he deserves, libraries and
museums and laboratories Of the very
best. He marches with his forehead
to the sky, and with a light step, as
I though exhilarated by the perpetual
/ consciousness of something attempted
and something done" There is not
corner Of the university campus in
which one does not seem to hear his
triumphant McGregor song: Clear the
way for | am coming"
This is an important side of the uni
versity, but it is not ALL | have seen
in one of the greatest cathedrals of the
world princess in purple velvet and
a peasant in sheep-skin breeches kneel-
ing at the same altar The temple of
learning, like the temple of Cod must
be four square, and must throw wide
open its doors to all classes alike.
While it must give every opportunity
and encoura cement to the poor, it must
not give to the poor any exclusive
rights. The rich man is as good as the
poor, if he behaves as we'll; and the
poor may not say to the rich: Move
out, for this is mine" The very name
university" implies universally of
condition as we'll as universally of
knowledge. When this term for the
highest institutions of learning was
first adopted there were in the same
scholastic communities those who
were the sons of princes and those
who, like Martin Luther, sang from
house to house to gain their bread So
where. Anything discriminating
against the rich would not be the work
of democracy but of what the Greek
call ochlocracy. [ estimate that five
years ago the university students who
went from this state to institutions
outside, carried with them and ex-
pended twice as much money as the
entire amount of the state tax for high
er education. Who were they, and why
did they go? With few exceptions they
were the children of rich men who
wanted for their sons the very best
opportunities the country afforded.
They did not believe they found them
in Wisconsin. Consequently every year
large numbers went to Michigan to
Cornell, to Harvard, to the Boston Tech,
and elsewhere. Now is it not worth
the while to make an institution here,
which, while good enough for the hard
working student, who cannot so else
where, will also of necessity be good
enough TO keep the Well-to-dO student
who feels at liberty to go wherever he
thinks he can get the best? There
must be no determinations whatever
against one class or another. Our in
vitation must be "Ho, EVERY ONE
that thirstethr'
Civilization is complicated; and a
true university is a microcosm 1t in
CIudes all classes; and all classes with
in the bounds of morality and intelli-
gence, must be encouraged. To advo-
cate anything less than this is to use
the hoarse language of ignorance and
demagOgy. And this is worse than the
language of the bowling dervish of
Arabia for the language of the one
is simply nonsense, while the language
of the other is the very opposite of
the truth.
My word of hope is that in all this
great work the varied educational forces
of the state will work together in
enthusiastic harmony. We can all help
one another by friendly suggestion and
criticism. No one of us can claim to
be perfect, and no one can claim to
be above the range of fair and legiti-
mate criticism. But let all errors be
pointed out with the sweet reasonable
ness of fairminded and intelligent mon,
who, in the open daylight, seek to
build up rather than to pull down. Let
US pay no heed to criticism of any
other kind. When Nehemiah was
building the wall of Jerusalem, he set
a good example in refusing to come
down to answer the revilings of San
ballat, Gesham, and Tobiah. Let us
discuss our difference with the friendly
frankness of men conscious of being en-
gagged in great and noble cause of
common interest. Let us rem ember
that, as the greatest advocate of dem
ocracy we have ever had once said:
Liberty in the hands of feeble-m minded
and unreasoning persons (and all the
worse If they are honesD means moth
ing more than the supremacy of their
particular form of imbecility; means
nothing less, therefore, than downright
chaos, Bedlam chaos, of monomaniacs
and bores" 1t is in the common and
harmonious effort of all those engaged